Film Magazine Research

This cover of Empire magazine clearly has a them of 'X-Men' as 'Wolverine' is the central focus. The masterhead of this magazine 'EMPIRE' is situated in the top quarter of the magazine cover, its use of bold red font not only emphasises the theme but makes it a main focus point drawing in all the initial attention, it also juxtaposes with the dark background. The centre of the masterhead is partially covered by the image of 'Wolverine' yet it is still readable which shows the magazine already has a well established readership.

  In my opinion the magazine appears to be relatively cluttered with a variety of writing yet if you look closely it is actually separated with thin white lines almost as if they are boarders. The selling line it 'THE WORLDS BIGGEST MOVIE MAGAZINE' which gives the audience the impression that the magazine consists of different information regarding films and genres. At the very top of the magazine it says 'Wolverine has returned for...' the name 'Wolverine' is displayed in a larger font than the rest of the tag line, this makes it incredibly eye-catching as it emphasises its importance.

  The picture of 'Wolverine' that is featured on the front cover looks as if it has been taken from the film with an impressive background complimenting the main character. The background is a good choice as not only does it contrast with the title but it also allows the white and black fonts to be seen. On this specific magazine cover the main character is featuring as their character/stage name, the main character has blades appearing from his knuckles and big muscles, his stance and facial expressions also show that he is ready for action which is a real give away of the genre. This picture of "Wolverine" is an example of the intra-diegetic gaze as he is not looking out towards the reader but seems to be looking at something behind it above the audience.

  On the right hand side of the cover there are 4 cover lines in black and white font and have white lines separating them. The cover lines on the left hand side appear to be bigger than the ones on the right this is because the ones on the left need to be visible to attract the attention of readers when it is in shops and competing with other magazines. On the left hand side of the magazine there is also 4 cover lines yet although they use the same font as the ones on the right these are larger. Again these also vary between black and white with the white lines separating them, the colour scheme is kept consistent to make the front cover more appealing and eye-catching ensure the audience will be influenced to pick it up and be interested.

  Finally the date and price is placed in between the 'M' of the title in small white writing, this is perfectly clear however it is not the most important piece of information the other typical conventions include the issue date, issue number and bar code, empire also advertise their own website under the title. Overall I am really fond of how 'EMPIRE' layout their magazines, I like the fact the actor on the front is able to cover some of the letters from the title and the simple colour scheme. I think that the red masterhead would relate to our genre well as it is symbolic for death and danger the use of red and black would also compliment our ideas well as we are keen on the idea of using silhouettes so they limited colour palette would work well as magazines tend to use three different colours. I would also like to use a variety of different sized font yet keep the font style consistent so the magazine looks professional, I am unsure on how the group and I want the stance of our main character to be and how and where we want them to be looking yet we must portray an element of mystery.

The front cover of a film magazine is primarily used to market current films. 'Total Film' has wisely chosen to feature Megan Fox to advertise the film 'Jennifer's Body'. After looking at the picture in more detail you are aware of the blood dripping from

her right hand. Like the 'EMPIRE' magazine she is also posing as her character, we are able to tell this from the mise-en-scene as she is wearing a cheerleaders outfit that shows a lot of flesh, attracting the male gaze. I also thought that Megan Fox's stance was very powerful as she is looking directly at the camera which could appear intimidating to some; this is a great example of a direct address (extra-diegetic) as she is looking out of the frame straight at the reader.

  The masterhead of the magazine 'TOTAL FILM' is partially covered up which again indicates that the magazine is well established with its readers, the master head covers around a quarter of the page and is situated in the top 3rd giving it more recognition when

on the shelf. The three main colours on this issue are red, white and blue with some use of black. The white almost acts as a canvas to place the storylines over and the use of vivid red contrasts well making it stand out to the audience. Red, white and blue also happen to be the colours of the American flag. I would very much like to use this technique in my own work so the colours also symbolise a specific mise-en-scene as well as representing the theme for example using red, black and blue to symbolise violence and injury or even red, white and black to symbolise the gangsters attire etc. which is something we can look into.

  The magazine selling line is 'OUR BIGGEST PREVIEW EVER' the bold sans-serif font enables the selling line to stand out due to its boldness and as 'BIGGEST' is in a different colour it draws in the audiences attention even more so making them feel as if this magazine is something they definitely don’t want to miss out on. The top right hand corner shows 3 images of films that are featured within the magazine. The images are placed in individual grey boxes which have been manipulated to appear in different angles making it more appealing to the eye. On the left hand side of the magazine there is an arrow that is pointing directly at Megan Fox which is made up of the consistent colour scheme being grey blue and white, the arrow has 'THE FUTURE 100' written across it in American football style writing which conforms well with Megan Fox's cheerleading outfit. Large numbers have been used all over the cover: 100, 59, 53, 94, and 128 this creates the illusion that the magazine is full. 'PLUS' also stands out well as not only is it positioned on a space white canvas yet it is also the same colour as the masterhead and of a similar font.

  The issue number, date, price and magazine web address are positioned between the top of the 'M' similar to the layout used on 'EMPIRE'. The web address is the largest of these and reaffirms the name of the magazine. The bar code is situated in the bottom right hand corner and is possibly the least important thing on the cover. By analysing this magazine cover I have learnt that keeping it simple is really effective and makes the reader want to read all of the information on the cover, I was also really fond of the way the word 'PLUS' was in the same colour as the masterhead and the use of the other 3 picture previews of films. Although I am not aware of this particular film it is not the same genre of our yet I was really fond of the subtle use of blood which as a member of the audience I didn’t recognise at first. I also admired the way the font in the arrow related to the font of Megan Fox's top so there was some kind of relation throughout the magazine cover.

'The Gaze'

Theorists have identified a number of different forms of 'The Gaze' not only in film but also photography, television and forms of art.

- The direct address (or extra-diegetic) to the viewer: the gaze of a person (animal or object) shown in the text looking ‘out of the frame’ as if at the person watching the film or reading the magazine.

- The intra-diegetic gaze: a gaze of one person (animal or object) at another within the world of the text - this is often portrayed as a point of view shot in film and television.

- The spectator’s gaze: the gaze of the viewer at an image of a person (animal or object) in the text.

- The look of the camera - the way that the camera itself appears to look at the people pictured.



Jonathan Schroeder states ' to gaze implies more than to look at - it signifies a psychological relationship of power in which the gazer is superior to the object of the gaze' and 'Film has been called an instrument of the male gaze, producing representations of women, the good life, and sexual fantasy from a male point of view' The media constructs the actor's/actress's body position for the pleasure of the audience. Often this is in a sexual manner as people feel less ashamed of doing so in a cinema as the people surrounding them are not aware it is happening.

The Gaze on British Women’s Magazines:

Chocolate Box: half or full-smile, lips together or slightly parted, teeth barely visible, full or three-quarter face to camera. Projected mood: blandly pleasing, warm bath warmth, where uniformity of features in their smooth perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individuality.

Invitational: emphasis on the eyes, mouth shut or with only a hint of a smile, head to one side or looking back to camera. Projected mood: suggestive of mischief or mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than sexual promise, the cover equivalent of advertising’s soft sell.

Super-smiler: full face, wide open toothy smile, head thrust forward or chin thrown back, hair often wind-blown. Projected mood: aggressive, ‘look-at-me’ demanding, the hard sell, ‘big come-on’ approach.

Romantic or Sexual: a fourth and more general classification created to include male and female ‘two-somes’; or the dreamy, heavy-lidded, unsmiling big-heads, or the overtly sensual or sexual. Projected moods: possible ‘available’ and definitely ‘available’.

 

Male Facial Expressions in Women’s Ads:

There are fairly direct parallels with the above - the carefree, practical, seductive, comic and catalogue. The other two male expressions selected as types - the thoughtful and the self-reliant - have similarities to the female introverted and cool, though the thoughtful is far less introverted and the self-reliant more smug than aloof or reserved, but there are no counterparts to the narcissistic or kitten like.

This research will definitely help my group and I determine exactly how we want our actor to look on the front cover and we will be able to adjust his stance by reflecting back on this information. We do not want our actor to look innocent or sexual we want him to look quite the opposite and to come across as being tough and someone not to be messed with so the majority of male expressions I have stated will be avoided yet this information was still of use as we know what not to use and where we should be heading to get the appropriate outcome. The aim of the magazine will be for it to be sold so we will have to go for a carefree yet practical look and inject a smug effect to portray the characters attributes and role in the film. I also think it would be good to use the direct address (or extra-diegetic) to the viewer for it to come across as being almost intimidating to reflect our genre and make it really effective.