Codes & Conventions of Film Magazines

Film magazines celebrate films from both the past and present, providing it's target audiences with information on newly anticipated releases interviews with actors and directors. The most successful film magazines in the UK is ‘EMPIRE’ and secondly ‘Total Film' these film magazines focus on popular films which attracts a wider target audience. The target audience who read film magazines are largely male dominated as they appeal to male target audiences; the magazine is image heavy with little text.

There are other magazines which specialise in a specific genre They have a much smaller target audience than ‘EMPIRE’ and ‘Total Film' . Magazines such as ‘Fangoria’ and ‘Gorezone’ which are horror film

magazines. 

Film magazines follow certain codes and conventions. The main image size depends on film genre and how many models or characters are feature in the image. They can use close ups, medium shots, long shots, and even group shots. The typically use medium shot of the models or characters.   

Film magazines masthead conventionally positioned at the top of the page, the masthead is the biggest piece of text on the page. It dominates the page drawing attention to masthead. The colour on masthead of film magazine are usually strong masculine colours but are also eye catching. For Empire magazine masthead is red., the masthead sometimes changes to suit a specific film the magazine is promoting.

 

However if the masthead colour changes the font and size of the masthead will stay the same.  

For  film magazines to draw in audiences, they  rely featuring famous actor or  the front cover on the front character, this will you attract magazines target audience as well as new a wider range of people to magazine who would usually purpose the magazine, who are just interested in the actor.

For example Empire Magazine which features Megan Fox on the front cover of the magazine. From the main image, it would attract target audience- film fans, fans of the actress and people who find her attractive. The sell line is positioned in an unconventional place, in bottom left corner. If it was positioned in the convention position in the centre, it would distract the main image which is the focus of the magazine.

Graphics and colours are interchangeable, depending on the featured film. For example, if a horror film was being featured on the front cover, dark colours such red, black and brown. The maximum amount of colours used for a front cover is four, so magazine the magazine looks simple and sophisticated.