Thursday 16 October 2014

Textual Analysis - Empire Magazine

Textual Analysis - Empire Magazine




This magazine cover is a prime example of a magazine that captivates and invites it's audience. The masthead for this magazine differs from others as it covers the main image; mastheads usually sit behind the main image. This could be because title isn't as well known as others such as GQ or Vogue but it could also be because the magazine needs the promotion as it is not as popular as others. The striking, bold red font portrays connotations of importance of the magazine. The font is not formal but it also isn't informal, it is a neutral medium in-between. The theme of this magazine is set by the content; the film "Tron Legacy" is being showcased. This has resulted in a change in font at the top of the magazine. The colour and style of the font suits the film and this could promote the film further.

This brings me to the main image; in this case it is one of the main characters in the film. The character is played by actor Jeff Bridges. The image is central and eye contact is created with the audience. This could create a bond between the audience and the character in the main image; therefore inviting them to buy the magazine. The facial expression of the character in the image could also portray the message of the film so we have a slight idea of the genre without having any prior knowledge to the film.

We can clearly see the film is not a comedy due to the formality and the colour scheme; the colours could suggest sci-fi. The choice of actor to put on the magazine cover is significant as it could suggest the level of formality for the film; an older figure could portray connotations of wiseness and knowledge. We can also take from this the character's role in the film. The enigma code is used here to ask the audience questions about the film, they will question what is going on and therefore they will either want to buy the magazine or watch the film.

The cover lines are evenly spread around the main image so that information about the content of the magazine is addressed but the main image is not covered to the point that it cannot be seen properly. The font used is the same as the masthead as this continues the formal yet creative theme of the magazine. The colours of the fonts are significant as they capture the reader's attention as they are bright and vivid but they also fit the colour scheme of the film. The yellow font could alarm the reader and invite them to read the heading and therefore encouraging them to continue reading. The language of the cover lines needs to be concise but it also needs to persuade the audience to read on.

Certain information is given but it is used in a way that it ensures the reader questions it. An example of this on this magazine cover would be "How was your 2010?" By addressing the audience directly in a way that ensues conversation can make them think about the question in hand. This creates a bond between the audience and the magazine as it is almost like they are having conversation. Language like "The ultimate guide" and "magazine of the year" can promote the magazine and once again persuade the audience to read on. The inclusion of well-known celebrities names such as Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie can motivate people to read about them as they are interested in the films that they star in.

The socio-economic grouping of this magazine can be difficult to analyse as there is a wide age range that could be targeted. The price of the magazine is not displayed but the average price for Empire magazines is around £3.59. This could put the socio-economic grouping for this magazine at groups C1 and above; up to B as group A may be interested in higher quality magazines.

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