In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge

forms and conventions of real media products?

Film Magazine

Basic Conventions for a Film Magazine

• Main image of a famous actor as the focus point

• Masthead filling the width of the cover and 1/5 of the length. Based at the top of the cover.

• Main cover line usually crosses the main image, slightly smaller text size than the masthead.

• A lot of smaller cover lines placed around the main image and below. Sometimes placed on a banner.

• Font for text suggests to the audience what the genre is.

• Bold text to make the main cover line and masthead stand out

• Colour scheme determines the genre of the film advertised linking with the main image.

• Price in pounds and euros.

• Date and issue number.

EMPIRE Conventions

Masthead

Selling line

Image text

Smaller cover lines

Barcode

Main image overlays masthead

Cover lines

Banner with smaller cover line

Date, prices and issue number

Image text covers image to show a relationship

Magazine website

Red, white, blue and black colour scheme

TOTAL FILM Conventions

Masthead

Selling line

Image text

Smaller Cover lines

Red, grey, blue and black colour scheme

Cover lines

Smaller Cover lines

Barcode

Film website

Image text covers image

Main image overlays masthead

EMPIRE + TOTAL FILM ANALYSISComparisons• They both include different the basic conventions and placed similarly on the cover• Their target markets are between the ages of 16- 30• Have colour schemes to set the tone of the cover in relation to the main image• The main image obstructs the view of the magazine title• Barcode is placed in the corner because it is not a focal point• Price and date is small as it is insignificant

Contrasts• Empire tends to be more clustered rather than the more sophisticated look which

Total Film has• Total Film’s title is very bold aiming to grab the audience’s attention, Empire’s is

skinner but sharper• The structure for Total Film’s magazines are predominately centred• Empire’s structure is placed in no chronological order• Empire includes extra images for different stories, however Total Film sticks to one

image (main image)

My Film Magazine (Empire Layout)Empire masthead takes 1/5 of the page – conventional Empire layout

Selling line

Image text stands out with white and different shade of red

Main cover lines overlay main image to stand out

Red, white and black colour scheme gives it a professional and sophisticated look

Smaller cover lines

Banner with smaller cover lines- extra info

Main image takes up ¾ of the page as it is the main attraction

QR code (barcode) is small and insignificant

Date and price hid away- not so important

Rectangle boxes with shades of red behind the characters

Borrowing the Empire ‘Plus’ sign

Use of all three colours in a small space is effective for being aesthetically appealing

Minimal fonts- Only 3 fonts used give a professional look

My Film Magazine AnalysisUsing Conventions of real film magazines• Using colour schemes to show the genre of the main image’s film• Banner at the bottom of the page overlaying the main image. This is extra information for

the audience to see – less important• Main image takes up half of the page whilst the title takes up a fifth usually crossing over

such as in my magazine

Developing Conventions of real film magazines• The use of a QR code which is a recent technology improvement• Using rectangles behind my main image to help my Lewis, Beau and Scott stand out• ‘The Con Is On’ is in different sized font

Challenging Conventional Film Magazines • Main image at an angle with text placed around it• Mixture of features from Empire and Total film

– The use of the Empire masthead and plus sign– Using one image is a conventional Total Film style as it wants it’s audience to

concentrate on the main image.– Empire structure