Empire film magazine is one of the most consistent, high selling film magazines in the world and is very effective in attracting its target readership on a monthly basis and this edition is a classic example.
From this front cover the image immediately strikes you and grabs the attention of the target readership as the most iconic feature. The image is Harry Potter from the new film “The Half Blood Prince” and is very effective in reflecting the narrative of the film and in particular the character himself. The image portrays the main character Harry in a distinctive fashion. His expression is serious and he seems troubled which is very relevant when referring to his personality and situation and also appears rough with his hair, cracked glasses and blood and bruises around his face. These factors reflect the narrative very effectively as in the film Harry is a troubled character that is constantly in danger. Profile lighting is used on Harry Potters face very that lights up half of his face and leaves the other side in darkness and its ironic as on the right side of his face which is in darkness he has a cracked lens in his glasses and blood and cuts whereas on the side lit up he has nothing too unusual. The wounds are caused by his “dark side” to Lord Voldemort and his death eaters. This effect reflects Potters personality very well as he is perceived to have a dark side which he has been cursed with although he is normal and wants to avoid these problems which relates to the light in his face. The sell line relating to the Harry Potter film is on the far right of the page near the bottom and is effective in grabbing the attention of the target readership. The phrase reads, “Bloody Hell, Harry comes out fighting,” which reflects the films narrative is effective in linking to the main image. It further answers the meaning of the image and gives details of the films narrative that will appeal to the target readership.
The masthead is also significant in relation to Harry Potter as it is portrayed in a bold fashion with bright red font which is distinctive brand identity of the “Empire” film magazine and relates to the character of Harry in certain ways. This is because of Harry’s nature of being constantly surrounded by danger and the fact that he is cursed and is wanted dead. Even though the red is used on a consistent basis for “Empire” film magazines, in this particular edition it relates well to the main image as red often illustrates danger and evil which are what Harry faces on a consistent basis in the new film. The films magazine name “Empire” is significant in its meaning as it is consistently displayed in the strong red font which portrays elements of danger and evil.
As well as the lighting used for effect on the main character, the background is also significant in relation to the films narrative as it seems to be black which gives off the impression of mystery and uncertainty which are very common features in the new Harry Potter film.There is also side lighting from the top right of the page on Harry Potters head which again contradicts the darkness and adds elements of light and a way out to the equation. The main sell line in the top left corner states, “Massive Preview Special” and it immediately grabs the attention of the target readership. There are various techniques used in the sell line to grab attention such as the uppercase letters in a large size in a white font which immediately appeal to the target audience. The words “Special Preview” are going to attract the target audience as it shows that it’s going to provide a brief look into the new Harry Potter film which is going to immediately attract fans of the film. The words suggest a special scoop about the film which means you can find out about the film before anyone else. The word “special” is a buzz word which suggests importance and preciousness. The significance of this sell line is also made more evident when you compare the other sell lines underneath which are not as bold or as clear. The layout of the other sell lines is very clear and effective as it makes it easy for readers to identify what is going to be in the magazine in a clear fashion which is an effective technique as members of the target readership want everything to be made clear to them.
The target audience for this particular issue of “Empire” is most likely going to be Harry Potter fans as the main image is what immediately what strikes out and grabs the attention of the readers therefore the most obvious reader is going to be someone with a genuine interest in the Harry Potter films and their going to be interested in the new film.As the film is rated a 15, you have a wider age range and larger target readership because Harry Potter is a film in which appeals to people from most ages and is very effective in enticing its target audience.
Empire film magazine is a British film magazine that is published monthly and is currently the biggest selling film magazine in Britain, consistently outselling its nearest market rival Total Film.
This is the front cover for the Empire film magazine from January 2008 and is very effective in enticing the target audience. The main image on the front cover is of the joker from the film “Batman – The Dark Knight” and is prominent on the cover and immediately grabs the attention of the target audience. The jokers head is strategically placed where part of the magazine title is displayed covering the letter “P” which is significant because anything that covers the main title of the magazine must be important so its adds significance to this main image of the joker. The image clearly relates to the main sell line being “Meet the Joker” as it is displayed with the comical font in green that clearly relates with the main image of the joker who also is wearing a green waistcoat which gives a comical element to the mount. The image suggests that the genre of the film has elements of evil with the mysterious joker as well although the film itself is an action/adventure film which is not easily picked out through the interpretation of this front cover. There is a contrasting image of the joker on another film poster for “The Dark Knight” which displays the joker in an evil way holding a gun, striking a serious pose whereas in this poster the joker seems less evil however does display an expression of intent to something which looks dangerous. The use of camera on this cover is very significant as the joker is captured in a medium shot displaying his whole body looking straight directly at him in the centre of the page which adds significance as his whole body is being displayed which allows the target audience to gain an understanding into the jokers character and personality. Top down lighting appears to be used with light being put down on above the joker offering an interesting contrast as half there are elements of light and darkness about the character and it provides a controversial view about the joker. For example with the jokers face, half of it is in darkness and the shade whereas the other half is lightened up which can give the audience the interpretation that the joker has elements of light within as well as darkness which is effective in keeping the target audience thinking.The elements of mis-en-scene relating to this character are very significant when identifying the characters personality and nature. The joker is displayed like a clown but with evil elements that can be drawn up because of his expression and way in which he is portrayed to the target audience. His costume can be related to as a clown with his green waist coat and bright blue trousers and multi-coloured socks although his facial make up is significant in portraying the evil nature of his character with the jokers facial expression. The black make up around the jokers’ eyes offers a contrast to the white face and gives off elements of evil and danger in which will make the portrayal of the joker seem dangerous.
From the name of the film being “The Dark Knight” you can understand that the magazine itself is one in which likes to advertise films with a dark and mysterious nature as the name of the film suggests. The masthead itself is portrayed very clearly in a red font which is very significant in finding out more about the magazine itself as the colour red gives off the idea of danger and blood which are common relations to the colour. So therefore the evil nature of the joker appears like a common convention for the magazine. The size of the masthead itself is large, which is a common feature with film magazines such as with “Total Film” also implementing the same strategy so that the magazine itself is made clear to the target audience. However there is a significant feature in this particular magazine cover with the main image of the joker taking over part of the title itself with the jokers head going partially over the masthead. For example in the August 2008 edition, Harry Potter is advertised with Harry himself taking up most of the page but not going over the masthead whereas with this magazine the jokers head is over the distinctive masthead which is not common for “Empire.” This therefore gives the target audience the impression that the image is very important and it makes the film seem a lot more significant and adds power to the image which will further entice the target audience to the magazine if it’s good enough to shadow the magazine title itself. The masthead is effective in attracting its target readership being people with a genuine interest in action films as well as horror and more however the red font adds a dangerous element which will predominantly attract members of the target audience with an interest into danger.
There are a few significant sell lines on this magazine front cover that are effective in enticing the target audience with the main one being “Meet the Joker” which is prominent and features just below the masthead in a clear but comical fashion relating to the clown theme presented with the joker. It’s an effective caption because it entices the target audience into wanting to find out more about this joker and what his intentions are. Another significant sell line features at the top of the page above the masthead adding importance which states, “The Dark Knight – World Exclusive” with the iconic Batman symbol which is an effective way in capturing the attention of Batman lovers especially with the symbol being portrayed in the centre at the top of the page with back lighting around the significant symbol. Also the words “World Exclusive” are going to interest the target audience as it means this is a new film in which the target audience are going to be interested in watching. This in particular sell line is very effective in luring in the target audience because the target readership can relate to the Batman symbol and the new film and want to know more. There is a very effective sell line which features right in the middle of the page in a spooky font in white saying, “He’s a cold blooded, mass murdering clown” which is a very good reflection of the character in a brief summary. This single statement is very effective in luring in the target audience because it makes the joker seem extremely dangerous and heartless and will further entice the target readership to want to know how the joker will fare when he comes up against Batman. The phrase relates to the jokers expression where he seems content on evil and committing crime which will give the target audience a clearer interpretation about “Batman’s New Nemesis!”The phrase describing the joker is effective in reflecting the interests of the target audience being danger and mystery which are accurately portrayed in this particular front cover.
The colours used for the sell lines mainly consist of white as well as pink and green which are significant in different ways. The white is used to add significance to the sell lines whereas the pink and green relating to the clown theme of the joker as they are common colours related to clowns and they are bright colours in which are going to strike out and grab the attention of the target readership. The colours are effective in luring in the target audience because they provide something different which will entice the target audience because clowns often relate to bright colours so the magazine can get away with the strong use of pink and green and the different funky font styles which are used to great effect. The different sell lines lure in the target audience effectively through providing interesting conventions in which are going to grab the attention of the target readership rather than boring them with common uses of the common colours red, white and black.
There is a good balance in relation to the text to image ratio as the main image of the joker is very prominent and immediately grabs the attention of the target readership as the main sell point although the use of text is significant and effective. The fact that the main image of the joker peers over the main title of the prolific magazine shows you just how important the image is in this front cover. The top down lighting used on the image is effective in adding significance to the poster and the positioning of the character in the middle of the page is effective in outlining the jokers importance although the use of strong colours in the sell lines are evident and used for effect to further enhance the importance of the sell lines as well as the main image.
is a horror movie in which produces all the conventions of the “slasher” genre and is very effective in enticing the target audience. After watching the trailer it’s easy to establish that the movie is a “slasher” as there is a main killer being “Freddie Cruegar” and victims that are clearly being attacked in their sleep. Throughout the trailer there are shots of the killers’ sharp claws that are used to kill the victims in their sleep. This becomes apparent in the trailer when the young girl falls asleep in the bath and “Cruegars” claw approaches her from the water. This indicates the sub genre being a “slasher” movie as well because of the sharp claw which is a weapon associated with “slasher” movies.
From these clips of the killer, the audience can clearly interpret the sub genre of the horror movie and it has effectively used the conventions to intrigue the target audience. In terms of mis-en-scene the lighting used throughout is very dim and dark which gives off an uneasy, evil nature to the audience. For example at the beginning of the trailer when Freddie himself was running from the people that wanted to kill him it was dark and the audience could sense and feel that something unpleasant was going to occur which it did when they burned Freddie in the house. The fire strongly showed evil and you could sense it unravelling in the flames as the target audience. The large house shown in the trailer is another feature which strongly relates to “slasher” movies as well as the young girls used which are common techniques in enticing the target audience as it provides a sexual element for the male target audience.
The actors used throughout the trailer were significant in enticing the target audience. There were a variety of actors but very distinctively you could establish there was a series of girls who were victims of this ferocious killer which would attract members of the male target audience. There were also very young girls used who seem innocent and uncertain of what is happening which is a very traditional technique used with “slasher” movies to entertain the target audience. To add to the effect of innocence among these girls there are two young girls featured in the trailer who add significance as there is a continued use of young girls singing in the background which can relate to this part of the trailer. Straight away in the trailer, the setting is set, where the camera shows what appears to be an old industrial site when suddenly the there is a strong use of non diagetic sound where Freddy runs around the corner before you can understand he is on the run. The narrative of the film is made clear as he is burnt by a group of people who clearly want him dead for a crime that he might not of even committed however the background to the killer is now set and the audience can begin to understand the film. After this opening action scene, the taglines emerge which brings an end to what had happened in the past almost and then quick cutting begins to occur to indicate the aftermath of this tragic death. There is a continued series of cuts that flash from scene to scene which grab the audience’s attention as different settings appear and different elements that are enticing the target audience further and further into the film as the narrative is slowly unveiled effectively. The setting in which the trailer begins in the industrial area is very effective in setting the tone for the film as being evil and dangerous with the dark nature of the industrial area shows. The chasing pack who are after Cruegar at the beginning of the trailer have weapons such as baseball bats which show their intentions and immediately give off a cruel impression of the film which consequently leads to the mob throwing what appears to be a fire grenade that devastatingly burns Cruegar to death which sets an horrific tone to the film and grabs the attention of the target audience immediately. As you see Cruegar burn to death, the facial expressions of the mob are very distinctive especially with one of the women in the mob who looks very upset and hurt as she sees this traumatic death unveil whereas the men seem to look very serious and as if justice is being served. This use of facial expressions is very effective when relating to the films narrative.
The camera is used effectively from the very beginning of the trailer as the camera cuts from different viewpoints of a certain location through quick cutting. The setting shown is dull, black and has elements of mystery that portrays a situation where society does not want to be and the way in which the main killer Cruegar appears into this mysterious location is very effective in showing the dull nature of the film to the target audience. Through the different shots at the beginning of the trailer you can see the way the director is trying to give off a strong representation of the area which appears to be a derelict site which clearly is not somewhere you will find people. It adds the element of mystery and darkness to the film through the different shots of this old, derelict industrial site.There is a strong use of distinctive close up shots where the characters expressions and personality can be clearly distinguished which immediately gives off a evil mood and tone to the film as the mob burn Cruegar to death with some showing strong emotion and others a sense of justice. Nevertheless the technique is very well done in giving off a strong tone and meaning to the film. Through close up shots the element of excitement is more distinctive among the target audience as they feel more involved through theses close shots of the characters getting a real interpretation of their personalities. The cameras’ strong tendency to use the show the location through the different shots whilst also including the characters is continued throughout the trailer. Around half way through the trailer there is a long shot of Cruegar where the lighting is significant in amplifying the figure in the background of the shot whilst also showing the location which appears to be a boiler room full of pipes which again adds an element of mystery and danger which is a good effect in enticing the target audience. The use of camera continues to use the distinctive use of close up shots of the characters which helps the target audience feel the excitement of the film more and add further elements of danger which further intrigues the target audience.
The non diegetic sound used at the beginning of the trailer matches well with the scene itself as the action begins. As Cruegar runs from the angry mob the non diegetic sound is used gives of the feeling of action which is very relevant to Cruegars’ escape. In contrast the use of diegetic sound is relevant at the beginning of the trailer as it gives the audience more of an understanding about the characters where Cruegar appears to have been accused of something in which he never did. Through the use of diegetic sound here you get an understanding of fear on Cruegars’ perspective as well as anger and hatred from the mobs viewpoint. This dialogue is telling the past to the story which is very important for the target audience so they can understand the film and its ads excitement through the characters strong emotions. Throughout there is the distinctive use of the non diegetic sound of a young girl singing which combines with dialogue and voiceovers to add further effect throughout for the target audience. The combination of the voiceovers with the young girl singing is very effective in enticing the target audience further as it adds an element of mystery to the film as it goes against danger and evil with a young girl singing which is going to confuse the target audience. The music is peaceful however which contrasts the nature of the psychopathic killer Cruegar and the use of dialogue over the top gives the audience more of an understanding about the films narrative which will further intrigue the target audience to want to watch the film.
As the trailer goes on there are various techniques which add elements of tension and danger for the target audience. The fast paced cuts used throughout are very effective in adding tension as they correlate well with the sound which adds danger and excitement for the audience. There is only one significant strap used in the trailer which displays the directors’ name after the beginning of the trailer once the history of the clear has become apparent. The editing remains consistent throughout as there are a continued series of fast cuts and the occasional use of a dissolve which adds tension to the trailer. From watching the trailer throughout you can see that each shot never lasts more than about three seconds which is a common technique used in trailers to keep the audience captivated and focused on the film and it reflects the films narrative with fast paced distinctive cuts which relates to the killer himself being a character who is constantly on the move.
You can conclude that the overall effectiveness of the trailer is to a very high standard as it fully captivates the interests of the target audience and reflects the films narrative very effectively. It used typical conventions and techniques for slasher film trailers to great effect and is very clear and easy for the target audience to relate to the film and therefore watch it.
