Empire Film Magazine - August 2008 Edition
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.
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