Firstly, upon analysing six different magazines, i now have better knowledge of the a magazines conventions. For instance, most of the magazines that i analysed conventionally had a barcode which was placed in the bottom right hand corner. Therefore i may also consider doing this with my magazine, a barcode is imperative for my magazine it will make it look more authentic. Secondly, another convention i had found out from my research is that most magazines include their masthead at the top and is usually placed behind or infront of a primary image. As a result, im going to consider doing the same as having the masthead at the top of the magazine is instantly recognisable but also traditional. Lastly, magazines conventionally have large images of people/characters in the front cover, therefore i will also implement this into my own magazine.
Secondly, my research of magazines informed me that different magazines will entice and focus on their own target audiences, therefore target audiences were subject to the contents of a particular magazine. However, magazines would include certain aspects and information that would help them to attract their target audiences. For instance, i had analysed a film magazine that had an focused on a target audience that was interested in action films and the action genre. This was conveyed to me through the contents of the magazine itself. For example, the magazine included several cover lines of other action films, this was accompanied by pictures of the films themselves. Furthermore, the magazine had a main image of a character with a weapon. The weapon used by the character implied that he was part of an action film as guns are commonly used within action based films. Also, the magazine mentioned cover lines of famous directors within the action genre ( Quentin Tarantino) which served the purpose of directly addressing action film fans. As a result of analysing an action film magazine, i was able to see how the magazine addresses its target audience. I may therefore adopt and implement the same features on my magazine so that i can attract my own target audience. As mentioned in the treatment of my marketing campaign, i stated that my target audience was 16 year olds - 24 year olds, therefore in order to communicate with this target audience, i may consider including cover lines and pictures of other horror films, directors and stories that may grab the attention of my young target audience.
In regards to colour, the magazines that i analysed included many different colours however the primary colours that were used are black, red and white. For instance, white was primarily used for the fonts and typefaces of the magazine. I may also consider doing this as white is easily readable and conventional across the different types of magazine that i analysed. The colour black was mainly used for backgrounds of the magazines as its simple but accompanies white font colours more effectively which makes it easier for viewers to read the magazines front cover. Lastly, red was mainly used for cover lines and mastheads which served the purpose of highlighting these features of the magazine, this made the most important titles of the magazine more easy to notice and read as red stood out amongst the other colours of the magazine. I may also decide to use red for my own magazine as my magazine will be horror based, the colour red links in with blood and gore therefore this colour will be suitable for me to use.
The house style of magazines were maintained throughout as they used the same features. For example, i had analysed two film magazines that were from the company called EMPIRE. There were many aspects of these magazines that made the house style clear across these editions. Firstly, the masthead of each magazine was in the same place each time which was the top of the magazine. Secondly, these magazines also had their barcodes placed on the right bottom hand corner. Furthermore, on top of the masthead, these magazines had quotes or slogans that lead to other stories. These cover lines were persuasive slogans that would serve the purpose of grabbing a readers attention and persuading them to purchase the magazine. Based on my research, i may also implement similar features into my own magazine to ensure i can use them across a range of magazine editions which will enable me to create a particular house style for my magazine.
Upon analysing 6 magazines, characters were represented with different shots and angles however the most common shot and angles were close up shots and medium shots that may have been both studio and still shots from the film itself. Close up shots are effective as they convey lots of detail to audiences. I may also consider using a close up shot for my magazine which might be effective as my marketing campaign is based on a horror film, therefore i could use a close up shot to show the antagonist of me and my groups teaser trailer, this may inject fear into readers but will also directly address my target audience. Secondly, i may also consider using a medium shot as it will allow readers to see more of the main image but the shot can also be used to show certain props or objects that a character is holding which can help to emphasise my magazine as horror. For example, i may want to include a medium shot of a masked character that is holding a weapon, which can imply that my film is a slasher horror film. However, my film is a supernatural horror therefore i may want to show an image of a ghost and its victim which can emphasise the genre of my magazine to be supernatural horror.
The magazine that i analysed used simple fonts that were easy to read. For instance, none of them had any standout special visual effects which may have been done to ensure viewers can easily read the cover of magazines. However, for my font, i may decide to add specific effects such dripping blood to make my magazines font look more horror themed. Therefore, i may use a simple font but i will try to manipulate it to ensure it looks and matches the magazines genre of horror, specifically supernatural horror. The language used by magazines were extremely persuasive and certain slogans were used to provide an incentive for viewers to purchase and carry on reading the magazine. For example, some of the slogans used include Complete Access , Exclusive , Best Preview, First Look. As a result, i may also consider using similar language for my own magazine to ensure i have a better ability to persuade readers into purchasing and viewing my magazine, as a result, i will try to provide readers with a stimulus.
The layouts of the magazines that i had analysed were similar as each magazine had a main image with surrounding text. However, these layouts differed in shape. For example, these magazines used C type, O type and U type layouts which were also reversed. The most common layout type however was O type. This type of layout consists of a magazine having a main image aligned in the center with surround text all around it in the form of cover lines, extra stories, slogans, etc. As a result, i will consider using the same type of layout for my own magazine as it can enable me to provide readers with lots of information that can be accompanied by visual aid. In addition, most of the magazines conventionally used up at least 90% of the page by filling it with context. Therefore, i will also try to the same as it will make my magazine look more reflective of traditional magazines but will help me convey as much information as possible to my target audience mainly through the front cover. Although i had analysed several magazines, only two of them were for film magazines, however, they were EMPIRE magazines and were selling at a price of £3.99 which was visible on front cover. I may consider charging this price however, as this is my first magazine, it may be more suitable to charge lower prices as my magazine is start up, therefore if i charge premimum prices, i may not sell as much and it may also put customers off purchasing my magazine.In addtion, i will place the price of magazine strategically with small font so that consumers do not look at the cost first thing.
