Film Magazine Cover Analysis

The main attraction of this cover is its sex appeal. Megan Fox is a well-known actress and sex icon. Her bare upper body and tight leather trousers, along with her pose and expression, not only portray her in a sexual manner but the image also has an element of vulnerability. Clearly this will appeal to the male members of the audience, but also any females are likely to find this appealing as they may idolise her. The cover is quite busy, however it still appears relatively 'neat'. The coverlines are positioned in line with Megan Fox, which helps to highlight her importance. Words and phrases such as 'HOT' and '...the most wanted woman in Hollywood' help reinforce the idea of sex appeal. There is a main colour scheme of blue, grey, black and white. The other feature photographs in the bottom left corner also contain these colours. The bold title however does not comply with this colour scheme and is instead in a vibrant bright red. This is the case in the majority of 'EMPIRE' magazines, helping to make the magazine immediately recognisable to past buyers. The magazine's reputation alone may then attract audience members.

This 'TOTAL FILM' magazine cover is very basic and features an extremely limited amount of text. The magazine cover is not conventional in that there are no coverlines or even a main feature headline. The image of 'Harry Potter' (a world renowned fictional character) is clearly emphasised as being the main focus. This alone will attract the audience. The image occupies the foreground, covering the entire page, and overlapping slightly with the magazine title/header. The use of overlapping helps the character to appear 3-Dimensional. The character's stance and expression indicates that the film is of the genre action. 'Harry Potter's' eyes are looking ahead, as his arm reaches/points outward, directly addressing the audience, helping them to connect. The bright patterned background links in with the known theme of the 'Harry Potter' series - magic! The magazine title is positioned at the top of the cover, spreading across the width of the page. The title is simple, to the point and clearly indicates what the magazine will contain. As well as this, the word 'FILM' can easily be read from a distance, which is essential at point of sale.

The magazine website address is the only other text featured on the cover. This minimalistic approach intices the audience to visit the website to find out more about the new 'Harry Potter' film. This promotes the magazine as a whole.