American Gangster (2007)
Masthead The masthead on the front cover of this magazine is the biggest thing on the page other than the image. It is also written using red text unlike the rest of the writing on the cover. This instantly makes it stand out from everything else and although part of the image overlaps it, it is still evident on the cover and is used as a way of branding the magazine. The positioning of the masthead also makes it one of the most important things on the cover, being central at the top of the page. The font that has been used to write the title is fairly bold and tall, adding a sense of power to the magazine, as though it is the best one out there. The red colour of the title may connote things such as danger or bloodshed, linking to the fact that it is 'The Crime Issue' and relating to what is expected of a crime movie. The style of the masthead may also relate to the masthead of a newspaper, inferring that this magazine is full of news to do with new film releases and well-known actors/actresses.
Cover Line The title of the movie featured in the magazine is the main cover line. The words 'American Gangster' are central on the magazine and is used as an overlay over the top of the main image. Also, the word 'Gangster' may be linked with crime and stereotypically a gangster may be seen as a threat, a feeling that is felt by the characters throughout crime thriller films. 'Gangster' is also written in a filled in font, different to the way 'American' is written. This subtle touch singles out the word and highlights one of the main features within the film, suggesting to the audience that the film is based around violence and criminals.
Flash A flash is used to promote the chance of a free poster if you purchase the magazine. It is positioned near the the centre of the image on the right hand side. This is so it doesn't make the cover seem over crowded as this would contrast with the serious feel to the film. The font used on the flash is bold, highlighting the feature and drawing the audience to buy the magazine in order to claim their free poster. The flash overlaps the small images of the free posters, making it stand forward and draw our eye to the offer.
Tagline There is a small tagline seen on the left hand side just underneath the masthead. It states 'The Worlds Biggest Movie Magazine' giving the reader the feeling that by buying the magazine they will be finding all the information on films that they need, something that won't be found in other film magazines. The text seems to be backed by a black background, separating it from the image behind and almost making the tagline seem embossed on the page. Without this dark background, the text would be swamped by the image and it would not be clearly seen. The tagline also brands the magazine, giving it it's own unique element.
Main Image The image used on the cover takes up the whole page, making it dominant and powerful. It instantly helps the reader identify what genre the film belongs to and highlighting the main characters in the film. The way that Denzel Washington's character has been placed forward of Russel Crowe's tells us which character is superior or most dominant, introducing us to the film in a little more depth. Both characters are wearing fairly plain clothes but do look smart, maybe inferring a detective role or a more serious side to the character. Behind the characters we can see the sort of place the film is set. The stance of both of the characters makes them seem important and as though they are not to be messed with. They add a sense of threat to the film, giving the impression that the characters may be well respected and have a serious job to contend with. We can see the top of an iconic American bridge, giving us an insight to the urban atmosphere of the film and its city setting. This is typical of a thriller film as we would expect to be able to identify the setting, making the film seem much more realistic and adding more excitement to the plot making it more enjoyable. Having it set in a big city, with the main events happening around iconic places/landmarks the audience can relate with the film, feeling like they know the area, even if they have never been. One of the main things that helps us to understand the genre is the gun in the foremost character's hand. This automatically connotes crime and violence, something that fans of thriller films will expect to see. It also adds a feeling of danger and makes us feel as though the other characters in the film need to watch out and not 'cross' him.
Colours The colours used across the cover all fit together well, with the red masthead standing out from the rest. The other colours are fairly dark, following the idea of a dark plot. Black may be seen as a mysterious cover, relating to the audiences expectations of crime or police having to work something out. The colour also relates to more negative things such as death or evil, showing that the film won't be smooth running and helping to attract the right kind of audience. The colour of the text also allows the image to be the most prominent thing on the cover. The brightest colour is the brown used for the small cover lines lower down the page, The colour is similar to that of one of the characters suit jacket. This suggests that although the colour is still dull, they have not allowed the text to stand out more than the image and the furthest they could go to getting the text to stand out was by using a colour found in the image instead of a brighter one.
Header and footer The header is place right at the top of the cover, sitting on top of the masthead. This draws our eye straight away and brings attention to one of the main features of the magazine, in this case it is the fact that the whole issue is based around the crime aspect of the thriller genre. The word 'crime' is defined by its colour on the header as it is written in white, standing out from the other black words. The font used for the header is also similar to that of a typewriter which may link to the font associated with the text of a film script. This reinforces the overall theme of the magazine, highlighting what it will contain.
Layout Unlike other magazine covers, there are no subheadings or small cover lines positioned around the edges of the cover. The main features are listed on the front of the page, nearing the bottom of the image, stopping the cover from looking over crowded or covering up the image. The way this list of features have been placed almost represents an arrow, pointing up at the main image of the film actors.
Barcode The barcode is positioned in the bottom, right hand corner of the cover. This stops it from being seen over the image and doesn't get in the way of any of the main features on the cover. It is also placed sideways, not only helping it to fit in the corner, but also making it more difficult for the reader to identify the price of the magazine. This is one of the ways the magazine is a success, the readers decide they want to buy the magazine through looking at the elements of the cover before they actually see how much they are going to pay for it. This is a technique used to sell the magazine.
Comparison Both of the magazine covers I have looked at use similar elements to advertise a film of the crime thriller genre. Both magazines have used very similar colours such as blacks and reds to connote certain ideas such as danger or a serious plot. They have also ensured that the main image is positioned in the very centre of the page, over taking the masthead and being one of the first things we look at when we see the cover on a shop shelf. This suggests that they may have used the famous actors as a way of both selling the magazine and promoting the film.
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