Movie Magazine Analysis

L I I A R Analysis for MovieMaker

Language:
For the front cover of this issue of MovieMaker the page is very well organised with text aligned left and right of the image and is evenly spaced apart. The front cover is quite minimal but this is the general layout of MovieMakers magazines and its masthead is recognisable for readers as it has not been edited from the original. The masthead is written in a serif font indicating this is a magazine for an older generation however, the headlines and coverlines are all written in sans serif font indicating that this magazine may also appeal to a younger age group. The photo is a white male in a black shirt with a blue tie staring directly at the camera, the background is a fade of black to blue which reflects the colours the person is wearing, the rest of the front cover has nothing blue on show with the text either being red or white. The visual syntax of this front page starts on the persons face as it is the most prominent image on the page then the masthead and then the headline.

Ideology:
MovieMaker focuses on the art and business of making movies as it states underneath the masthead, it emphasises heavily on independent film and prizes itself on being the most widely read independent film magazine. MovieMaker usually follows a house style which is the face of a relatively well known actor or actress with coverlines either side of their face.

Institution:
Moviemaker was founded by Timothy Rhys in 1993 who is still the editor. It is owned by MovieMaker Media LLC and is privately owned.

Audience:
According to www.moviemaker.com MovieMaker has an international five-times yearly distribution of 44,000, a readership of more than 160,000 and a direct print subscribership of more than 10,000. As this magazine is all about making movies it suggests that it is probably weighted more towards males as they are more commonly known in the movie making business. The readers are most likely wanting to be involved with the making of movies or are just interested in it so I dont think its easy to say what age range this movie attracts also I believe that the socioeconomic group most likely to buy this magazine can not be easily identified as people from both privileged and non-privileged backgrounds may want to take part in the making of films as it can be seen both as quite aspirational so that would fit under C2DE but it is also very expensive and is a respectable career so people under ABC1 may also be interested.

Representation:
MovieMaker represents itself heavily with the content featured within the magazine. The front cover is usually something to attract new customers and also to clearly show that this magazine is about people in the movie industry however, the articles featured inside are all to do with the movie making business. This one shows the headline is all about Joseph Gordon-Levitt however the coverlines are about producers, tips for scripts and recommended podcasts. This reinforces the ideology.

L I I A R Analysis for Empire

Language:
For the front cover of this issue of Empire the design is very minimalist, there is nothing on the cover except a main image a masthead and a headline. The visual syntax of this page is centred with the main image on the front cover, the reason being that the image is in front of the masthead and is clearly meant to be the most important thing on the cover. The headline SKYFALL is clearly related to the image as it is the only thing on the front cover, also because the photo is in black and white and the background is white and the headline is in black it imitates the image so you know theyre together.

Ideology:
Empire magazine focuses on both mainstream films and art films, but most of its feature articles are mainly on mainstream films, they offer their audience things like film news, previews and reviews. They do regular Top 10 lists and they encourage the readers to write in if they disagree so it is a magazine that cares about its readers opinions. The font used on their magazine front covers are sans-serif, this indicates that they are aiming the magazine at a younger audience.

Institution:
Empire was initially published by Emap first being published in July 1989 then being taken over in early 2008 by Bauer Media Group, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany and operates in 15 countries worldwide, its turnover for 2010 was 2.129 Billion euros. The business was founded in 1875 and has been privately owned ever since by a Bauer family member.

Audience:
According to www.nrs.co.uk there is a total of 822,000 people that read Empire that breaks down into 610,000 men and 212,000 women, this shows that around three quarters of Empire readers are male, furthermore it goes on to say that 505,000 readers are between the ages of 15-34 and 317,000 over the age of 35 which indicates there is no real age range it is directed towards. However it is slightly more weighted to younger people. As well as the survey showing that the majority of readers are male and of mixed age group its also shows that the readers of the magazine are more likely to be in the socioeconomic group of ABC1 as 586,000 of its readers fall into this group where as 236,000 fall into C2DE, so nearly double the amount of people reading this magazine are in ABC1. The survey shows that an average reader of Empire is likely to be a male aged in the socioeconomic category ABC1. They are likely to be interested in mainstream films and want their opinions to be heard.

Representation:
Empire represents its values mainly through its images, layout and style of text. The main image is usually a promotional image for an upcoming mainstream film, this reinforces their ideology. The simplicity of this front cover is used to completely grab the attentions of a potential reader, the minimalism but the chicness of the front cover accentuates the message put across by the black and white image.

L I I A R Analysis for Total Film

Language:
For the front cover of this issue of Total Film it is well organised but not very minimal, features and articles are aligned to the left and right of the page with the masthead covering the top of the page and a central image which is set behind the articles on the right and left of it but over the masthead. The photo is a medium shot from a mid angle of a man facing away in a tight costume, his head is slightly turned and facing downwards but he is striking a very powerful pose indicating mystery and power. Although the coverlines match one another's colour scheme it doesnt go with that of the image, the image is red and blue however the text is yellow and white, there is a small amount of text at the bottom that is red but even the headline relating to the image isn't in the same colour scheme as it.

Ideology:
Total Film is a magazine that offers cinema, DVD and Blur-ray news, reviews and features. Each issue includes a six-page in-depth interview with an actor or director. They believe in audience interaction and have a section called Dialogue that is all about letter and emails sent in from readers.

Institution:
Total Film was launched in 1997 and is published by Future Publishing a company founded in 1985 and was the sixth largest media company in the UK in 2006.

Audience:
According to www.nrs.co.uk there is a total of 530,000 people that read Total Film that breaks down into 412,000 men and 118,000 women, this indicates that the magazine is aimed mainly at the male population with nearly 300,000 more readers male than female, it goes on to say that 362,000 readers are between the ages of 15-34 and 168,000 over the age of 35 which shows that it is aimed more towards a younger age group. As well as the survey showing that the majority of readers are male and of the younger group its also shows the socioeconomic breakdown, 340,000 readers fit into group ABC1 and 190,000 fit into group C2DE. All this together shows that the audience of Total Film are likely to be male, between the ages of 15 and 35 and in the socioeconomic group ABC1.

Representation:
Total Film represents its ideology through aspects like its images, content, layout and colour scheme. The images and articles featured clearly represent that this is a magazine about movies and so does its name Total Film. Its articles on the front cover include things like The Amazing Spider-man and the accompanying main image, a Demi Moore interview who is a well known actress, information on the film Total recall a big movie remake, 20 greatest screen car chases, on set with Snow White and the Huntsmen, an interview with Simon Pegg about Star trek 2 and an article about Prometheus, all of which are clearly heavily about the movie industry.