Empire Magazine Essay

Empire Movie Magazine



I am writing my media essay on Empire Magazine more specifically the cover of this month (September’s addition). For those who don’t know Empire is a film magazine that comes out once a month is reviews films and talks discusses ones that are coming out and interviews the stars, directors and producers. It also contains quizzes, polls, DVD reviews book reviews game reviews, the latest gadgets and photo shoots. The target audience of this magazine would be mainly male and would be mainly ages 16-25 but 26-30 would easily be close because this magazine is aimed at a more adult audience. We know this because there is lots of writing and very few pictures, it also goes into great detail about things with words that a younger audience my not understand. There target audience would like films and most likely regularly see one in the cinema and own a lot of DVDs this is why there is a DVD review section.
Empires institution is a global one empire magazine is owned by Bauer a magazine company which makes 238 different magazines including; FHM, Heat, Zoo, Mojo, Q, Kerrang and many more worldwide in 15 countries as well as TV and radio stations. Empires institution is a huge one boasting that over 26 million adults in the UK read a Bauer title.

The layout of the September 2008 cover particular cover is similar to the theme of previous Empire covers in that it has the new film that they are going to talk about in a big article on the front. This happens every month so the reader knows what film is going to be discussed this month. It has a large photo of Daniel Craig holding a gun looking rough and dangerous. This attracts audiences straight away and the target audience know that the contence of the main article is James Bond. It also has the large Empire title in red letters columns down the side of what is also featured in the article. The only time this does not happen is with the tribute magazines such as the recent Heath Leger one in April, special editions and subscriber editions. It also has the title of the magazine Empire at the top of the cover with a theme or a slogan above that in this case its “James Bond is back!” This catches the consumer’s eye and makes he or she take a closer look. Also has the name of the movie and various over information such as other films, price, any free give a ways or competitions and the internet site.

The use of the images not only attracts the reader but informs them what big block buster film is going to be talked about in this issue. If the reader wants to see this film when it comes out they can buy the magazine and learn more. They often use big block buster movies because they know more people will want to see these films and therefore more people are more likely to buy this issue. The other information such as the title is there to tell the consumer what the magazine is in this case it says Empire which is a pretty well known film magazine but just encase the consumer didn’t know it also says “The Worlds biggest movie magazine” underneath the title. It also has the film title that the picture on the cover referees to just encase the reader didn’t know what it was. This is always large and in the middle of the cover.It also has the words “Unbeatable Access” This makes it sound unique and that empire are the only magazine to have this information. Underneath that it has Quantum of Solace in big font that is a silvery metallic colour. This could be a connotation of the colour of a gun and definitely stands out to grab the passer buyer’s attention. Underneath that in small white font there is a caption “Inside the bloodiest bond movie ever” This is significant because anyone who knows the James Bond movies will know that Bond is short for James Bond and a kind of nickname also the word inside makes it look like they have inside access that again no other magazine has.The colour and font of the title is designed to stand out on the shelf and catch a passer buyers eye its font is large and red this stands out against the back ground picture which is never the same colour unless the title is a different colour as on special editions. The film’s title is also large and a different colour to the back ground and title so it contrasts and stands out.

Also there is a callout in the bottom left corner that says “077 picture special! Connery & Co as you’ve never seen them before” this is also a connotation to mainly the target audience in that the target audience would know that Connery is short for Sean Connery an actor who played bond, they would know this because they love films and the average person wouldn’t necessarily know that. Also the part that says “as you’ve never seen them before” again implies that Empire have something no one else has making you more inclined to buying it. The cover successfully catches the target audience’s eye by having a large title with bright colours to attract the eye of the consumer then it has the subtitle “The world’s biggest movie magazine”. This is key to attracting the target audiences eye because the target audience is film lovers and so having that subtitle will encourage the consumer to buy it also having the back ground as a scene from a movie attracts the reader because the reader are people who like films and would want to see it also having the movie title in the centre of the cover tells the reader what film the picture is from and if the reader is excited about seeing it witch the target audience reader (a film buff) would it encourages them to buy it.The cover of the magazine is also designed so that the fold point still has the face of Daniel Craig’s face and torso, the title and the title of the movie this is so that if folded of displayed on a shop shelf you still see the key things that attract.


Conor Deedigan

This is a magazie essay i wrote on the 15th of October very early into the media corse. It is about Empire Magazine a film magazine but it is useful to my research as it still focus's on a magazine cover and it picks a part many of the techniques used and skills used. It also evaluates it well which i will have to do when making my front cover for my music magazine.