Codes and Conventions of Film Magazine Covers

This Total Film magazine issue features a basic front cover, providing an essential preview to the latest James Bond film entitled 'Skyfall' staring Daniel Craig who is the front cover model shown above. 

The colour scheme of the front cover is gold/yellow, white and black, with the pug and additional buzzwords displayed in red in order to successfully attract the audience. This colour scheme of gold, white and black connotes danger in terms of a hazard sign warning. The key image is imposed over the masthead to let the audience know that the image is importantly linked to the main article that is 'Skyfall'. The model on the front cover is wearing a suit, connoting that he is important and possibly the main protagonist within the film. The model is also holding a gun, which connotes that the film could possibly be an action film. The gun also signifies enigma codes to attract the audience successfully.The headline is displayed directly in the centre of the front cover, connoting that it is the most important article within the magazine issue, where as the other articles are displayed around the main headline on the side of the front cover in smaller sizes. 

This Empire magazine issues features a basic front cover, providing an 'ultimate' exclusive look at latest Batman film entitled 'The Dark Knight Rises' staring Christian Bale, who is the front cover model shown above.

The colour scheme of the front cover is mainly black and white in order to relate to the 'dark' knight rises, with other elements such as the masthead and additional buzzwords displayed in yellow and blue. The key image is imposed over the masthead to let the audience know that the image is importantly linked to the main article that is 'The Dark Knight Rises'. The model is holding a gun of some sort, connoting that this film is an action genre, signifies enigma codes to attract the audience successfully. The model is also shown wearing the famous Batman costume, telling us that this film will be a big superhero film that already has a very large audience of fans. This also connotes that because he is shown wearing the Batman costume, he will most definitely be the main protagonist, due to the film being about Batman.