'Entertainment' Magazine research

This magazine front cover, looks at the genre which I am focusing within this project. However in many ways this front cover is extremely unconventional. The first way this is done, is through the colours which have been used on this front cover. Conventional colours within a horror genre are usually dark mysterious colour which causes fear and anxiety to grow within the user, however due to the colours used on this cover, it does not cause any of these emotions to audience. As the main three colours within this magazine are red, white and yellow, the emotions which are evoked are none of them stated above. However with the use of the red, the target audience does get a clue that this film will include some horrific things which will make your blood turn cold. The use of the white and the yellow, could also be a clue that even people who seem bright and bubbly and seem like an everyday person, can turn to the dark side.

The splash on this cover, cuts straight across the image, which could reflect that the name of the film, is a lot more important than the characters within it. The splash is also in a bold, big sized font, which allows the readers eyes to be instantly drawn to it. This is also helped by its position on the page, as it is placed in the middle of the page, and takes up a big percentage of it, it means that the eye is easily drawn, therefore advertising the film to the target audience, before they even realise what its even about, which is the main motive for it being on the front cover of a film magazine. The colours used on the splash is also extremely cleverly done and is another major reason why the eye is so easily drawn to it. As the main colour of this splash is white, it allows the red and black border to make it stand out. However this also allows the title to reflect that although a person is innocent and true, the way they are made to be portrayed, can allow people to forget who they really are.

The image used on this cover, takes up the entire front cover, which allows the eye of the user to naturally be drawn to it. This could also reflect that within the film 'Paranormal Activity', that these characters play a very important role. The facial expressions within the image, allows an increase in fear and anxiety to be placed in the audience. This is done, as they do not know why they look so scared, therefore causes them to feel some fear, as they do not know what they are fearing. This was similarly used in the trailers and the DVD covers, as the murders identity was never revealed, so therefore caused more anxiety to increase, because of this been unknown. Although the image has the splash placed over it, the image itself is placed partly over the title of the magazine. This could therefore mean that the characters within the film are unknown, therefore this would be why the name of the film within the splash would be more important they they would be, as the name would advertise and persuade people to watch the film as it creates fear within the audience. However due to the actor and actress not being known, this will not advertise the film more than the name of it, however their facial expression does, therefore it is more important than the title of the magazine.

The title of the magazine, although is partly taken up by the image, attracts the audiences eye naturally due to its position on the page. As it is at the top, due to the visual hierarchy, the eye is first of all drawn to this, therefore the magazine brand is instantly recognised. This could mean that the film on the front cover is advertised more, as if the magazine brand is popular, the audience is more likely to look at the magazine, than if it was unknown. The title is in a bold and big sized font, which ensures, even with part of it covered, that the eye is drawn to it, to allow the reader to know what magazine it is. The use of the red colour, also allows it to stand out on the page, therefore drawing the eye once again, too allow recognition to occur. The use of the word 'weekly' being printed within the other letters of the title, is very clever editing and is a good example of it. This however also allows a sort of logo to be created for the magazine, which would also allow easy recognition. The use of this being white also allows it to be visible against the red title.

The sub titles on this page are placed around the main feature for a very good reason. This allows the readers attention to be drawn to the main feature on the front cover, however due to the way in which the subtitles have been placed it allows the attention of the reader to move to them. The use of the subtitles being placed on either side of the main feature, also allows it be frame it, giving the , magazine a professional clean finish. As the subtitles are placed in a black, yellow or red, it means that they stand out from the white background, therefore meaning that they draw the eye of the reader. Each individual subtitle also uses two colours, which allows them to look exiting, therefore again drawing the eye of the reader which is also the reason in placing a coloured box around a subtitle, but to also allow it to stand out and look different from the rest. The different sizing in font, also allows them to look very different to anything else on the page, therefore allowing the readers eye to finally be attracted to them, as if they were any bigger, they may take the attention away from the main article.