Conventions of a film magazine

There are a number of conventions that can be identified on the front cover of a film magazine, for example the masthead which is commonly positioned in the centre of the magazine and is the largest and most noticeable text on the page. The style of the writing will always stay bold and prominent but may change colour to tie in with the film being advertised on the front cover. This convention is useful as it clearly informs the reader what the name of the magazine is, and if it's a popular one they may instantly recognize it. If this convention was removed from the front cover I think it would have an impact to an extent because some people may look for that specific magazine to purchase, whereas other people may identify with other elements of the cover - such as the image.   

The image is probably the most important convention of all as it’s very iconic and noticeable, and it’s usually of a famous actor/actress that stars in the film – which takes up the majority of the cover. It’s usually a full body shot of the star or a mid-shot, and the Mise-en-scene usually has elements that relate to the film that it’s advertising. The actor/actress will also be in character for the front cover as it gives the audience an idea about the film. This convention is useful as it instantly tells the viewer who's the main actor/actress starring in the film, and if it's someone they like they're more likely to purchase it. Without this convention on a the magazine would look very bland and boring and would not attract the audiences attention as much as it would with an image on the magazine.

There are usually a variety of fonts that are presented on the page for other promotional purposes; however these font types although different will all be easy to read and tie in with the theme of the main film being advertised by the magazine. They also vary in size and colour, for example some are solid and bold, whereas others are more slender and in the style of handwriting. The colour may depend on the genre of the film, like a horror/action may have red writing to represent the blood, gore and violence, whereas a comedy film may have yellow writing which is bright and creates a light mood. This convention is useful as it reflects the genre of the film and creates a mood of what shall be in the magazine.

Buzz words and plugs engage the audience further and usually consist of the words ‘free’, ‘exclusive’ and ‘only’. This convention is useful as it draws the audience in, and urges them to pick up the magazine to purchase it as they are getting something that they may not be able to get anywhere else. If these features were to be removed from film magazines, I don't think it would be as exciting and persuasive for any viewer to look at it or even buy it. 

Banners can be found on the front page of a magazine to give information about the specific content in the magazine. This convention is a massive benefit as it tells the audience a little bit about what can be found inside the magazine, before they've even opened it. Banners can also include shots from other new films coming out. This can entice the audience to buy the magazine and find out more about these films.

Anchorage Text can be a quote, these can be quotes from the person featuring on the cover of the magazine, maybe saying something about the film or saying something about there self. This convention is useful as the quote could relate to the film and the audience may want to know how the person starring in the film feels about the film. 

Barcode, date and issue number are all essential for every magazine. This convention is essential as you need a barcode to be able to scan and purchase the it, and without these no one would know how old the magazine is or when it was first released into shops.