EMPIRE MAGAZINE BY RHIAN NORMAN, ALICE MARCHANT AND AMY LIDSTONE.

EMPIRE MAGAZINEBY RHIAN NORMAN, ALICE MARCHANT AND AMY

LIDSTONE

1989-2014

2013-2014• The content of the magazine is purely for films that are

new in the box-office. However there are sometimes specials on classic films from the past, such as anniversary specials (as shown in the Captain America Empire issue).

• The design is bold and it uses a lot of different fonts and styles. The masthead stands out because of the bold red, their signature colour. Different fonts and styles make the cover more interesting to look at, as well as informing readers of content with use of taglines.

• Ideologies include the production companies that fund the magazine. So between this time period the main production company that funds the running of the magazine and the promotion of its films are disney. Looking through other magazines released by empire this year and last year, marvel has been the biggest promotion, and marvel has recently been bought by disney.

• Mode of address uses direct address, this is where the main image on the cover is looking directly into the camera and addressing the audience. This brings the audiences attention to the cover of the magazine and could interest them enough to buy it. The language used doesn’t use pronouns, so it isnt including the audience in the taglines, it is written more formally, and for readers to just be interested in the content, rather than making a connection with the magazine company.

• Target audiences for this magazine company is predominantly males. This is for males between the ages of 20-50, however a lot of the films included in the magazine issues over the last two years have been family orientated as well.

WARNER BROTHERS

Disney

2010-2012• The content of the magazines from these years is more narrative because they include snapshots from the films that they are majorly promoting in their issues. Tag lines use interesting language designed to draw a reader’s attention to the content of the magazine. Making it more appealing to purchase it.

• Design is made to reflect emotions within the films. Clash of titans has reds and browns which are action colours, promoting the action film genre, the hobbit has blues and blacks connoting bad times for the characters in the story. Makes it moodier and more eye-catching to passers by. Still using different fonts and styles of writing, as well as other company’s logos and fonts.

• Ideologies of the magazines are for clash of the titans are that he is a warier, by putting him in armour it makes him look like he is about to go in to battle, makes him looks strong and an icon for males. The ideologies for the hobbit are that the hobbit on the front cover of the magazine is very afraid and does not quiet know what to do where as the creature behind him already knows what he wants to because of the way that he is looking at the hobbit, and the expression on the face. Another running theme in the ideologies is that warner brothers have the main promotions on both magazines meaning that they are the main funders for empire in these years.

Warner brothers

Warner brothers

• The mode of address if different between the two magazines, one is direct address where as the other one is not. Clash of the titans has a direct address this means that they are not allowing the audience to connect with the characters, rather they are just saying what is happening. The hobbit on the other hand has an expression that causes suspense because you can not see what the hobbit is looking at and he looks scared.

• The target audience for clash of the titans will be mainly males between the ages of 25-50 , but the hobbits target audience will be the same as the magazines from the year 2013-2014.

2006-2009• The content of the magazine between this time frame is

similar to the later magazines produced. It has a lot of captivating text that would entice people to read the magazine. For example ‘the world’s first look’. So the content is designed to attract people’s attention and draw them to the cover of the magazine.

• The design changes a lot between 2006 and 2009. The 2006 issue looks a more old fashioned and the fonts aren’t as vari4ed and there is less writing on the cover. The 2009 issue looks like it is just starting to get the modern look of the later issues. With more visual aids along the sides.

• The ideologies between this period are more obscure because the production companies for the films on the front of the covers aren’t as big as the companies in later issues. Although Columbia pictures is one of the big six, DreamWorks isn’t. So the importance of the film is more reflected rather than the big monetary funding behind the promotion of the issue.

Columbia Pictures

Dreamworks

• The mode of address for both magazines in this time frame is direct. The main images on the covers are both looking directly into the camera to draw a passers by’s attention to the cover. So it is still using this advertising technique like it does in some of the more modern issues. There is still no pronouns used so they aren't appealing to the audience on a direct level, they are letting them do all the work without the inclusive language.

• The target audience for these issues is varied because transformers is more of a children's film, but adults can still enjoy watching it, but it is still a predominantly male audience that it is aimed at. And the da Vinci code is aimed from 12 year olds to adults, and is still a predominantly male film. So the target audience is still the same as the more modern issues of the magazine.

2001-2005• The content of the magazines is less in the 2001 issue. There aren’t as many tag lines as there are in the 2005 issue. This could be to do with the time period and there not being as many huge films out as lord of the rings, because lord of the rings is one of the biggest hitting films of all time. Hence the tagline ‘bigger than Starwars?’ It grabs attention and makes Starwars fans want to read about why lord of the rings is better than their favourite film. The 2005 issue has more to look at, both magazines use a lot of adjectives like ‘ultimate’ and ‘explosive’ it is making the stories seem more exciting than they are.

• The design of the magazine is quiet plain compared with modern versions of it. The lord of the rings cover is very plain, they just show a picture of the main character of the film, give the films name and a list of some other big shows that were out of the time but they do not give as much content or rhetorical questions as newer versions of the magazine do. But the 2005 version has more information on it but less colour making it less eye catching but more informative compared to the 2001 version, I think that I prefer the older version more as it is more eye catching and is more of a reason that they went back to that sort of style.

• Ideologies of the 2001 magazine is that he is a adventure, he looks like he is about to embark on an adventure but he looks like he is unsure about whether or not he wants to go or not. The colours of the magazine are quiet warm and inviting and connect to the place and period that the film is set, warner brothers was very big at5 the time like it still it but that was them at the start of the adventure of the lord of the trilogy. The 2005 magazine is very plain, it does not give the reader much of a clue in to what the character is going to do, what sort emotions they should feel for it.

• The mode of address of the magazines the mode of address of these two magazines is very different. The 2005 magazine has a direct address, this means that it is not allowing us the audience to connect with it and clearly just states what's in it, where as the 2001 magazine has an expression/ question that includes us as the audience in with it.

• The target audience for this magazine is definitely majority males, between the ages of 18-25 but also family men who like to know what good films there are to go and watch with there kids, big blockbusters are on the front of these covers ones that men would want to take there family along to watch it with you.

1990-2000• The content of the earliest magazine from 1990 is a lot more vague on what is inside. For example ‘the governor and the stripper, Paul Newman blasts back with blaze’ doesn’t give you a strong idea on what the story is about. So it is using more suspenseful language to hook the readers attention. The 2000 issue is more direct on its content, so this is a development in their advertising techniques. It lets you know what the story is about but still doesn’t give you the name of the film that they are reviewing. So there is still a slight amount of suspenseful advertising.

• The design of the magazine is quite plain compared to the more modern issues. There is a white background which isn’t as appealing to the eye as a more narrative background that is full of colour. However this was how most magazines probably looked back then, so this could’ve been the modern design for its time period. There isn’t much difference in the layout of the magazine designs in the 10 year gap, the only main difference is the fact that the masthead has changed slightly, but the colour is still red, their signature colour.

• Ideologies for these magazines don’t show the names of the films so the big production companies aren’t as involved in these earlier stages than they are in the more modern issues. I think that this is because in this time period a lot more people were going to the cinema, so there was less need to promote new films, because people would be going to the pictures enough to know without excess advertisement.

• The target audience of the 1990 empire magazine will be lady's, this is very different to the later magazines that are majority aimed at males, I believe this to be aimed at lady's because of the fact that in the magazine they have a lady on the cover, where as in all the other covers the majority have domineering males figures on it and also they have a section on parenthood and at those times males would not like to be seen buying magazines on parenthood, even today they don’t like to as they like to be seen as a character that is strong and manly. The target audience for the 2000 empire magazine is family's, family people who just want an idea of what sorts of films would be good to go and watch at the start of that year.

READERSHIP OF EMPIRE

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