Empire Magazine Suicide Squad Poster

Image -
The main focus of the image is the character of the 'Joker', which is fitting as he is one of the most recognisable 'villains' from the movie (as he has also been in numerous Batman films, where as some of the other characters are less established). By using a well known character, audiences are more likely to want to read the magazine as they are interested in what they are in now. The image is incredibly striking, as they have used a medium-long shot, allowing all his bare chest to be displayed ensuring the audience can see his white body, which is often associated with the dead or nonliving making him seem even more 'super natural', but also the tattoos he has across him, often associated with criminals, rebellious spirit, and danger. The Joker is positioned centrally, taking up the majority of the space ensuring most of the attention is on him, and he is also staring directly into the camera; this creates a more intense look, and one that fits the the intense, fearing, aura surrounding the character. Antagonist are more commonly positioned looking directly into the camera, over antagonists, as it is easier to portray this intimidation.

Rule of thirds -

This cover follows the rule of thirds, as ‘the joker’ is positioned in the middle third where the eyes are intrinsically drawn in. The masthead and above cover lines above are also positioned symmetrically in the middle, with the suicide squad related ‘puff’ to the right of the Joker’s head. This specific positioning draws the clear connection between the model featured, and the cover line that this is the exact character you are going to ‘meet’.

Colour -

The cover line above the masthead is in the same colour as the ‘paint’ stroke behind the main cover line and the additional ‘plush’, this adds continuity, a feeling of fluidity, and also ties in with the green of the characters hair.  The green is bright against the dark background, meaning it stands out and provides a background contrasting to the black font.

The cool tones with the purples and greens are synonyms with the horror genre and particular antagonists, in keeping with ‘the Joker’ featured on the image. The electric ‘bolt’ running across the centre adds extra interest and dimension, and also provides some good lighting as this brightens the otherwise quite dark image, and also draws your attention to this part of the cover where the name of the film is strategically placed (so it is clear what film the magazine is promoting). The masthead changes colour in accordance to the colour theme of that particular issue, and this one uses a white; matching the bright bolt and main cover line which shows these two lines of text are arguably most important. 

Masthead/Cover lines -

The masthead is positioned at the top of the cover and is in the largest font – this means the readers eyes drawn to it and it is very clear exactly what magazine they are reading. Against convention, this cover only has two complete cover lines compared to the normal five or six. This means more attention is focused on those few, and in this case ‘suicide squad’ is in a slightly large font then the other showing that it is the most significant. While all the text uses sans serif, meaning it is clear and easy to read, the font for ‘suicide squad’ is slightly different – the holes in certain letters are filled, making it even bolder and unique which fits the films daring, niche genre. The 'skyline' or 'banner' is positioned above the masthead, and reveals slightly more about that issue as a whole (rather than the films in it); in this case, it reveals a '30 page Oscar's preview'. By including something about such a well known event like the Oscars, it keeps the magazine topical, shows they are up to date with current affairs in the entertainment world, and attracts readers as will want more of an insight into the films featured before the awards (which all film fans are likely to watch). This cover also features a cover line just above the main mast head - this features five individual names (of both people and movies), which broadens their target audience even further as is covers a range of topics, from the technological Steve Jobs to the romantic drama 'The Danish Girl'.

Fonts -

Empire magazine has a large, bold, clear font used on all it's issues, meaning it is distinctive on the shelves and also reflects the bold, striking themes in the films commonly featured on/in them. While the colour does change, it is usually always within the same spectrum of either white, red, blue or range. This is dependent on what the image is and allows them some flexibility with the colours they can use on that, ensuring the two always go together and create a well rounded look. For example, this image has very dark lighting, and with slight elements on white to it (i.e. the Joker's skin, the light bolt), so the white mast head contrasts the almost black background (meaning it is easy to read off of), but still ties in with other colours featured. The font used for the skyline is very similar to that of the cover line underneath but slightly elongated; this means provides such variation and shows the two are separate, while still keeping it;s minimalist look.

Genre -
It is vital that magazines portray their genre well, as film magazine in particular tend to have specific themes that appeal to their specific audience. While Empire magazine claims to be the 'world's biggest movie destination', meaning one would think they cover a broad range of styles, they tend to lean more towards 'action' entertainment. This could be because the action genre is one with the largest target audience, as it is watched by teenagers to the mature, by a mix of both females and males (although previously they may have been seen as more 'men's' films, these stereotypes are being broken down as we become more progressive, and even films centered around female protagonist's such as SuperWoman are being released), and from both the working to the upper class. The use of dark background and outfit instantly projects this is a film with a dark theme, and the electric 'bolt' hints that this may have a more 'sci-fi' element to the horror.

Demographic -

The dark colours used suggest this is a magazine with not targeting a younger audience, as these usually contain more uplifting and bright shades to reflect their, generally, innocent, untainted personalities. They also tend to have a wider variety of different pictures and shapes on them; with more cover lines, people and characters as this mirrors the ‘busy’ minds of children/younger teenagers, whereas the older audiences tend to find more minimalistic, artistic images appealing.