The Appeal of Film Magazine Covers

The cover of film magazines tend to be a little busier than those of magazines from any other genre. Perhaps this is because they aim to highlight the explosive nature of hit new action films or due to the excitement of a cinematic masterpiece. They usually feature a leading character from the newest releases in front of an interesting background - often some sort of explosion. By featuring a celebrity in character on the cover page, fans are more likely to purchase the product, thus making it more successful. The name of magazines usually falls behind the head of whoever is on the cover as it is often the celebrity, not the actual magazine itself, that sells the product. Text on the cover must stand out so as to allow readers to know what content can be found inside, but shouldn't take away from the cover image. Colour schemes play a key part in this as they ensure that the magazine has a polished and professional finish. Cover pages also tend to use lots of positive adjectives and superlatives in order to generate appeal, interest and excitement. After all, what the magazine attempts to do is sell the film and catch the attention of potential readers. People are far less likely to purchase something that comes across as being boring, and so by using interesting vocabulary the magazine is already boosting its appeal. The colours used to make the covers for film magazines tend to be bolder than those used for any other type of magazine as they need to stand out. The film industry tends to be competitive as everybody wants to produce the best film; the next hit. The film magazine industry must keep up with this, and so they need to make the most captivating cover. Celebrity endorsement plays a key role in this as a lot of people will buy a product purely because a famous actor or actress that they like is featured either within the pages or upon the cover. This also helps the film to gain viewers as, if people know an actor or actress from another film, they're more likely to show an interest in what the magazine is advertising.