Fashion Magazine - Vogue
Pauline Kate Baluyut
Conventions used by both Vogues:
- Price
- Masthead
- Main image: Both are well lit allowing people to see the bright contrasting colour palettes used and clothing worn by the models.
- Date of issue releases
- Coverline : from flats to thigh-highs the shoes of the season, this is placed there to attract fashion conscious people, as they would like to be up to date with fashion and trends.
Target Audience profile
Vogue allows its magazine issues, like any present day mainstream magazines to be purchased both in retail stores and digital means; through the use of an iPad or Kindle. It is a magazine that informs its audience of the current and predicted fashion trends.
Throughout its issues, models are displayed in confident poses and clothed flatteringly. Having only the two electronic gadgets, to promote their internationally known company, further hints at us that the target audience for Vogue magazine are those who are materialistic and prefer the paper copy instead of the electronic copy, and have a lot of disposable income. They spend their leisure time among books and magazines as the Kindle and iPad are technologies that both offer users the ability to browse countless novels and magazines in its app store.
They are consumers who are keen to purchase big brands despite the cost. They live in areas connected to the rest of the world, such as London. Areas allowing them to have more awareness in trends, areas that also contain transnational companies, such as Louis Vuitton and Guess.
They go abroad on their holiday - preferring to go to luxurious exotic locations/countries with good international links, such as Canada, France, Australia, the UK, the US and Japan.
Vogue magazine's target audience are likely to have been those born in the early 1980s to early 1990s, when computers were not commonly used, instead television, books and magazines were relied upon to get information. This indicates to us, that the target audience's age is 24-34 years old.
As the front cover only displays females respectively clothed, it highlights the idea that the magazine is targeted specifically to the female audience.
Music magazine
Film magazine annotations
In order for me to entirely understand the reasons that make certain mainstream film magazines such as 'Total film' and 'Empire' both successful, I must pinpoint the conventions that are used on both magazines, so that I am also able to create a prominent film magazine.
Total film
Total film magazine is successful, as it is a versatile business; it allows readers to view its magazine by print and electronic means (through downloading the app on the Apple newsstand/Google play). This means that it will not lose profit due to the rising global demand of magazines/books/newspapers to be made available on electronic systems. The app also has extra functions which allows its market to see trailers, pictures and animation. Total film targets its audience with a range of different platforms such as its website, YouTube channel, Twitter page, Facebook page, iPad app and Google+ page.
Total film has released at least three versions of its November 2010 magazine issue promoting the 'Harry Potter Franchise' (depicting three different characters, Hermione, Harry and Ron). This is done so that each magazine version will attract a specific Harry Potter audience, e.g. the issue which features the character, Hermione Granger, displays Hermione as having an audacious and brave stance which is often seen in male characters. This is what may captivate the female audience and fans of Hermione Granger to this magazine issue.
Conventions used by Total Film magazine:
- Masthead
- Main Image: the main image seems to illuminate its models due to the use of bright lighting, shone from the back. Despite this the model's features standout due to the dark shadows and outlines of light that illustrate their key features. This hints at us that the film has a dark plot.
- Barcode
- Tagline
- Rhetorical question
- Film title (Harry Potter 7)
- Banner (The modern guide to movies) This is used to entice people into buying the magazine issue, as they would want to be up-to-date with the latest film news.
- Article (often referred to as coverline)
Total film is published by Future PLC (often referred to as Future publishing) whose headquarters are located in Bath (United Kingdom).
Total film magazine releases its magazine to costumers on a monthly regime, with the price of £3.99. Meaning that costumers will have to pay a maximum of £47.88 each year in order to have all the complete 12 issues.
Target audience profile
Total film targets their target market mainly by the use of digital technologies (such as tablets, computers and mobile phones), this means that the target market for this film magazine are those who earn large surpluses of money through a stable full time job. They are customers who are driven with the impulse and enthusiasm of gaining more information/news about movies, than their peers.
In their 'free/leisure time' they spend vast amounts of hours watching movies and using social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. They are costumers who purchase film magazines such as Total Film (through apps and newsagents) which will enable them to know which movies around the world are currently being showcased. This also means that they are likely to have been born during the late 1980s to late 1990s, as these were the years that people internationally began to use and create more digital technologies, such as computers thus suggesting that the target audience's age is 19-29 years old. They are costumers who live in urban areas near London, areas that offer a wide range of resources that will help their knowledge of films and technologies grow quickly. For their holidays they go to countries that offer a good film background such as the US, to visit studios such as 'Universal Studios'.
As Total Film magazine also uses both genders as models for the front covers of their magazine, it unveils the idea that they are targeting both genders.
In brief, this means:
Their TAP : both genders aged 19-29 years of age, with an interest in the film department/industry and who likes to keep updated, by the use of social media networking websites.
Empire
Like Total film, Empire magazine is downloadable by electronic means by the use of app stores such Google play. They have their own website, that allows people to read "movie news", blogs and reviews. Users can also enter competitions and buy the "iPad" edition issues of their magazine. They circulate their issues monthly, at the price of £3.99 each.
There are tabs allowing people to like them on Facebook, follow them both on Twitter and g+. They also have connections with other social media networking websites such as Pinterest, tumblr, and YouTube. This makes them a company that users can access globally.
There are promotions on their websites to encourage more people to buy their magazine such as the "subscribe today and get 6 issues...£12.50". Normally six magazine issues cost, £15.96 (£3.99 x 6). This means a saving of £3.46.
This makes their magazine look cheaper than others.
They are published by Bauer media group, whose headquarters are located in Hamburg (Germany).
Target audience profile
As 'Empire' magazine uses very similar conventions that 'Total film' magazine uses, I have come to the conclusion that they target the same market. This means that Empire, targets both genders aged 19-29 years old. A market who are digital natives, used to the life surrounded by technology. They enjoy reading news about new movie releases and downloading film apps, thus keeping their knowledge of the film industry updated and highly developed. They like to visit locations where mainstream films have been filmed. They are likely to watch films straight from the cinema, because they couldn't wait till the DVD copy comes out, as by then everyone they know will have known or watched the film, before they have had the chance to.
Above, I have annotated a fashion magazine and two mainstream film magazines. But as we plan to make an independent social-realism film trailer, I have come to the conclusion that I must also annotate an independent film magazine. Below is my annotation of an independent film magazine.
Filmmaker
Like mainstream film magazines, Filmmaker has its very own website which promotes its magazine brand. Which also includes social media network tabs, that allow web users to interact and help promote their product by a twitter follow and a Facebook like. It is clear to note that there's a smaller percentage of social media websites that promote their business (only twitter and Facebook).
Their website allows people to view newly released independent film trailers, read columns, interviews and get updates about festivals and events.
They are released by Independent Filmmaker project, whose headquarters are in America, every quarterly. It costs $5.95 each which roughly converts to £3.58.
Target audience profile
The layout of the magazine looks dull and simple suggesting a target market of an older age. The models/actors displayed on the magazine alternate from both genders, meaning that it is targeted to both males and females.
As the website only invites users to like and follow the website, from only Facebook and Twitter this hints that the target market is a digital migrant (because both sites are simple to use). Meaning that they are those who had to adapt to digital technology, this leads to the idea that they were born during the late 1960s to mid 1970s. Hence the target audience are both genders aged 50 - 39 years old.
Conclusion
To my conclusion after analysing the conventions used by the (fashion, music and film) magazines located above, the conventions that I will need to include in my film magazine are:
Barcode
Magazine masthead (magazine's brand)
Main image
Articles/coverlines (that I plan to talk about, within my magazine)
Date of release
Film's title
Price
Buzzwords
I will need to use the conventions above, as most of the magazines that I have looked at included them.
I will be following the layout of Filmmaker magazine, but will also be using some of Total film's conventions, as they are a successful internationally known company and their company's publishing institution is located in England, a country where mine and Mikaela's film is located at, Filmmaker on the other hand, has their institution headquarters located in America. It is a good idea for me to do this as I am targeting a fairly young market
