Research Into Similar Products: Empire Magazine Research and Inspiration

EMPIRE

I always loved buying Empire magazines, and so for my ancillary products, I'll definitely be making a magazine cover (especially since I had experience of making magazine covers in AS).

Here are some example covers...

I've come to recognise that most Empire magazines use mid-shots or long shots in terms of the photography for their magazines, for example...

I love how this magazine is a total throw back to what happens to Han Solo in Star Wars, but also the utter creativity of the magazine; the fact they thought to use this as a great cover inspiration I find a genius move! Sometimes the colour scheme and loads of text in dynamic positions isn't the formula for a great cover, but often the concept in it's simplicity, and the house style surrounding that one concept is what's needed. In this case it's to freeze the Empire magazine in 'carbonite' too.

With this cover, I just love how the cover lines bend in towards the cover star, drawing the audience's eyes to focus on Leonado DiCaprio in all his broody glory.

The difference in this one is that it's a long shot to show the authority of Katniss and the dangerous world that surrounds her. I love the way the font of the main cover line embraces the dynamic of what's going on in the photo, but also I love how the main coverline doesn't actually cover over Katniss, but leaves her untouched, giving her character complete dominance over the page. However, I don't often like these long shots, since it's merely to make more room for more coverlines sometimes, and it's rather hard to see the coverstar when your walking past the shelf in the shop if they're so small.

A lot of Empire magazines embrace multiple characters on the same cover, like with this edition of The Hobbit, each elf, though you could imagine the actors were photographed separately, are bought together in the one image, showing them as a unit.

I just had to have a Suicide Squad related magazine and I just adore the colours incorporated in this one; the greens and the purples relating to the Joker as a character but also there isn't much text on the cover at all. I love how on the skyline I recognise every film mentioned in it, so Empire makes sure that on the covers, they sell the movies the audience will be the most interested in (while mentioning the more independent or 'upcomming' ones within the magazine itself.) The lack of coverlines makes sure the audience's attention is singularly pinned on the Joker, and the way the coverlines are positioned almost embraces the chaotic nature of the Joker aswell, without being too distracting. I love how the coverstar gives the audience direct address, as if to provoke the reader to buy it immediately. It's a really striking cover, and I'll definitely take inspiration from it.