Codes and conventionsReview magazines

PHOTO

A COMMON CONVENTION OF FILM REVIEW MAGAZINES IS TO HAVE A SNAPSHOT OF THE FILM INVOLVING ONE OF MORE CHARACTERS (THAT DOESN’T GIVE AWAY THE PLOT) WHICH TAKES UP A THIRD TO A HALF OF THE TOTAL REVIEW SPACE. THIS IS DONE PRIMARILY TO GRAB THE VIEWERS ATTENTION AND DRAW THEM IN WHEN LOOKING THROUGH THE MAGAZINE. THE PICTURE IS ALWAYS SITUATED AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.

EXAMPLES

TITLE

ANOTHER CONVENTION IS TO HAVE THE FILM TITLE ON THE PICTURE ITSELF, USUALLY IN WHITE TEXT. WE SAW BEFORE WHITE TEXT WAS USED IN THE POSTERS AS IT STANDS OUT. THE TITLE MAY ALSO HELP TO AID DRAWING THE VIEWER IN AS THE TITLE IS NORMALLY INTRIGUING.

EXAMPLES

QUOTES AND LINES

ANOTHER CONVENTION IS THAT WITHIN THE BLOCK OF TEXT THERE IS A QUOTE. IT IS USUALLY LARGER THAN THE REST OF THE TEXT IN A DIFFERENT COLOUR AND IS INTERESTING. THEREFORE THIS SUDDEN DOSE OF LARGE COLOUR DRAWS THE VIEWERS EYE STRAIGHT TO IT WHEN TURNING TO THE PAGE, SO THIS PIECE OF TEXT IS CRUCIAL TO ENTICING THE AUDIENCE AND TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE. (RED)AS WELL AS QUOTES TO BREAK UP THE MAIN BODY OF TEXT, THE MAGAZINES ALSO USE COLOURED LINES TO MAKE THE OVERALL AESTHETIC OF THE PAGE MORE APPEALING INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING A MONOCHROMATIC PRESENTATION. (BLUE)

EXAMPLES

STAR RATING AND BRANDING

TWO THINGS WE HAVE FOUND ALMOST MANDATORY WITHIN THE FILM REVIEW PAGES OF A MAGAZINE IS; THE STAR RATING, OUT OF FIVE, AS WELL AS THE MAGAZINE BRANDING.THE STAR RATING CAN BE USED FOR A QUICK CHECK TO SEE IF THE FILM IS WORTH WATCHING WITHOUT NEEDING TO READ THE WHOLE REVIEW AND TO SEE THE CRITICS FINAL OPINION. THIS MAKES THE PAGE WORTH LOOKING AT TO ANYONE POSSIBLY INTERESTED WITH THE FILM. (RED)THE MAGAZINE BRANDING IS, PRACTICALLY ALWAYS, FOUND IN THE TOP LEFT OR RIGHT OF THE PAGE IN A SMALL BLOCK OF COLOUR. A PIECE OF THE MAGAZINE STYLE ON EVERY PAGE, A CONSISTENT MARKING TO KEEP THE MAGAZINE TOGETHER. (BLUE)

EXAMPLES