Magazine covers for films

Above are some examples of magazine covers advertising films such as Harry Potter, Star Trek and Sherlock Holmes. Each cover has a shot of the lead actor within the films however they are all shot from different angles which i find particularly interesting

as although there is the recurring theme of a shot of the actors/characters face, the range and angle at which they have been shot present varying effects.

The Star Trek cover shows a close up shot of actor Chris Pine. It appears in black and white which makes his features more defined and his eyes more contrasting with his face, which draws most of the attention. I like the use of black and white as it hints at film noir yet it is portrayed in a modern way with the film name 'Star Trek' appearing in bold capital white letters so the audience can clearly see what is being portrayed. The use of red relates to sin city and their use of colour within the film, with the red, black and white all colours that combine well together to make a bold statement.

The Sherlock Holmes cover for the same magazine starkly contrasts with the Star Trek one as the colours are more vivid, with the ice blue perhaps representing the characteristics of the actor playing 'Sherlock Holmes'. It is different from the previous magazine cover as although it shows Robert Downey Jr, the shot is more of a medium shot, rather than the close up of Chris Pine's face. I think it has less of an impact than the Star Trek cover as the black and white did place more emphasis on the magazine itself, however the colours of this one coincide with it's release date which was boxing day, as the blue is maybe a reminder of winter or certain themes within the film, represented in the words 'All the elements are coming together' on the front cover. In the background, there is a loose and nearly transparent image of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, suggesting that the setting for the film is in London, and 'Sherlock's' outfit conveys the idea that it is set in a previous era. The title of the magazine 'Total Film' has been placed behind Robert Downey Jr, placing more emphasis on him rather than the titles.

Finally, the magazine cover advertising Harry Potter is for a different magazine however it again uses the face of the main character within the actual film and coincides with the idea that there is more focus and emphasis on them in order to sell the film and ultimately the magazine. Daniel Radcliff is shown as his character Harry Potter, and although his face is turned towards the front, his body looks to be moved round to the side, creating a different view from that of the previous magazine covers. The tag line 'Bloody hell, Harry comes out fighting' coincides with the bruised and bloody face that he has, where it looks like his glasses are broken. This relates to the Sherlock Holmes magazine cover, where the colours link to the tag-lines and words written on the cover. Radcliff is surrounded by darkness connoting the idea that the film has become more darker and sinister as they continue. The light/dark contrast on his face suggests the typical good/bad side to the character, shown in a meduim/close up shot. There appears to be more writing on this cover, which does take the focus away from the actor a little, and a range of different colours have been used such as red,blue and yellow, and there doesn't really appear to be a continuing theme. Overall, i think that the Star Trek cover is the most effective, partially because of the black and white that has been used, and i don't think that this would defer its target audience from buying it.