Magazine Cover Analysis - Suicide Squad
On the front cover of this
magazine, we see the character Deadshot from the film Suicide Squad. Through mise-en-scène, we can see he
is wearing a red and black costume with body armor and padding. We also see
that he is holding a gun which suggests that the film is an action and
adventure film, and his futuristic eye piece may suggest a sci-fi genre. The
background is filled with flames and burning SWAT trucks. The flames and SWAT
trucks are genre indicators for an action film because flames connote danger,
and the SWAT trucks connote danger and violence.
At
the very top of the page, ’30-page Oscars preview inside’ is written in a bold
yellow font which stands out against the black background, and the films listed
underneath in a white font. This is made to stand out so it catches the
audience’s attention, and it targeted towards audience members who what to know
how these films did in the Oscars. Underneath this top section is the title of
the magazine ‘Empire’. This is usually written in a bold solid color, and is
consistent through other magazines by the same company, as it helps build brand
identity as audiences familiarizes themselves with the brand. Just above the ‘M’
in ‘EMPIER’ we see the issue month and the price for the magazine ‘4.50’. This
is written in a small font as any price that seems too expensive for the target
audience will deter them from purchasing it.
The
general color scheme of the cover follows a black, red, orange and white theme.
The black and reds/oranges connote mystery and ricks, and the reds have links
to blood, death and violence. A lot of low-key lighting is used which makes the
Deadshot look more intimidating and scary. Deadshot used direct mode of
address, this is where he is directly looking at the camera, and therefore at
you. This is used to draw the reader as it subconsciously tells then to buy the
magazine. Under the title of the film ‘Suicide Squad’, is written ‘Psychos.
Killers. Freaks. Here to save the world’. From this text, it may indicate to
the audience that these people are the protagonists, even though through
mise-en-scène, they are depicted as the bad guys – the antagonists.
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