Total Film: front cover analysis

• This magazine front cover is a highly effective one because of the balance between the amount of text and imagery used, making it both visually and written appeal. 

• The majority of the font is in bold and all of the text is placed in block capitals to make it more eye catching and further make all of the text stand out, showing that all things featured on this cover are equally important as the other things. 

• The mode of address of the main image is very clever as it addresses audience members from every single angle (left, right and centre) as each character is looking in a different direction despite their body language being the opposite of their glance. The central images used are further effective as the body language and composition give hints into each character type and their role. The AI is in the centre as she is mostly the main focus of Ex - Machina.

• The main theme of this magazine issue, similarly to the film, is of a futuristic and technological aim so the taglines and pugs all address films which cover the same themes through their narrative. E.g. "50 greatest movie robots and "The terminator 30th anniversary special". The issue date of this magazine is another generic convention this magazine has managed to use in a clever way to their advantage and this is because it says 2055 which is in fact thirty years after The Terminator was set in, both linking it to the tag lines they have included and further reminding us as an audience of the futuristic feel (as  it is a futuristic themed issue, it is set in a futuristic time, forty years in the future).

• Because it is a well known and established film magazine, it's illustrators were able to make the decision of covering partially some of the letters, however because it is well known, this doesn't appear to be an issue as it also serves as a brand identity so the magazines viewers know what it is called. A more independent magazine wouldn't be able to do something like this as it probably would not have a wide recognition like a magazine such as Total Film or Empire. 
• This magazine front cover was created in a very interesting way and I really like how they used generic conventions of magazines yet still made it a lot more appealing due to their creativity and the colours used all appear to work nicely together.