Midnight Echo Film magazine Analysis

There is one main dominating image on this magazine cover that instantly acts as the main attraction for the audience. The image is a close up at a high angle of what we can see is a girl, due to features and hair
The most striking detail about this image is the black streaks that run across the characters face. It gives an impression as if she is locked up behind bars, or is watching someone behind blinds. Another detail about this image is that one eye is spotlighted in between the black streaks, whilst the other is hidden by the streak.  The eye is a very powerful feature on anyone, as it helps to represent emotions of a person, However because one eye is covered, limits the audience in knowing the emotions of this character. This can raise many questions among the audience and lead them to feel a certain way. For example, the right eye is looking up, directly at the audience. From the one eye we do see, it allows the audience to feel unsettled, because they feel as if the character is directing their emotions towards them; this engages the audience’s attention into wanting to know more about this character and what the image is suggesting.

This image is very unique, unlike other film magazine covers I have analysed, in this particular shot, we can’t see any of the characters costume, and are limited to see any of their hair. This is unique because nothing else is distracting us from the main features of the image. There are blood spots all over the characters face and neck which is a main horror convention. As soon as the audience see this, they can automatically understand that this magazine is of a horror genre.  The background is black which also puts full emphasis on the face of the character. Black being used is also a convention of horror; the darkness and mystery create wonder on where this character is and what she is doing. 
In terms of lighting and colour in the main image, the lower part of the character is red whilst the top of the girls head is a cold blue.  The colour blue and red are both ones associated with horror. Blue creates a cold and chilled feeling. The fact that the blue is used on the characters head rather than anywhere else can highlight that the girl is being taken over. She has a frozen mind and may be possessed. This can also be supported by the look in her right eye and facial expression. The character is looking up at the audience with what we can make out to be a slight smile. This forms a creepy vibe, and considering the colour used it could be that the girl is possessed.
The colour red starts from the girls cheeks and runs all the way to her neck and the bottom of the shot, making out that the red `blood’ continues on the rest of the character. The colour red represents blood in this image, but also can create feeling of sin and death. The Fact that this shot stops just above the girl’s heart can suggest that the girl is full of sin and is dying inside, her soul has been taken and she is possessed.
Overall this image is a very powerful one and can suggest many things with the use of horror conventions, colours, lighting and shot type.

There are three typefaces used on this cover, which is conventional of any magazine cover. Firstly the typeface used for the masthead is eye catching and it’s the first piece of text the audience sees when they look at the cover. The lettering is straight and gives off a strong and dominant vibe about the magazine. Each letter tends to stand out individually in the masthead, and this can represent the magazine being an independent and individual magazine amongst the others in the market. The typeface has a slight shine on the outer lines of the lettering. This can, for example be compared to the shine of a knife or a slight look of a metal material, which also has links to the horror convention of a knife.  The use of the masthead being underlined can create emphasis and importance on what the magazine is called.

The second typeface is used for the cover lines and issue number. This typeface is considerably different from the one of the masthead. It is not in capitals and the lettering is also not as spaced out. Instead we get more of a medieval horror feel. This may have been purposely done to show that this magazine not only concentrates on modern horror, but past horror too.

The third and final typeface is used for cover lines, subheadings and the dateline. This typeface is more of an average one, in the sense that it is seen more often than the other two.  It’s simple but bold and fills the purpose of having noticeable text for the audience to understand and read easily.

Similarly to typefaces, magazine covers have three main colours for the text used. The colours used here consist of White, red and yellow. White and red are very typical and conventional colours for the horror genre. However yellow is questionable.
White is a common colour because it can be easily read against a black or dark background, which is expected for horror, there would not be a yellow or pink background for a cover of this genre as its unconventional and not at all representative. This is highlighted by the image used on this cover. The white is easy to read and as it’s contrasted with the image, it stands out.

Red is also used for the same purpose. As well as being used for a text colour, red blocks are used to help emphasise certain pieces of texts. For example `the magazine of the Australian horror writers association’ this can be seen as a vital piece of text because it helps to provide the magazine with status, as this magazine is of the horror writers association. The colours of red and white complement each other to contrast and grab the audience’s attention.
Yellow is the third colour used on this magazine cover. Yellow is not a colour which would automatically be associated with the horror genre; however it could have simply been used to stand out. The words `True blood’ and `Vincent Castiglia’ are presented in yellow. True blood is the name of a popular horror show, with themes such as vampires. Vincent Casriglia is an American surrealist painter who often paints nightmare subject matters. Any horror fan would know of this man and of that show, being presented in yellow, allows those words to be eye catching. If the audience see those words and they are a fan, they will be automatically drawn to the cover, wanting to know more about the story.