Connotations of Empire Magazine – “Inception” – Cover Issue

By Anthony Richards

The Title

• The title of the issue is coloured in red to make the reader stop and look at the issue which without it would be very dark and would blend in to the background. It also includes the textures from the original image in the lettering giving the issue a more eye-catching and “realistic”, 3D look.

• Empire’s logo is eye-catching because it is coloured red which makes the target audience stop to look because humans associate red with danger. This also helps to make it more recognisable next time it is seen.

The Cover Image

• The cover image depicts Leonardo DiCaprio standing with a gun atop aerial shot of a city. This shows that his character is extremely powerful with an almost god-like perspective on the world.

• The gun suggests that he is a dangerous man, which is reinforced by his facial expression and dark, sombre appearance.

• His dark suit and grey suggest that he is a man who has seen tragedy, but who also is prepared to kill. He is also not looking at the camera but staring into the distance, as if deep in thought. This shows that he is haunted by something from his past.

The Colour Scheme

• The colour scheme of the cover is mainly a dark one, with the background image of the city, being a surreal shade of blue, suggesting unreality and also calm and sadness.

• Leonardo DiCaprio is wearing black and his skin is grey, suggesting a dark theme to the film and a sense of tragedy in his character.

• The main coverline, title and plug are in red to contrast with this dark image but also to suggest danger in the film. It is also utilised to make it stand out among other magazines who will be using brighter fonts.

• One plug is in in gold to tie in with its theme of “The Dream Movie Event of 2010” which has connotations with royalty and fame, necessitating the gold colour scheme.

• The minor coverlines are in black so they do not interfere with the colour scheme of the cover story and so they don’t distract the reader from the “main event”.

• The tagline “The Dark Knight Returns…”, the quote from the interview and “Christopher Nolan” are all in white to stand out against the dark background.

The Font Type

• The title font type is Empire’s own professional font that is instantly readable and recognisable even when some of the logo is hidden behind Leonardo DiCaprio’s head.

• The font for the main coverline uses the same textures as the background which adds a 3D feel to the cover. It also tells the reader that the film will be an immersive experience.

• The other coverlines are turned on their side to give the impression that everything is rushing towards Leonardo DiCaprio, giving gravitas to the cover story.

• The plug in the bottom left-hand corner uses a comic book style font that is easy to read, but also draws attention to itself. From this you can tell that it the article is serialised and comic book-like style.

The Audience

• From the look of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character and the dark backgrounds as well as the main titles, I can tell this issue is aimed at young action fans who are looking for a “cool” film with a dark plot, plenty of violence and a slightly surreal edge.