The different audiences available for different film magazines

An in-house film magazine such as ‘Cineworld’ or ‘Odeon’ would be aimed at mass audiences. To reach a wider audience, informal language is used in order for young people to make sense of the writing and relate to all readers. Also, the magazine would be distributed in cinemas and therefore all different kinds of people would have access to them making it essential for them to appeal to all age groups in terms of how it is presented, the layout and the reading level. Furthermore, in order to make the magazine appeal to a wider range of people and make it easier to get hold of, in-house cinema magazines are almost always free to enthuse and encourage people to pick up a copy and read positive reviews on new films to be released. The reviews are always praising the films and the foundation of them is to summarise the plot in order to sell the film and make more people come to the cinema and watch it. Essentially, these type of film magazines are to sell the films that the cinema will be showing so criticisms are not evident within them. Similarly, film magazine ‘Empire’ is aimed at mainstream and wide audiences as the majority of the films that they review are feature, mainstream films. Even the front page of the magazine makes it clear that the audience is young adults; this is evident through the use of colour, the bold titles and the famous faces shown on the front page.

The film magazine ‘Sight and Sound’ is a more ‘high-brow’ magazine that is primarily aimed at a more upmarket audience. This is clear in the traditional format and style.Additionally, it is clear through the way that the articles are written; they are formal and often have an underlying dry sense of humour throughout. In many of the film reviews it is clear that it is assumed that the reader has a wide knowledge of film, directors, actors, film makers and more as many casually make reference to other films, themes etc. It is clear that ‘Sight and Sound’ is a high-brow magazine aimed at an upper/middle class audience with a higher age group as, unlike other film magazines, a star rating system is not used to comment on the films being reviewed. This film magazine has been understood as the most in-depth British film magazine as a result of the high standard of writing and target audience of upper/middle class. The reviews are highly analytical and do not focus on labelling films as good or bad. ‘Sight and Sound’ also differs from other film magazines as it separates the synopsis form the writer’s opinion of the film allowing the reader to understand the film fully before reading the review.

‘Screen’ differs from the other film magazines written about as its audience is very different. It reviews many art house, independent films and therefore targeting a niche audience. Also, the layout of the reviews are set out very differently; they have titles and headings throughout the review.