'Gone Girl' Magazine Cover Analysis

Feature Article Photograph-

The colours used are very cool toned and clinical, which are commonly associated with mental wellbeing, therefore connoting sadness and loneliness, provoking emotion in the viewer. The combination of a birds eye view shot and a long shot of the protagonist make her seem exposed and in danger. Additionally, her blank facial expressions connote vulnerability and death. The theme of death is also apparent through the rest of the mise-en-scene, including the table filled with medical equipment beside her, the tag on her foot and the metal bed that they are lying on. This all establishes the mystery genre as it makes the reader intrigued about what has happened to her. Additionally, the male who appears to be her partner intensifies the sense of mystery as he appears to be possessive and his entirely black costume connotes evil and danger. There is binary opposites used between the two costumes as she is in white which connotes purity and innocence, whereas he is wearing very dark, harsh colours. 

Masthead-

The white colour of the masthead contrasts with the picture, making it eye-catching and engaging. Additionally, the sans-serif font has fairly relaxed, laid-back connotations, which create an informal house style. The word 'weekly' is included in the title to encourage readers to read this magazine each week and make it appear as a well-established brand. Additionally, the masthead is superimposed, so it is positioned under the image, also to suggest it is a recognisable brand, as well as making the feature article photograph the most dominant part of the cover. The actual name of the magazine 'entertainment' has positive and encouraging connotations, as it implies that it will provide amusement for the reader.

Cover line-
The cover line is used to anchor the polysemy of the feature article photograph, as it has an ambiguity surrounding it, leaving the viewer unaware of why the protagonist is in the situation. It is written in a bold, sans-serif font which makes it clear to the reader that it is the title of the film. The fact it is written in block capitals helps to intensify it and highlights the significance of the words. The white font creates a strong house style along with the rest of the cover as it matches the writing of the masthead and plugs that are flush left. There is also yellow and blue colours used which match the plugs and the cool tones of the feature article photograph.



Plugs-
These plugs are successful in fulfilling their purpose of promoting the contents of the magazine and encouraging the reader to read the magazine. They follow conventions by being flush left and follow the same colour scheme as the rest of the front cover to create a strong house style and brand identity.