Film Stories is a monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI).
Thinking Point: what messages does the title of the magazine communicate?
Thinking Point : what is the strapline* for Film Stories and what does this communicate?
*A strapline is not the headline often found on the front cover of a magazine. Nor is it the masthead — the title of the magazine. Instead, it’s a short phrase some magazines (not all) use to encapsulate their ethos, their readership, and their reason for being.
Film Stories began in June 2018 as a podcast and website, founded by Simon Brew. He was the founder of entertainment website Den of Geek and launched the magazine after raising more than £113,500 through crowdfunding and private investing
Since then, it’s expanded to include a monthly film magazine (Film Stories, launched November 2018), live reader events, and most recently, Film Stories Junior magazine (launched July 2019).
The producers of Film Stories explain that its aim "is to celebrate the movies, just zeroing in on the smaller rooms in the multiplex and the bigger screens at independents."
According to its producers, each issue of the magazine features:
- At least 100 pages of news, reviews, features, interviews and mayhem
- Writers you’ve not met before, with opportunity for new talent at the heart of the magazine
- A mix of films you’ve heard of, and films you haven’t! All of which we want to hoist on our shoulders
- Regular columns on filmmaking, screenwriting and mental health
Thinking Point: what messages does the title of the magazine communicate?
The magazine costs £5.99 and is available from some newsagents as well as via the Film Stories website.
Thinking Point: what does the price point of this magazine communicate?
Film Stories Front Cover Analysis
You will find images of 2 front covers for Film Stories; these are for the November 2022 and March 2023 editions.
For each cover, make notes in relation to the following questions. (You do not need to post anything to your blog at this point.)
November 2022
- Who is the feature of the main coverline and what can you find out about this person and the film that is linked to them in the coverline?
- Which other people are named on the front cover and who are they?
- Apart from names of people/specific films, what other topics related to film are featured on the front cover?
- What comments are you able to make about the masthead?
- What comments can you make about the use of images?
- What comments can you make about typography on the front cover?
- What comments can you make about the composition and layout on the front cover?
- Who is the feature of the main coverline and what can you find out about this person and the film that is linked to them in the coverline?
- Which other people are named on the front cover and who are they?
- Apart from names of people/specific films, what other topics related to film are featured on the front cover?
- What comments are you able to make about the masthead?
- What comments can you make about the use of images?
- What comments can you make about typography on the front cover?
- What comments can you make about the composition and layout on the front cover?
