Technical Codes, Written Codes and Layout in Film Magazines

The technical codes of a film magazine are important in identifying the magazine as film based, and include: 

• Section Title
• Strap Lines
• Headline
• Introduction
• Pictures
• Subheadings
• Breakout Paragraphs
• Columns
• Graphics and Logos 
• Font and Typography
• Call to Action
• Breakout boxes
• Issue Info
• Byline

Variations in layout: 

Arrangements of columns: A page is often broken up into columns. The main text will be contained within single columns, where as introduction sentences or 'extra' information may spread across two or more columns. The number of columns on a page will often vary according to the size of a magazine and the audience the magazine targets (i.e. more columns, containing less text for a magazine targeting non-serious film watchers, and less columns containing more information for magazines targeting serious film watchers). 

Headline Style: This is technically part of typography. Despite this, choices made about headlines can affect the way an article is read. Headlines that are printed in bold with large lettering add urgency to a particular sentence. This urgency is reduced by lower writing cases, with only the first letter of each word capitalised. Some publications use strap lines- a smaller headline that adds detail- either above or below the headline (more often below). 

Fonts and Typography: A font is the style of character selected to create the words. Different fonts give different magazines their character, and make them identifiable from one another. Fonts can also establish whether a magazine is serious, or fun. Typography refers to size, spacing, line length of text on a page. An article in a publication will normally use more than one font and typography, but these will follow a formula set out by the house style.

Subheadings: A way of braking up a long article to make it more readable and attractive to a potential reader.

Use of Graphics and Photographs: Graphics included above or below a headline can signal regular sections in the publication and add to the design possibilities. They can also be used to break the page up visually, or highlight certain areas of text. The amount, type and layout of graphics and photographs can determine the way an article is perceived and read.

The written codes in a magazine article are communicated through the language used. The key area is the publications mode of address, i.e. the way they talk/communicate with their target audience. It could be humorous, chatty, serious or professional. The types of words used determine the style and complexity of an article and film magazine as a whole.