Feature Article Research

Feature Article Research - 10 what and why questions

1)      Why have you brought out certain points from the article?

Bringing out quotes in a bigger font and brighter background makes them look more intriguing and you want to read more of the article to find out how it got to that point, who did it etc… and because they have put it the centre of the article you don’t know where it was drawn from.

2)      Why have you highlighted certain points?

Throughout the text you can see certain point’s highlighted. This is the section where the interviewer has asked (in this case) Camilla questions. In order for it to stand out and not look like something she has said in her sentences/answers, the publisher has highlighted them in a bright colour so you know where the separation is.

3)      Why have you used before and after shots?

Like the other article there has been a drastic change for this woman. She underwent hard core dental surgery and came out the other side another woman. The article only tells us the mental side of things – we can only imagine what she must look like now, but with pictures not only does it make it more interesting but it also enables us to put a face to the story and enjoy it more.

4)      Why have you got a picture of her teeth by itself as apposed to being with the rest of the pictures?

Dental surgery is the only surgery she had done, there was no need to show the spray tan, shopping trip and hair cut she had to finalise her look in the final picture. The whole article is based upon her teeth and that is what the reader wants to read about. In the ‘before’ picture you can only see a small margin of her teeth but in the below picture you can see her teeth in all their ‘glory.

5)      Why have you used rhythmic words to title the transformation?

Plastic surgery always seems like a scary idea to anyone who’s considering undergoing it, so that is a reasonable title for the first article. But the second one is entitled ‘plastic fantastic’ is it implying that because it worked out so well for her, SHE is fantastic? Or is it putting across a subliminal message – plastic IS fantastic? After all they are willing to pay £500 at the bottom of the page for anyone with a good story.

6)      Why have you put the price and of the surgery on the article?

By putting the price that Camilla paid to undergo surgery it makes the story seem more realistic. It is there to make a point; anyone that wants decent looking plastic surgery has to pay a price – no matter how big.

7)      Why have you placed the images in the places you did?

The pictures at the top of the page are well placed and look effective in their places, they are slightly over lapping and are outlined with a white border to stand out against the bright pink background, they immediately look eye-catching and you want to read on.

Feature Article Research

      Feature Article Page

1)      Why have you used before and after effect for this article?

To show the drastic change between the two images, a before and after is very effective. It shows a lot of women how losing a few stone can make a huge difference. It inspires a lot of women because not only read about how and why the woman changed her life but they can see it too.

2)      Why have you used an un-original image to prove a point?

In this true story a big aspect is why she lost weight. In the article it explains that an air hostess put her down and said she was so fat she almost grounded the plane. This event turned her life around and made this story true; because it happened on the plane it’s appropriate to have an image of one. However, it’s not that easy to get a good shot of a plane in flight so an un-original image (slightly edited) is very effective for this piece.

3)      Why have you interviewed all three women but only shown ones story?

Although all the women in this article have gone through a rare event to lose the weight they have, this particular women lost 18st which was by far the largest amount of weight lost, so it only made sense to show the most dramatic story.

4)      What made the layout so effective?

The layout is effective because it’s easy to read. The sections of writing are placed evenly around the pictures and a slim article is against a full body picture on the right hand side. It doesn’t look too intimidating and they titles and quotations make it look intriguing.

5)      Why on a double page spread have you used one page for images?

By separating the text by having one page primarily for a main full body image it makes the overall appearance of the feature page nicer and it looks less intimidating and friendly. Also it makes the ‘before and after’ picture effect more apparent as you can clearly tell what she was like then, and how she is now.

6)      Why have you overlapped the two images?

The two pictures are overlapped with the transparent arrow to show that they are actually the same people and it’s not two people edited to look the same. By overlapping the pictures it makes it look more cluttered but less structured which gives it a friendlier vibe.

7)      Why have you used the title ‘Shamed into slimming’ rather than a simpler title?

The title is one of the catchiest slogans on the whole page and the two contrasting colours along with the wording make it really eye-catching. You immediately want to read this article due to the fact the colours and wording make the whole page look more interesting.

8)      Why have you got the category of the article in the corner?

This story although it has a happy outcome and back story is based upon an air hostess bullying one of the passengers into realising how overweight they really were and lose 18st. But by simply putting ‘diet success’ in a small font behind the title it gives the page an immediate happy feeling as you realise how far this woman has come not only mentally but physically too.

Contents Page Summary

Contents page summary

I have learnt that contents pages are like the starting point and map of a magazine.

Excluding the front cover they are the first page that the reader sees so it has to link in with the front cover so it flows and doesn’t feel unstructured.

In order to make it a good contents page it shouldn’t be over crowded and the headlines of the articles or the categories they go under need to stand out so they draw in the reader’s attention. Although it is good to have colour on your page and different fonts it can look too cluttered keep it subtle and to a minimum. However, this is also compliant with the genre of your magazine and the kind of audience that reads it, if it was a teenage magazine you would expect something more along the lines of Teen Vogue:

(September Issue 2011; Teen Vogue)








 But if the magazine you are selling is a “hard” music magazine then a layout which is quite dark with flashes of bright colours well make more of an impact, stand out more and suit your target audience.

I’m going to use the information I’ve learned to help me construct the most suitable contents page for my magazine. I’m going to have a plain background like Vogue so that I have a broader range of colours to use for my pictures, ads and fonts.

Contents Research

 

10 what and why questions on contents page

1)      Is there a specific theme to this issue?

Taylor Swift is best known for her song ‘Love Story’. By placing hearts all around her and the categories it links into the background of the image (chalk board) and the book in her hand (denoting the idea of LOVE STORY)

2)      Why have you used the slogan “ Get to know the ‘real’ Taylor Swift”?

Taylor Swift is a teen pop singing “sensation” but has been shown in different lights, from being “easy” to being a teachers pet. This issue is set out to close rumours over the singer and let people meet the ‘real’ her.

3)      Why have you used a photo of Taylor Swift in a classroom?

The picture of Taylor Swift leaves much to the imagination. The books and objects placed around her makes you wonder if she’s intelligent. The background (chalkboard) has lyrics written on, telling you her interests. The way she is sitting is friendly and the angle on her foot shows her tattoo of a love heart, the same looking love heart placed around the contents page.

4)      Why haven’t you put the headlines under catergories?

      This is a teen magazine which means it has a more laid back appearance and has a younger appearance. As soon as you place the articles under headlines you’ve given it a more structured and mature layout which can look a bit out of place in a young person’s magazine.

5)      Why have you used the image of hearts all over the page?

The looks placed over the page numbers relate to the tattoo in her left foot. It is a rough heart in a hand drawn shape, similar to those teenage girls draw over their hands in school. It just gives the page a ‘sweeter’ feel.

6)      What makes the stories relate to the genre of the magazine?

      The genre of the magazine is Teen Gossip, the story titles relate to the genre by making them catchy such as ‘Behind the Scenes’. You immediately want to know what happened behind the scenes and why it’s so interesting.

7)      Why have you only got ONE image?

This issue is primarily based on Taylor Swift – she is their main story so she is their main image. They are selling her image so in response she is theirs.

8)      Why have you chosen a white background?

They have chosen a white background so that they didn’t have to choose fonts to over powering and it can look more sophisticated. It makes it look nicer to the eye rather than a clash of colour.

9)      Why isn’t the web address shown?

Teen Vogue is a well known teenage magazine so they don’t need to broadcast their magazine name all over the page, they rely on word of mouth to tell people about the publication and then people search it themselves.

10   Why is the contents page on ONE page?

These are their main stories, in order to not over power the page they have limited the amount of programmes shown so, they only NEED one page.