Ancillary Task (magazine article) - Research and Ideas

For my second ancillary task I chose to create a magazine article about my film. I had to do research about what existing magazine article were like. I used 2 main sources; Total Film and Empire, popular film publications.

I looked at several different editions of both magazine, to get comprhensive look at the codes and conventions of film magazine articles. From observing the articles in these magazines I have discovered some common ingredients in designing an article. Things that were present in most, if not all, of the articles I looked at include;

• Stills from the film - There is usually at least one still from the film OR
  
• The poster - either promotional or teaser, although occasionally both are used.
• There is often at least two columns of text in magazine articles, as this means that more text is fitted onto the page, saving space and money. It also adds to the aesthetics and breaks up the text into smaller sections so it's easier to read for the audience.
• The headline of the article is generally followed by a smaller caption. The first one will often be a confusing or interesting title, so the caption will often be used to explain it

• Quotes from the text can be picked out and placed in a seperate box, usually using a different font or colour, so that they are more noticable and draw in the attention of the reader.
• There is always a colour scheme throughout the article (In the title, the drop quotes, the formatting and outlines).
• Other forms of media can be advertised, usually at the end of the article. This could be a product (dvd, computer game etc.) or a website.
• Many articles (such as this one from Total Film) include production pictures or the cast or crew. This gives the reader the impression that they are seeing something that other people won't see, and makes the article more appealing.
• Most articles are done of a two page spread, and the first page is often taken up by a large picture of one of the characters (or the actor that the article is about). This grabs attention and provides anchorage about what the article is about.
  

I will try and incorporate as many of these conventions as possible when creating my magazine article to produce an interesting and authentic piece.