Analysing Feature Article- Matt O'Rourke

This is a feature article from a blog, which could mean that it is an AS college student’s magazine coursework. However it still has all of the major structures of a typical music magazine feature article. It is on a double spread, which is usual for a main story in a music magazine. Being on a double spread allows a larger story, or in this case question and answer session. It also allows there to be a large picture of the star being interviewed, while leave enough white space for the double spread to not look too cluttered.

The feature article has a large, sharp-font title, which automatically draws the attention of the audience to the name, and to see if they know who they are. The sharp font gives a quirky, ‘cool’, feel, so we already know what kind of person Matt O’Rourke is. Also, having a white drop shadow allows the title to stand out from the page, and almost look 3D. The blue lightning strike behind his name also helps the title to stand out.

The next thing that the audience should notice is the picture of Matt O’Rourke with his guitar. This tells the audience what will feature in this double page spread, and gives them the decision of staying on the page and reading, or skipping the interview and going to the next page. The audience may see the pull quote next, which is on top of the photo. The pull quotes are on the page to intrigue the audience into reading the article, and make them think about why the person interviewed said that. In this case “It was all a good experience and a hell of a lot of fun” makes the audience wonder what it is that Matt O’Rourke is talking about when he says this. This may make the audience go on and read the whole interview, making the pull quote a very important part of the feature article.

The pictures along the top of the double page spread inform the audience further of what to expect in this interview. They are close and personal photos of the star which could make the audience believe that he is more of a normal person, and that they can relate themselves to him more. There are a few pictures of him, and a few of his recording studio. This also tells the audience what he does in his spare time.

Finally, the audience would probably read the interview itself. The article has a rough set of gutters, which separates different columns from each other, making it easier for the audience to distinguish where one line stops and the next begins. This is typical of any kind of feature article, and is needed to make the page look neater and clearer.

The typography of the text within the interview is also very important, as the makers of the magazine need to ensure that it grabs the attention of the audience, while being easy to read. The size chosen for the font is good, as it is not too big that you don’t get much information on the page, but not too small that the audience has to squint to read it. The small piece of text before the actual interview begins gives the audience a small back story of Matt O’Rourke, and because is not part of the interview, is black with no drop shadow. However, when the interview starts, the text becomes white with a black drop shadow, except the titles, which are the opposite. The text is bolder so it stands out more that the small introduction.