Magazine Tone Exploration/Investgation

As I draw nearer to composing my film review I need to have a complete understanding of what Approach I am going to take. The magazine as a platform for a review is a variable piece of media that has a whole range of layouts, graphics and tone. Despite my article reviewing a film, I have decided to allow myself to be heavily influenced by modern Geek magazines such as Stuff and T3. These adopt the persona of a quirky, knowledgeable voice and this tone is maintained through the writing and the visuals of the publication. Below I have taken a sample from Stuff  and I have broken down the page into its raw elements. Underneath the pictures I have analysed by tone is created through the use of each element:

Stuff Magazine

1. The colour scheme throughout the article remains constant which gives the entire page a uniformed professional look. Also the choice of red ensures the banner at the top stands out against the white body of the article which draws in the reader to the title of the reader.

2. Despite being on a digital platform the page makes use of the rule of thirds. The reader is instantly drawn in to the picture centred. The fact that a series of three pictures is available for a reader to browse through gives the impression that the magazine promotes interactivity and wants to provide more than a generic image used on every other review site. It could be argued that this gives a sense of individuality.

3. This piece of bold text sets the scene for the film but also introduces the tone. Written in a light-hearted style the article immediately addresses the reader base as folks. This warm welcome ensures that the reader engages fully with the page and suggests a sense of familiarity.#

4. Naturally, as a reader works their way through the article they are going to want to watch the trailer of the film to either familiarise themselves or watch it for the first time. By embedding the video inside the article it keeps the reader on the site; they do not need to search for the trailer externally. Also as it requires less effort on the reader's part it would be seen as a particularly positive element of the article. 

5. Similarly to the last point, the use of pictures is an effective tool for engaging a reader. The fact that further pictures of are used, ensures that thee article itself is broken up. This makes its consumption easier.

6. Lastly a final note is left by the magazine team. Not only does this end the article on a personal note but reinforced the tone yet again. By working a pun into the their conclusive comment, it ends the review of a comic note. This assures that the reader leaves the review content which increases their chances of reading something from the company again.