Ancillary text analysis

1. Main image of characters in the documentary. This picture is
bright and colourful which, in turn, draws your attention to it.
Furthermore, as this is a reality documentary, the image gives
hints to the personality of the characters. For example, the
woman on the left is in a very dramatised pose; suggesting that
she will be the ‘diva’ of the group. In addition, the couple on the
far right have their arms around each other; suggesting that
they may be a couple and, in turn, may experience relationship
issues during the show.
The article features a large
title, “Keeping it real”, over
the top of the image. It’s size
and white colouring make it
stand out against the image.
In addition, the emphasis of
the word “real” immediately
connotes that this is a reality
television series
The subheading is situated just underneath the title and, once
again is white to stand out against the image behind it. In
addition it’s also written in italics so the it can be differentiated
from the main article. It tells us a little bit about the article’s
subject matter (in this case a reality television show) and, in
turn, acts as a brief introduction to the main portion of text.
The initial used at the start of the
first paragraph is used, not only for
stylistic purposes, but to help the
reader distinguish where the
article begins.
The main body of text is set against
a plain white background in order
to help the article standout and, in
turn, look a little more interesting
than it otherwise would. In
addition, the article is formatted
into columns to make it easier to
read.

2. A pure black
background is
used here to
make the image
and text standout
The title of the article is white in colour white works
particularly well against the black background of the page. The
word “headlong” makes reference to the skeleton bob (the
main sport that the athlete partakes in) and this is emphasised
by the used of a bolder font on the word. When coupled with
the picture, it immediately connotes what the article is about
The small text in the top left of
the page provides information
as to when the Winter
Olympics will appear on
television. It’s written in
smaller text so not to be too
intrusive but is instead set
against a red background (as to
not go unnoticed).
The sub-heading is a continuation of the
title (with the main title being the
beginning sentence). This helps the article
to flow and fit well together (as not every
bit feels integrated with the other and not
just a collection of separate sentences.
The use of “we” in the sentence makes
the reader feel like they are being
addressed and, as a result, are more likely
to continue reading
The use of the initial
makes sure that the
reader knows exactly
where the main body of
the article starts.
The article is laid
out in columns to
make the article
easier to read. Just
like the rest of the
text, the font is
white. This not only
helps with
consistency but,
again, allows the
writing to stand
out against the
black background
The use of the quote has many benefits. Firstly, it
helps to break up the large wall of text and, in turn,
makes the reader more inclined to continue through
the article (as they aren’t ‘put off’ by the large volume
of writing). Secondly, the quote is designed to be
inspirational. This makes the athlete out to be a
positive role model and somebody worth ‘routing for’.
The annotations surrounding the picture, are
situated in white text boxes and are written
in black font. This is in contrast to the rest of
text which gives the indication that this is
additional content on top of the standard
article (which makes consumers feel like they
have a little more value for money over more
standard articles in other magazines). In
addition, these annotation also bring the
attention of readers perhaps more interested
in the science of the sport than the sport
itself; this helps to increase the article’s target
market.

3. The main image is large, bright and colourful as to make it standout.
Furthermore, David Tennant’s appearance in the photo provides an indication as
to what will be discussed in the article. For example, his untidy look connotes
the psychopath character that he portrays. In addition, he has a judgemental
expression which could connote that his character suffers from intense jealousy.
It is these sorts of inferences that come into the head of the reader before they
have even read the article where, in turn, makes them want to read on to see if
these inferences are justified.
The white font against the red banner makes the writing
stand out compared the black text of the article (showing
its separate from it). Furthermore, the use of the word
“exclusive” shows that this is the only place you can read
this interview. This will often result in more readers of the
magazine because they feel that they are getting more
value for money compared to other magazines (due to
them by definition having ‘less content’)
The use of the initial
makes sure that the
reader knows exactly
where the main body
of the article starts.
The article is laid out
in columns to make
the article easier to
read. Just like the
rest of the text, the
font is black. This
not only helps with
consistency but,
again, allows the
writing to stand out
against the white
background
The heading is
written in black which
allows it to stand out
from the white
background it is set
against. Furthermore,
the word “doctor” it
much larger than the
rest of the title, as
well as being in Bold.
This alludes to the
fact that David
Tennant had recently
been cast as Doctor
Who.
The use of the quote
not only helps to
break up the text,
but it also provides
some insight into the
mind of the actor.

4. The title of the
article is black in
order to make it
stand out against
the white
background.
However, the use
of the word “Eck”
clearly references
the dialect of the
Scottish people,
putting a
humorous spin on
the topic. In
addition, this
snippet of text is
slightly lopsided
and a different
colour to the rest
of the heading.
This helps to
further the
comedic nature of
the title.
There are a plethora of different sub-headings littered
about the page. Firstly, there are many integrated into
the main article. These are identifiable by their Bold font.
These are useful because they help to break p the long
walls of text and, in turn, make the article less daunting
to the eye. There are also two subheading for each of the
sections on the left and right (again used to divide up the
information).
The article is laid out in
columns to make the article
easier to read. Just like the
rest of the text, the font is
black. This not only helps
with consistency but, again,
allows the writing to stand
out against the white
background
The collection of images with an identical caption help
to reiterate the point the Alex Salmond is unsure about
what to do. This is further emphasised by his confused
expression in each image along with the identical
captions (indicating he has no alternative to the current
system). This collection of images is also used to avoid
using too much text (as to not put off readers).
The article has been broken down into three main
sections. There is the main article in the middle, the
editors analysis of the situation on the left, and a
collection of commonly asked questions on the right.
This helps to make the article more manageable to read
(as readers aren’t put off by a sheer volume of text and,
can instead, read it one part at a time).

5. The small banner in the top left hand corner of the
article indicates that this is a preview for a film. This is
something that is useful to readers as it allows them to
distinguish a preview from a review without even
touching the article (which helps audiences easily find
what films/content they want to read). The banner is
black in order to stand out against the white
background and features a different font to the main
article.
The heading of the article is
identical to the movie’s title
(in this case “Sucker
Punch”). This is very useful
because it makes it very
clear to the reader what the
article is about. This again
helps audiences find the
content they want to read
easily.
The use of the initial
makes sure that the
reader knows exactly
where the main body
of the article starts.
The larger image takes up around
half of the double page spread
and, therefore, it the main thing
that your eyes are drawn to. This
picture supports the description of
the film (as it features “lots of
guns”).
The subheading is used in
this case to provide a
greater explanation on
what the article is about
(revealing that the article
consists of a director’s
interview) as well as
providing a indication as
to what to expect from

6. The collection of images
dominate the page.
These images provide a
detailed visual look into
how the programme is
filmed; which is
something that is often
difficult to convey in
words. Furthermore, the
cast is seen smiling in all
of the photos. This helps
to show that the cast
work well together (thus
giving the sense that you
can expect them to work
well on camera) and, in
addition, it conveys the
show as child friendly.
The image of
Matt Smith
next to the
title “New
Who” makes
him easily
identifiable as
the new doctor
without this
immediately
spoon feed to
the reader
The use of the initial
makes sure that the
reader knows exactly
where the main body
of the article starts.
The largest image in the article used to display the Tardis. This is
because; the Tardis is a globally recognised part of the Doctor
Who brand and, in turn, works just as sufficiently to convey that
this article is about Doctor Who. It also provides fan service to
people who have followed the series from the beginning and, in
turn, such exclusive photos attracts more readers to the
magazine.The title of the article
is in a white font.
Unlike other articles,
the font blends into
the sandy desert
setting and this,
coupled with a non-
bold font shows that
Matt Smith perfectly
fits the role.
Furthermore, the
alliteration used in
the title makes it
catchy and
memorable.
There are, once again, multiple different
subheadings. The main subheading (below
the title) provide some more information to
the cast of the new series and their roles.
Furthermore, some sections of the article
are broken down into paragraphs. These
are indicated by red subheadings (so to
keep things organised).

7. Conclusions:
The clear take away from this ancillary text analysis is that there
are many conventions in this form of media.
• There is almost always, an image that dominates the page. It works
to display what the programme film is about.
• A large title. It is often a different colour to the background (in
order to stand out) and frequently features a pun or play on words
to make it memorable
• A sub-heading. This usually provide greater information on what
the article/programme is about. It needs to be short and to the
point as to sell a reader on the programme topic
• The text is laid out in columns. This helps make it easier to read
• The beginning sentence of the first paragraph should feature and
initial to allow the reader to find the beginning of the article.