Different Types of Feature Stories

A feature story is a factual story that is not hard news but is instead a more personal report about a person, event, or aspect of a major event. They typically appear as articles in newspapers, magazines, and other publications, but they are also frequently featured in other media, such as TV, radio, and podcasts. There are many types of feature stories. For example, they are profile feature, human interest feautre, explanatory feautre, adventure feautre how-to-do-it feature, trend or lifestyle feautre, occupation or hobby feature, seasonal feature, and a historical feature. 

Below you can find examples of these differnet types of feature stories. 

Profile Feature Example 

This profile feature was published in the New York Times on Jan 6, 2023. Its about a young African woman named Eugenia Karbo who became Freetowns (which is the capital of Sierra Leone) frist chief heat officer. This job was created in 2021, and its purpose is to help Freetown deal with rising temperatures and other climate change based problems.

Click here to read this feature

Human Interest Feature 

This human interest feature was published in People Magazine on Jan 23, 2023. Jermey Joslin was an employee at Google until the company's parent company Alphabet Inc. cut more than 10,000 jobs. When Mr. Joslin tweeted about being laid-off, it went viral. His tweet gained 42,000 likes as well as 6 million views. 

Also, Google is not the only company that is currently laying off its workers. Other big tech companis such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta are also laying off workers in the thousands. 


Click here to read this feature

Lifestyle Feature 

This is a lifestyle feature that was published in People Magaizne on Jan 24, 2023. Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Proflowers, which is a flower delivery service, is offering a huge Valentine's Day collection that contains bouquets and chocolate goodies. 

Here are two of the many top deals of bouquet and chocolates offered by Proflowers:

Pink Champagne Rose Bouquet ($55)

Be Mine Belgian Chocolate-Covered Strawberries, ($40-$55)

Also, if you want a discounted price for any Proflower order, just use this code BLOOMS20 from Peoples Magazine. This code will save you 20 percent off your order.

Click here to read this feature

Historical Feature 

This is a historical feature that was published in the New York Times on Jan 24, 2023. In the summer of 2022, FBI agents searched through Mar-a-Largo, which is the resdience of former U.S. president Donald Trump, for classified government documents. Mar-a-Largo is located in Palm Beach, Florida. In January of 2023, classified government documents were found at current President Joe Biden's private home. Donald Trump is getting more scrutiny for keeping those documents compared to President Biden because 

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Explanatory Feature 

This is an explanatory feature that was published in The Post and Courier on Jan 18, 2023. Alex Murdaugh, a South Carolina attorney is accused of murdering his own wife and son. This trial is taking place in Walterboro, SC. Since this city has been trying to make a mark on itself for the lognest time, some of Walterboro's residents believe that this trial, in an ironic way, is actually doing some good for Walterboro. But other residents believe that this trial will be turned into a party rather than a devastating situation since tourist from around the state will want to see the trial. 

Click here to read this feature

How-To-Do-It Feature 

This is a how-to-do-it feature that was published in Better Homes and Garden on Jan 18, 2023. Since Valentines Day is only a few weeks away, this magzine is offering its readers insturctions to make 29 homemade Valentine Cards, as well as templates that you can download. 

Click here to read this feature

Seasonal Feature 

This is a seasonal feature published in the New York Times on Jan 13, 2023. There are many ways that we can remember Martin Luther King, and this feature talks about 6 differnet ways to do this in New York. Here are a few examples: The Brooklyn Academy of Music will have a tribute towards Dr. King on Jan 16. The Apollo Theater will have its 17th annual Dr. King celebration on Jan 15. Also, there will be quilting sessiosn at the Wave Hill Public Garden and Cultural Center in the Bronx, New York, on Jan 14.

Click here to read this feature

This is an occupation feature published in The Post and Courier on Jan 28, 2023. Ever wonder who does those colorful braids in USC basketball star Aliyah Boston? That would be 21-year-old Alana White, a hair stylist who works at Salon Exquisite in Columbia’s Spring Valley Commons. Ironically, when Alana was in in hgihschool she watched Aliyah play in a basketball game. What's even more ironic is what she said to her dad at the game, which was," Dad, I would just love to do her hair." Sounds to me like the universe put this request in motion. 

Click here to read this feature

Adventure Feature 

This is an adventure feature published in Dr. Harwoods Birds Eye Views Blog on July 9, 2018. In this blog post, Dr. Harwood talks about his time on a nature trail in Donnelley Wildlife Management Area in South Carolina's ACE Basin. The trail that he walked on is the Boynton Trail, which is a trail that he has used many times. He also mentions in this blog that he saw a pair of Painted Buntings two weeks before he posted this feautre on his blog. 

Click here to read this feature

My Outlook for 2023

I hope 2023 shows me what career I want to have after I graduate. Since I have a passion for writing in my spare time, I am hoping to get a job that mainly uses this passion. I understand that having information about every aspect of your life isn't always possible, but I hope someday soon that I know what my calling is. I have set two New Year’s Resolutions for 2023. The resolutions that I set for this year include getting to know my classmates better from previous Communication courses. Also, working more on not let little things in life bother me so much because more than half of the time they really aren’t the most stressful things going on. My goals for 2023 include: Keeping my grades up, getting to know my new classmates, and hopefully figure out what I want to do as a career. 

For Christmas last year, my parents and I went to the Trinidad and Tobago, which are two islands in the Caribbean. Since most of my family lives in the Caribbean, we decided to spend Christmas with my mother’s as well as my father’s side of the family. My mother was born in Trinidad, and my father was born in Tobago. While in Tobago, my parents and I decided to visit places on the island that we haven't really explored before on previous vacations, whether it be Christmas or summer. These places include Grange Bay-Tobago, Speyside-Tobago, and Charlotteville-Tobago.  

Days before my family left for the Caribbean, my father came up with the idea that my cousins and I, as well as uncles and aunts in our family could perform a family Christmas concert on Christmas evening. He has always known how musically talented my mother’s side of the family is, whether it be playing musical instruments or singing, so he thought this would be a great way to showcase our musical talents during the Christmas break. My relatives loved the idea and we all decided to come up with Christmas songs we could play, as well as which instrument, we would use. I decided to play “Oh Holy Night” on the steelpan. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this instrument, the steelpan is a percussion instrument made from metal industrial drums, and its Trinidad and Tobago’s national instrument. 

TV Commercial about Juan Fosters "From Darkness to Light" Art Exhibit

The assignment this week is called Commercial/PSA Production Assignment. I did a commercial based on one of my classmates art exhibits being feautred at SC State University. His name is Juan Foster and he is an communications major who has created an art exhbit at the Fine Arts Center at SCSU. This art exhbit is called "From Darkness to Light."

Below you can watch my interview with Juan Foster asking him to explain the idea behind his art exhbit. 

Creative Lighting Blog Post Project

For this assignment, a classmate and I took pictures of each other doing five seperate lighting looks. These looks include: 1. Flat Frontal Lighting 2. 90 Degree/Side/Split Lighting 3. Butterfly/High Frontal Lighting 4. Rembrandt/45 Degree Lighting and 5. “Scary Face” Lighting. 

Flat Frontal Lightning - Even lighting that produces very little depth and contrast.

90 Degree/Side/Split Lighting - Place the light to the side of your subject so that it shines directly at his/her face. The light should be at a 90-degree angle to the direction your camera is facing, whether its right or left. Put the light source slightly behind the subjects head. Move the light or your model until you manage to have exactly half face in the light and half in the shadows.

Butterfly/High Frontal Lighting - The key light is placed above and pointing down on the subject's face. This creates a dramatic shadow under the nose and chin that looks like a butterfly.

Rembrandt/45 Degree Lighting - A main light is placed at a 45 degree downward angle, in relationship to the subject's face, as well as a 45 degree angle to the side of the subject. The shadow created by the nose is cast over the upper lip to the corner of the mouth, also causing a triangular highlight on the opposite cheek. 

“Scary Face” Lighting - Make sure all lights are off, then place a dim light under the subjects face. You should see shadows all around the subjects face, except for the middle part of his or her face.

Below are photos of my classmate Lawson Danley, showing each of these lighting techniques being used.

Flat Frontal Lightning

90 Degree/Side/Split Lighting

Butterfly/High Frontal Lighting

Rembrandt/45 Degree Lighting

“Scary Face” Lighting

Delighting with Three-Point Lighting

In this assignment, my class had to demonstrate the use of several studio lights that build up in a finely lighted Three- Point Lighting image. We used a key light, fill light and back light for our phtographs. A key light, is the mian source of light in a photograph or film. A fill light fills in the shadows created by the key light. Also, the back light is light that is shown from behind the subject, and it creates more depth and shape to the subject.

Below are six pictures of: 1. A wide shot image of the three-point lighting set up with the lights off 2. A close-up photo of your classmate with no lights turned on 3. Photo with key light only 4. Photo with key and fill lights 5. Photo with key, fill and back lights 6. Wide shot photo showing all lights turned on and your subject in the middle among them.

Wide Shot with Lights Off

Key Light Only 

Key and Fill Lights

Key, Fill, and Back Lights Turned On

Wide Shot with Lights On

Reflecting on the Value of Light Reflectors in the Field

In this assignment, my class and I had to do a field exercise where each of us had to demonstrate that we understood how to use light reflectors. We went outside and captured the steps involved in using this tool.

The photos that were included were: A (1) before and (2) after picture of the reporter without the sun deflection and the after showing the improved lighting. There must also be a (3) wide shot from behind the video camera showing the whole set up or choreography of this process. Also get a photo from (4) behind the reflector operator showing the white disc and the reporter’s face, so we see the light shining up to his or her face. Take also a photograph from (5) behind the reporter seeing all of the people involved: reporter, video camera operator and light reflector person. Also take a (6) closeup photo of the reflector doing its thing.

Below, you can see photos of my classmate Amauri Allen

Before Picture

After Picture 

Wide Shot From Behind the Video Camera 

Behind the Reflector Operator 

Behind the Reporter 

Close Up Photo of the Relfectors Effect on the Reporters Face

Here are some photos of me doing the same shots my classmate did

Before Picture 

After Picture 

Wide Shot From Behind the Video Camera

 

Behind the Reflector Operator 

Behind the Reporter 

Close Up Photo of the Relfectors Effect on the Reporters Face

Action Sequence

For my action sequence assignment, at least ten shots were taken of one one of my classamtes entering our Basic Television Production Class. Here is the action sequence that I did featuring my classmate Amauri Allen walking to class.

Click the video below to watch this action sequence.

Click this link to watch the action sequence that Amuari Allen did on me