A look at how papers covered the Oscars on A1
Not surprisingly, many, many papers put the Oscars out on A1 today. Here’s a look at the most notable.
A number of papers led with a three- or four-column photo and then built a package of smaller photos or alternative story form material around that. One of the most attractive A1 packages was from the Huntsville (Ala.) Times, circulation 53,190:
The lead photo is by Mark J. Terrill of the Associated Press — the same guy who shot the lead on at least ten of the 18 pages I’ll show you today. In fact, Terrill also shot three of the four smaller pictures downpage on Huntsville’s front.
It’s interesting how the producers of the telecast managed to arrange for different colored backgrounds for each of the acting category winners. All but supporting actress was photographed during the ceremony itself. I’m pretty sure the picture of Mo’Nique — on the right — was taken afterward.
You see that same effect here, across the top of the Dallas Morning News, circulation 263,810:
I like that package as well, especially the material down the left side. The only thing I question here is Dallas’ choice of Mark Terrill photo. This one — taken just after Hurt Locker won the Oscar for best picture — seems a little awkward.
What’s happening here is the writer — Mark Boal – is pulling the director — Kathryn Bigelow — to the microphone to make a speech. Bigelow had just made her own speech, however, when she received the award for best director.
It struck me as a moment more awkward than photogenic. So I was surprised to see it out front.
The Houston Chronicle — circulation 384,419 — built a nice package with similar ingredients. Its lead photo, however, is a much nicer shot — yes, by Mark Terrill — of Bigelow with her two Oscars:
In particular, the “five best Oscar moments” down the left side is a fun read.
My beef here is the Chronicle’s horizontal spacing is so dad-gummed tight. It creates a cluttered, claustrophobic feel to the page. These guys could really stand to open a big, fresh can of white space.
I was also a little baffled by the choice of lead art today by the Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., circulation 246,006:
This was at the very end of the telecast, after the best picture speeches were over. The co-hosts — Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin — sort of guided Bigelow back up to the front of the stage. Martin even grabbed one of Bigelow’s Oscars and said something like “I’ll just take this…” I noticed she didn’t let go of it.
This might have been — might have been — amusing on TV. But in a still photo, it just plays awkwardly. I mean, look at the expression on Baldwin’s face. The picture is by Kevin Winter of Getty Images.
I’d also argue the tint box containing the four acting awards seems awfully large for the info inside. The designer surely could have found a way to make that fit without overlapping the lead picture.
It also seems like an awfully negative headline.
The Star-Ledger thinks the winners were sure things, but the Orange County Register of Santa Ana, Calif. — circulation 212,293 — says Hurt Locker upstaged Avatar. Your perspective depends on which coast you live on, evidently:
I really like this picture of Bigelow by Register staffer Leonard Ortiz. This was just after Barbara Streisand announced Bigelow had won best director. A few papers ran Streisand + Bigelow photos out front today, but this was the best presentation.
The very best A1 picture of Bigelow, however, was the one on the front of today’s Los Angeles Daily News, circulation 95,938. Somebody at Oscar Central — with a wicked sense of humor — seated Bigelow directly in front of her ex-husband, James Cameron, who had also been nominated for directing Avatar. When Streisand made the announcement, Bigelow apparently cast a glance back over her shoulder…
Oh, that’s just perfect. And what a wonderful headline. This is by far the best front of the day — and mostly because of that wonderful art.
The Los Angeles Times, also, used staff art out on A1 today. Here is Bigelow, just after the telecast ended, walking off the side of the stage:
The picture is by Al Seib. The L.A. Times circulates 657,467 copies daily.
The Times had that age-old problem with putting a horizontal photo into a spot where a vertical might have played a little better. That can make for an awkwardly empty-looking page. Perhaps realizing this, the designer reversed the entire Oscars story out of a black box.
Dangerous to do, unless you deal with readability issues. And it appears the LAT did this — the text seems a little larger than the rest of the body copy.
I’m not quite sure how I feel about this A1 art. This was the production team of the Hurt Locker, celebrating on stage. The writer, below right, was speaking when he decided to bring back the director — Bigelow — for more remarks. You’ll recall the photo on the front of Dallas. This was just a moment before that:
On one hand, it’s yet another photo that would play much better in video than it does in print. On the other hand, it does show the raw joy expressed late last night by the Hurt Locker cast.
The paper is the News-Journal of Daytona Beach, Fla., circulation 99,627. The photo is from the Associated Press.
The Baltimore Sun went in a completely different direction, featuring instead the winner of the supporting actress award. Mostly because Mo’Nique is originally from Baltimore County:
The photo doesn’t quite fit well into the space it’s allotted — note how loose the crop is on the right side. And then there’s that mortice, which seems unnecessary. But at least it doesn’t block any of the foreground.
I’m not quite sure why so many papers seem to be using mortices these days. Or is it just my imagination?
The photo is another Mark Terrill frame. The Sun circulates 186,639 papers daily.
I like the design of today’s Tampa Tribune a little better. And I liked the headline a lot better:
The white space on the sides of the package give it some nice breathing space. My only concern here: I wish Mo’Nique was looking up at the camera or at the audience.
The picture is another by Terrill. Average daily circulation for the Tribune is 152,568.
This was the best A1 picture we’ve seen yet of Mo’Nique:
The photo is from Matt Sayles of the Associated Press. The paper is RedEye, the Chicago Tribune’s free commuter tab.
A number of papers featured best actress winner Sandra Bullock on page one. The best of these was the Boston Herald, circulation 138,260:
I like the interplay here with the paper’s nameplate and the slight cutout of the top of Bullock’s head. The picture is by Terrill.
Bullock’s win was a local story in Memphis, Tenn. The movie in which she starred — the Blind Side — is based on a true story that took place in Memphis:
The package is nice and clean and the headline is appealing. I like this Terrill photo a lot — after all, who doesn’t like Sandra Bullock? — but I have a slight quibble with the cropping. It’s awfully loose on the sides, suggesting we might have punched up our page quite a bit with a tighter crop.
Compare these two above-the-fold samples. On the left is the page as published:
The paper is the Commercial Appeal, circulation 142,164.
The Star Tribune of Minneapolis — circulation 304,543 — also featured the local angle out on A1: Pete Docter, the writer and director of the Pixar film Up.
Yes, it’s yet another Terrill photo. As is this next one, on the front of the Morning Call of Allentown, Pa.:
The reason why I’m showing this one to you is because the local guy is the little photo at right: Roger Ross Williams, creator of the short documentary Music By Prudence. That picture is by Kevin Winter of Getty.
My beef, of course, is that the main head appears to go with the main photo. This isn’t quite a headline/art disconnect. But it’s close.
Average daily circulation for the Morning Call is 100,617.
A couple of papers dispensed with the lead art of Oscar-hoisting winners and focused instead on memorable moments during the telecast. I laughed out loud with delight when I saw the choice made today by the Record of Hackensack, N.J.:
This was during the opening monologue duologue in which Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin poked fun of several in the audience. They had to pull out their 3D glasses before they could confirm they were, in fact, looking at James Cameron.
Interestingly, the lead story was about the local cable company which didn’t have access to the broadcast until several minutes into the show. I wonder of folks in Hackensack even saw this humorous bit.
The photo is from the AP. The Record circulates 152,848 copies daily.
My own favorite moment of the show was when Ben Stiller, dressed as a character from Avatar, taunted Cameron — an easy target, given his box-office receipts this year. The News-Press of St. Joseph, Mo. — circulation 33,546 — ran a large photo of this above its nameplate today:
Wonderful stuff. Yes, that’s yet another Terrill photo.
And a large number of papers ran fat promos of the Oscars on page one. Or, in some cases, large skyboxes. The best of these I saw anywhere was on the front of the Observer of Fayetteville, N.C.:
Nice and clean and perfectly assembled. Average daily circulation for the Observer is 59,558.
While you’re in an Oscar frame of mine, hop on over to the U.K. Guardian’s web site to see word clouds of the major award acceptance speeches. Here is the one for Bigelow:
Thanks to Allisence Chang for tweeting this one.
March 9th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
… When Streisand made the announcement, Bigelow apparently cast a glance back over her shoulder…
This photograph is NOT from when she won by the way. It is from earlier in the broadcast and she is looking back to see another winner coming forward, not looking at Cameron. I think that changes the value of the photo considerably since what you “saw” in the photo Charles isn’t what actually happened at all.
March 9th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
As a matter of fact, the cutline for that photo say nothing at all about that moment.
It certainly is not when she won the Director award and it’s a little dishonest to run that as the main shot when everybody assumes it was (and they don’t actually write a good enough cutline to tell you when it was).
March 9th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Gotta say that if what Michael offered up is true, then this is virtually a photo illustration as the reader has enough information available about the alleged situation (knowing the competitive and personal backgrounds of the two) to make the leap without editorial assistance.
At some publications, this presentation would merit a clari. At others, it simply wouldn’t happen.
March 9th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Good points, all. It appears I may have been suckered. I should have suspected something was amiss when the cutline wasn’t as specific as it might have been.