Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek really is a fascinating piece of journalism, if not an accomplishment in immersion. I read the whole thing, though to be fair I was more just going over it after I got to "A Plan in Motion." I did skip around a good amount at first just to get a scope of the structure, as well as I scrolled to the bottom immediately. However, I feel I couldn't give it a truly fair assessment without reading it.
The formats used are not flashy and actually make the story better. The header with the small amount of snow blowing immediately sets the mood for the article. You can almost hear the low howl of the sprinkles as they went with the breeze. The pictures used were only used to make a less clear aspect visual. Using a video interview in a written piece is interesting but it only furthers the story. The graphic of the mountains, I think, is fantastic. It helps clearly visualize exactly what happened, and helps show the scope and size of the mountains. It immerses you in the story better than a description probably could, no matter how good the writing is. They may not be necessary, but they help convey the story better.
Using a typical format makes the story much less interesting. I probably would not read it, partially because why should I care about this avalanche, but partially because it's covered in advertisements and pop ups. It's unattractive, and somewhat invasive, for a descriptive story. It ruins the immersion that this story sets out to accomplish. I would not get past the first paragraph in a standard format.
Personally, the only thing I would have done differently is make it shorter. It gets to a point where it's like, "Alright get to the conclusion." That being said, it is an accomplishment in itself to cover a story like this so in depth and so fully. To take the story, and format it with modern graphics, methods, and ideas, makes it a special piece that other writers should strive to match. It's very clear Branch is a talented writer, and the idea makes a story that I would not otherwise read, a story that I am fascinated by.
The formats used are not flashy and actually make the story better. The header with the small amount of snow blowing immediately sets the mood for the article. You can almost hear the low howl of the sprinkles as they went with the breeze. The pictures used were only used to make a less clear aspect visual. Using a video interview in a written piece is interesting but it only furthers the story. The graphic of the mountains, I think, is fantastic. It helps clearly visualize exactly what happened, and helps show the scope and size of the mountains. It immerses you in the story better than a description probably could, no matter how good the writing is. They may not be necessary, but they help convey the story better.
Using a typical format makes the story much less interesting. I probably would not read it, partially because why should I care about this avalanche, but partially because it's covered in advertisements and pop ups. It's unattractive, and somewhat invasive, for a descriptive story. It ruins the immersion that this story sets out to accomplish. I would not get past the first paragraph in a standard format.
Personally, the only thing I would have done differently is make it shorter. It gets to a point where it's like, "Alright get to the conclusion." That being said, it is an accomplishment in itself to cover a story like this so in depth and so fully. To take the story, and format it with modern graphics, methods, and ideas, makes it a special piece that other writers should strive to match. It's very clear Branch is a talented writer, and the idea makes a story that I would not otherwise read, a story that I am fascinated by.