Audience Feedback Summary

Overall the feedback we received on our video was positive and many of the groups agreed with the decisions we decided to include. Looking through the feedback the majority of the comments refer to our music choice with one group saying “The non-diegetic sound was a good choice”, as a group we decided to end our music abruptly as the main character falls to the ground to highlight a disruption this early into the film. We felt that our song choice was effective for our chosen genre of teen romantic comedy as it creates an upbeat atmosphere, one group have picked up on this point stating: “music clear and matches the opening”

A negative comment that we received regarding the music and noise was that the “background noises change; disrupts the continuity”, I agree with this point as we tried to film in the corridors when they were silent however our filming had to be postponed due to people cleaning afterschool therefore creating some background noise. If I was given the chance to do this task again it would have been better if we decided to film in a corridor that isn’t in much use afterschool which may have gotten rid of some of the background noise.

As a group we wanted the different stereotypical groups to be clearly identifiable to our audience in the opening, this was something that we felt would be important to include as we found from our research that the conventional stereotypical characters are what help move the narrative along and are what the audience are drawn too/relate too. One group thought our costume, props and iconography were “excellent throughout the opening; such as the lip gloss for the popular girl and the big glasses for the geeky girl”.

An improvement that we could have made regarding the costume was “the only thing that our group would change would be the colours and the clothes of the popular girl. The fact she is blonde helps but it would of been more stereotypical if she was wearing pinks and bright colours”. This was something we were deciding to do so the ‘bitch’ stereotype would be more identifiable with a pink skirt, high heels and black top however when we began filming this outfit wasn’t possible so we had to use a black skirt instead of pink therefore taking away some of the stereotype. If we were to do this task again it would be best if we were to use the costume that we had originally planned.

Some positive feedback on the topic of our camera shots and movements were that we used “a range of accurate camera shots and camera movements” and that they have “helped to portray the genre, such as a tilt up the jock character”. The tilt was what we felt hard to accomplish on our first try however the use of a tri-pod aided us greatly in producing steady, smooth shots in our opening. By doing this it has helped us to create verisimilitude and continuity throughout. Another group said that our “close ups of characters getting ready introduces the characters well” which is something that as a group we felt is important as it allowed us to identify the stereotypes to the audience clearly, such as the glasses on the ‘geek’. It also allowed us to clearly show the main character of Nina as she is the first face you see.

The comments about our use of titles were positive with one group saying: “We like the titles used and the way the title of the film stands out from the rest and it is also looks like an already made teen romance”. The idea of making the title of the film stand out from the rest of the titles was something we thought, as a group, was essential so the audience clearly identify the name of the film.  On the other hand a negative comment about our titles was: “the actors names are on screen for different lengths of times”, this is something that we noticed whilst editing our opening however I don’t feel that it is a massive problem that distracts the audience from the opening as we decided to place them in the bottom centre of the frame. We were going to correct this however we found it was a hard problem to overcome since the clips are of different lengths of time.

Geek Chic Evaluation Script

Use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products:

As a group we focused on using and developing the forms and conventions of our chosen genre, teen romantic comedy.

 

From our research we discovered that the two main stock settings of a teen romantic comedy were a high school (10 Things I Hate About You CLIP) along with the main character’s houses or bedrooms. As a result of this, the main setting we used was a high school, as school is a significant part of teenage life. We also decided to use the bedrooms of the four main characters – the Geek, the Jock, the Bitch and the Loner – as this helped us portray to the audience the stereotypes associated with youth, such as the Geek putting on glasses. (CLIP)

 

Throughout our research we discovered that the stock characters seen in a teen romantic comedy are a Geek, Jock, Bitch, Rebel, Rich Girl and Cheerleader. As this was apparent we asked in our questionnaire: ‘Tick the characters which you would expect to see in a teen romantic comedy’. (CHART) The results showed that Geek, Jock and Bitch were the most common responses; therefore we decided to include these character stereotypes in our opening. Although the Cheerleader and Rich Girl had a higher percentage in comparison to the Rebel, we felt that they were more of an American stereotype; consequently we decided not to include these stereotypes in our opening. As a group we decided to include a Loner stereotypical character instead of a Rebel, as we felt this was more of a British stereotype seen in teen romantic comedies.

 

We found from our research that linear narratives are stereotypical to teen romantic comedies, with a clear beginning, middle and end. We have included this style of narrative in our opening. From our research, we also discovered that the majority of teen romantic comedies follow Todorov’s theory and features many frequent disruptions, examples of this are Mean Girls and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. A film from our research that didn’t follow this theory is Easy A, however, we chose to follow the theory in our synopsis. (SYNOPSIS)

 

Our research showed that the iconographies of a teen romantic comedy are a high school, uniform, expensive cars and big houses. We felt that expensive cars and big houses are more dominantly used in American teen romantic comedies. As a result of this we decided to focus more on the use of a high school, as this focuses on the idea that education is a large part of teen life.

 

The research of our chosen genre showed that modern fonts, such as block and handwritten styles, are frequently used throughout the openings. Bright colours such as orange, blue, green and pink are also consistently used in the titles of the films. As a group, we chose the name Geek Chic for our opening, as this portrayed the two contrasting stereotypes of Geek and Bitch. Due to this decision we decided to use contrasting colours of pink and black to distinguish the main stereotypes used in our opening. However, we chose to use white for the actor’s first name and pink for the actor’s last name, as this allowed the text to be seen clearly on screen. (PICTURE OF ANNA/GEEK CHIC) In our questionnaire we asked a variety of questions regarding the use of titles and where the audience expected to see them on screen. (PICTURE) Although the majority of the people asked expected to see the titles in the centre of the screen, we chose to only have the title of the film here as we felt that we needed to make this the main focus point.  We decided to place the actor’s names at the bottom centre of the screen as we felt that this didn’t distract the viewers from the action. Even though we changed the positioning of the titles here, we felt that it was more effective, yet highlighted that these titles are less significant than the main title.

 

The main themes we identified from our research were relationships, family and fitting in at school. We have included the theme of relationships, which is shown through the identification of the Jock and Bitch’s romantic relationship. We felt this was an important theme to include in our opening, as this is a stereotypical type of relationship associated with youth. As a group we decided that family wasn’t as an important theme as relationships and fitting in at school, so we didn’t include this theme in our opening. Our main character, Nina, is new at school, which immediately highlights that a major theme in our opening is fitting in and our use of stereotypes aids this.

Representing Particular Social Groups:

The social group that we focused on was youth. We showed this particular social group through the use of mise en scene. As we have already acknowledged, the stock setting we have used in our opening is a high school, as this is a major part of teenage life.

 

Through our use of costume we were able to portray the stereotypes associated with teen romantic comedies to the audience. For example, the Geek wore jeans and a plain top, showing that she didn’t stand out from the crowd. She also wore glasses, which is continually used to show a Geek stereotype. Another example of the use of costume in our work was to portray the stereotype of a Jock. We chose to use a varsity jacket to represent the athletic trait associated with the Jock stereotype. (CLIP OF JOCK) We also decided to show the Jock putting on a t-shirt, showing his body. This reinforced the stereotype that Jock’s have muscular bodies.

 

As a group we came to the conclusion that the Geek should have closed body language – such as not making eye-contact when talking to people and should fidget with her books – showing that she was insecure and not used to being noticed. In contrast, the Bitch had sharp movements, often standing with her hand on her hip, showing that she was confident and impatient.

Media Institution and Why:

The media institution that we have chosen to distribute our media product is Paramount Pictures. We have chosen this institution because they are considered one of the top-grossing movie studios. Another factor that affected our decision was that Paramount Pictures are a suitable company due to producing many successful films of our genre. Some examples of successful teen romantic comedies that have been distributed by the company are Clueless (1995), Pretty in Pink (1986), Mean Girls (2004) and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008). All of these films are well known and since the institution has a good reputation within the industry, our media product will have a good chance of having success. By choosing Paramount Pictures, it means that the majority of the money will go to one company, meaning that they will gain more profit, allowing us to do the same, as they are a vertically integrated organisation.

Audience:

Our target audience is females between the ages of 12-16, fitting in with the average certificate for a teen romantic comedy, 12A. (QUESTIONNAIRE) In our questionnaire we asked the audience: ‘In the opening of a teen romantic comedy, would you expect music?’ (IMAGE OF QUESTION) The results showed that each person expected music in the opening of a teen romantic comedy, therefore this helped in our choices of how to create an enigma in an opening, as from our research we discovered that music is often used to do this.

 

The results of our questionnaire also revealed that an almost equal number of people expected a voiceover in the opening of a teen romantic comedy, compared to those who didn’t. Even though voiceovers are often used in teen romantic comedies, we chose to challenge this convention, as we felt that this would take away from the enigma created by the music.

 

To allow our opening to captivate our audience’s interest, we decided against showing the faces of the characters as they are first introduced on screen. This created an intriguing atmosphere for our audience, as they can only relate to the characters through their stereotypical props and costume. The first face that the audience see on screen is Nina, identifying her to the audience as the main character. (CLIP)

Technologies:

We used the internet in order to do numerous things - such as researching about our chosen genre and films associated with it, storing information on our Blogger accounts and using YouTube to find music and upload our final pieces of work. By using the internet, it has helped us greatly in the process of constructing our media product, such as allowing us to access media quickly and on a wide basis.

 

The use of a video camera, allowed to us to film to the best of our ability, using a variety of shots - such as mid-shots, close-ups and long shots. Camera movements aided us in showing continuity in our work and helped create verisimilitude for the audience. Examples of camera movements used frequently in our opening are tilts and pans. (CLIP) As a group we realised the importance of a trip-pod, as it allows our shots and camera movements to be steady and flow smoothly, creating verisimilitude and allow our final product to look professional.

 

To edit our opening, we used the software iMovie. This allowed us to edit and manipulate our work to the best quality it could be. To allow the music to flow with the shots on screen, we used the software to control where it begins and ends, however we found this quite difficult at first due to our original shots being quite short and fast. However, after re-filming certain sections, we found it easier to stop the music abruptly, creating the idea of a disruption in the opening. (CLIP) We also experimented with reversing a pan of the Geek putting up her hair. However, this manipulation flipped the words on a poster in the shot, which would have made it obvious that the shot had been altered, disrupting the verisimilitude on screen.

Preliminary Task:

The main thing we have learnt through the progression from our preliminary task to our final product is the use of sound. (CLIP) In our preliminary task, it is apparent that the background sounds keeps changing, disrupting the continuity and verisimilitude for the audience. In our final product, we tried to overcome this problem by filming after school, when the corridors and classrooms are empty. Even though we have overcome this issue a lot in our opening, there are still times when the background sound isn’t as quiet as we would have liked, but we feel that this doesn’t distract the audience or disrupt the continuity. When re-filming, we also noticed that the continuity was slightly disrupted by the use of having people in a classroom in the corner of a shot, compared to it previously being empty. However, we don’t feel that this wasn’t very distracting to the audience, as the main focus was still on Nina.

 

By filming our preliminary task, we found that the angle of which the scenes were shot affected the continuity of the piece. When filming our opening we shot certain scenes from a number of different perspectives, as this allowed us to select which shot was most appropriate and effective when showing continuity.

 

As a group, we felt that the lighting in our preliminary task wasn’t as effective as we would have liked it to be. (CLIP) Due to this when filming our opening we made sure that the corridors we were filming in were well lit and consistent, with the actors not standing in the shadows that were created by the windows.

 

Overall, we feel that we have produced a good opening for a teen romantic comedy, which mainly follows the codes and convention of the genre. Although there are some faults with the product – such as the background sound and people in the classroom – we feel that overall our opening is of good quality.

Geek Chic

Preliminary Task

Shooting Schedule

Rehearsal Schedule

Who: Anna, Charlotte and Robin

What: Read through of script/storyboard

Where: In common room

Time Dedicated: Period 5 (1 hour)

Number of Scripts Needed: 4 

Location Scouts

Where:

•        School
•        Character’s bedrooms

Why:

•        School is a big part of teenage life and our audience feedback from our questionnaire told us that this setting is expected in a teen romantic comedy.
•        The use of character’s bedroom helps set up the stereotype for the specific character and also this links to the idea that all teenagers live at home. 

Character Profiles

Character Profile:

Name: Nina

Costume: Backpack, glasses, hair tied up, plain t-shirt, jeans

Characteristics: Shy, clever, introvert, brunette

Gesture/movements: Head down, fidgeting

Representations: Youth, geek stereotype

Possible Casting Idea:

Who: Anna Alcock

Why: Small in height, timid, has characteristics that match character profile

Character Profile:

Name: Leah

Costume: Black top, black skirt, black high heels, hair down, jewellery

Characteristics: Confident, blonde, high maintenance, attitude

Gesture/movements: Hands on hips, sharp movements

Representations: Youth, bitch stereotype, middle – upper class

Possible Casting Ideas:

Who: Charlotte Nettle

Why: Has characteristics that match character profile, blonde

Character Profile:

Name: Rob

Costume: White t-shirt, varsity jacket, jeans, short hair

Characteristics: Friendly, confident, brunette, affectionate

Gesture/movements: Fluid movements, eye contact

Representation: Youth, jock stereotype

Possible Casting Ideas:

Who: Robin Freemantle

Why: Has characteristics that match character profile, brunette, tall

Character Profiles:

Name: Jack

Costume: Band t-shirt, headphones, baggy jeans

Characteristics: Shy, bitter, lonely

Gesture/movements: Messy, expressionless

Representation: Youth, loner stereotype

Possible Casting Ideas:

Who: Chris Alcock

Why: Right type of look, has some characteristics that match the character profile

Geek Chic Storyboard

Geek Chic Script

Synopsis of Film

A geeky girl joins a new school and is taken in by the popular people. There is a party when the popular girls give the geeky girl a makeover, due to this the ‘head’ bitch’s boyfriend falls for the geeky girl. The ‘head’ bitch finds out and plans to make the geeky girl’s life hell. Lots of pranks happen to the geeky girls and because of this the geeky girl becomes friends with the loner guy who the popular people have bullied in the past.

The geeky girl and the loner prank the popular girls and the girls do the same to them. The films ends with a school dance (prom) where the geeky girl gives a meaningful speech about how looks aren’t everything. She is announced Prom Queen, at the dance the popular boy asks her out however she realises that she loves the loner guy. The popular girls learn from their mistakes.

A Guide to Paramount Pictures

The production and distribution company that we have decided to work with is Paramount Pictures.

We have chosen this organisation because they are considered to be one of the top-grossing movie studios, another reason why this is a suitable company is because they have produced and shown many successful films of our genre (teen romantic comedies).

An example of a successful Paramount Pictures produced teen romantic comedy is Mean Girls. Other films that have been successfully produced by Paramount Pictures are Forrest Gump (1994), Transformers (2007) and Iron Man (2008).

All of the films we have mentioned are well known and the company has a good reputation within the industry, therefore this allows our film to have a good chance at having success.

Paramount is a vertically integrated organisation and the significance of this is that the majority of the money will go to one company meaning that they will gain more profit allowing us to do the same.

Examples of successful teen romantic comedies distributed by Paramount Pictures are Clueless (1995), Pretty in Pink (1986) and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008).

These films tie-in well with our genre, as they are all successful teen romantic comedies and are distributed by Paramount Pictures.

      

Multi-media Presentation of Our Findings

Stock Settings: High School

Themes: School (fitting in)

Audience Response to Questionnaire

Questionaire

Summary of Openings

Summary of Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis: 10 things I hate about you

Distributor:  Touchstone Pictures

Codes and Conventions
The non-dietetic sound is mostly through the use of instrumental and well known artists. For example when Kat goes into the guidance counsellors’ office instrumental music would play to signify that Kat has entered the room so the counsellor looks up from her laptop. Well known artists music signifies a change in time/setting/location. The diegetic sound has been used through the use of dialogue; many of the characters speak words that aren’t commonly known, for instance the word ‘backer’ is used when Michael describes Joey. This use of slang reinforces the stereotype that teenagers all speak in this way.

A stock setting for teen rom-coms is a high school due to it being a main part of their life. 10 things I hate about you is set in America however the characters are seen mostly in a high school, another setting that a few of the characters are seen in are an instrument shop and Kat’s house. The stereotypes that are included with an instrument shot are based on ‘rockers’, which is what Kat or the character of Patrick can be described as. Naturalistic, high key lighting is used thoroughly throughout the film as it allows the audience to relate to the characters more easily as well as creating verisimilitude.

Characters such as Kat and Patrick wear more thorough costumes in order to reflect their personality, for instance Patrick is seen wearing leather trousers which echo’s his need to be different from everyone else. The character of Bianca is seen wearing floral dresses/tops as well as a pink jacket. The colour pink encodes the character to be very feminine, since pink is considered to be a feminine colour. The guidance counsellor is also seen wearing the colour pink frequently throughout the film.

Characters
As I’ve found through the codes and conventions the characters within the film are stereotypical for the genre of teen rom-coms. Towards the start of the film there is a scene where Cameron is told about all of the different social cliques in the school. These stereotypical groups are reinforced through the use of Mise en Scene, specifically though the use of costumes; this helps the audience to identify each social group. For instance a ‘goth’ is seen during the film and his genre is identifiable due to his spiked black hair and black meshed shirt.

Propp’s theory of characters can be applied to this film however since there are many deeper storylines throughout the film only certain characters can be identified. For example Cameron is portrayed as the hero as it is his idea to get Kat and Patrick together. Bianca may be considered as the princess since he is Cameron’s reward at the end of the film. The character that is represented as the mentor is Michael since it is him who explains the different groups to Cameron and it is him to helps him get together with Bianca. The villain of the film is Joey as he wants Bianca to himself and punches Cameron for going to prom with her.

Narrative Structure
The film follows a linear narrative structure with a clear beginning, middle and end. Todorov’s theory can be applied to this film:

Equilibrium: Cameron moves to a new school, where he is given a tour and sees Bianca
Disruption: Bianca’s father forbids her to date and forbids Kat going to her college of choice
Recognition of disruption: Cameron asks Bianca out on a date but is told she is not allowed to date unless her sister does
Attempt to repair disruption: Michael and Cameron look for a boy that will date Kat, so they ask Joey to help them
Disruption: Joey offers to pay Patrick to date Kat but with intentions to date Bianca, without Cameron knowing
Attempt to repair  disruption: Patrick and Kat go out on a date
Disruption: Cameron goes after Bianca but she is too interested in Joey
Disruption: Bianca is not allowed to the prom with Joey unless Kat has a date
Recognition of disruption: Kat and Bianca talk about Kat’s past with Joey
Attempt to repair disruption: Patrick and Cameron go to the prom with Bianca and Kat
Disruption: Joey tell Kat that Patrick was paid to go out with her and then Joey starts attacking Cameron
Recognition of disruption: Kat leaves the prom, whilst Bianca hits Joey for attacking Cameron
Attempt to repair disruption: Kat writes a poem in English explaining that she doesn’t hate Patrick
Reinstatement of Equilibrium: Kat and Patrick go out again whilst Bianca and Cameron go out together

Technical Aspects
Mid-shots are used frequently throughout the film to not only show characters costumes/reactions to one another but to also highlight relationships with each character. For example when the characters of Cameron and Bianca are becoming closer due to his French tutoring, a mid-shot would be used in order to show how close they are becoming physically.

Close-ups are used recurrently within the film in order to show a character’s reaction or to focus on one character instead of another in a scene. For instance a close up of Patrick is used when he speaks the line “You telling me I’m not pretty?”, this use of close up showed the audience just how intimidating this character is for other characters.

Straight cuts are used regularly throughout the film in order to create verisimilitude for the audience. This allows the audience to be drawn into the narrative and feel for the characters compared to if the film was continuous. Tracking movements are used a lot as the characters are always moving, an example of a tracking shot is when Michael is showing Cameron the different groups around the school and as he is explain them the camera is following them.

Textual Analysis: Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Codes and Conventions
The non-diegetic sound is mostly through the use of voice-over, a recurring jingle of instruments or songs by well known artists. The voice-over creates a connection with the audience because they are thinking and feeling the same as the character who is doing the voice-over, in this film it is the character of Georgia. The jingle of instruments is used to signify a significant scene or feeling that the character of Georgia has, similarly the music by well known artists is used to emphasise the significance of a moment such as Jaz deciding to sit with her boyfriend instead of the ‘Ace Gang’, it also helps keep the audience entertained.

A stock setting for teen rom-coms is a high school since it is a major part of their life. Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging shows their characters in a high school however the majority of scenes are at the main characters house. Another setting that is shown frequently is the Eastbourne pier which creates a sense of area for the audience since it isn’t a fictional place. Naturalistic, high key lighting is used throughout the film as creating verisimilitude.

Most of the characters seen throughout the clip are wearing their uniform since they spend most of their time at their school. When you do see the characters in their own clothing they tend to wear an item of pink, such as pink scarf, pink top or pink tights. The colour pink encodes these characters to be very feminine since pink is known as a feminine colour. However characters such as Georgia tended to wear darker clothes after she’d fallen out with her best friend, these colours of clothing reflected her mood for that period of time.

Characters
Through the codes and conventions that I’ve found for this film there are stereotypical characters that fit the genre. Towards the start of the film there are two girls who are known as the ‘bully’s’ of the school, this is shown through the way they wear their ponytail on the side of their head. The character of Lindsay is seen as the ‘preppy’ stereotype due to her wearing short skirts, tight tops and heels. It is hard to distinguish more developed stereotypes due to the film being centred around once character and her group of friends known as the “Ace Gang”.

Propp’s theory of certain characters can be applied to this film, for example Georgia is portrayed to be the heroine as willingly tells her mother they should move to New Zealand in order to be with their father. An exception to Prop’s theory is that Robbie may be considered as the princess since he is Georgia’s reward at the end of the film. The character that could be considered as the mentor is Jaz because it is her that tries to help Georgia get together with Robbie and she always helps plan Georgia’s birthday party at the end of the film. The villain of the film is the character of Lindsay as she wants Robbie to herself and changes the date of her birthday party so it is the same as Georgia’s.

Narrative StructureThe films follows a linear narrative structure with a clear beginning, middle and end. Todorov’s theory can be applied to this film:

Equilibrium: Georgia and her friends start a new school year and see Robbie and Tom for the first time
Disruption: Georgia’s father gets offered a job in New Zealand and the “Ace Gang” see Robbie holding hands with Lindsay
Recognition of disruption: Georgia realises that she needs to ‘mature’ and kiss someone
Attempt to repair disruption: Georgia goes to Peter Dyer’s for “snogging lessons”
Disruption: Robbie and Georgia kiss but Robbie goes to “sort some things out”
Attempt to repair  disruption: Georgia goes out with Dave in order to make Robbie jealous
Disruption: Georgia has an argument with both Jaz and Robbie over Dave
Recognition of disruption: Georgia decides to reinvent herself and move to New Zealand
Attempt to repair disruption: Georgia goes to apologize to Robbie and they end up holding hands
Disruption: Lindsay books her party the same day as Georgia’s
Recognition of disruption: Georgia cancels her birthday party
Reinstatement of Equilibrium: Georgia is thrown a surprise birthday party by her mom and Jaz, her dad has returned home for good, Robbie and Georgia are officially together

Technical AspectsLong shots are used frequently throughout the film in order to show numerous characters, characters surroundings and certain actions that these characters are doing. For instance a long shot is used when Robbie and Georgia are standing up to leave the beach towards the end of the film, this creates the effect that these two characters should be the only ones of importance at that time. Mid-shots are used frequently throughout the film to not only show characters costumes/reactions to one another but to also highlight relationships with each character.

Close-ups are used recurrently within the film in order to show a character’s reaction or a specific object/movement that a character has done. For example when Georgia and Robbie are about to kiss a close up is used on both of them. Another example of a close up is after Georgia accidentally shaves part of her eyebrow and her reaction is reflected in the mirror. By showing her reaction in a mirror it encodes her to be vain, since mirrors are associated with vanity a stereotype connected to teenage girls.

Straight cuts are used regularly throughout the film in order to create verisimilitude for the audience. This allows the audience to be drawn into the narrative and feel for the characters compared to if the film was continuous. Jump cuts are also used to change the scene or to show something of importance to a certain character, such as Robbie looking into the distance and then a jump cut to Georgia and Dave so that the audience know that Robbie is looking at them.

Textual Analysis: Mean Girls

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Codes and Conventions
The non-diegetic sound is mostly through the use of a voice-over. This creates an instant connection with the audience by allowing them to feel and think as the same character who is doing the voice-over, in this case Cady. The diegetic sound has been used through the use of dialogue; many of the characters speak words that aren’t commonly known throughout England, for instance the word ‘fetch’ is used throughout frequently. This use of slang reinforces the stereotype that teenagers all speak in this way.

A stock setting for teen rom-coms is a high school due to it being a main part of their life. Mean girls is set in America however the characters are mostly seen in a high school, another setting that the characters are seen in are a mall and the characters houses. The stereotypes that are included with a mall is that teenage girls love shopping and gossiping with one another. Naturalistic, high key lighting is used thoroughly throughout the film as it allows the audience to relate to the characters more easily as well as creating verisimilitude.

Most of the characters seen throughout the clip wear colourful clothing, especially “The Plastics”. For instance the majority of their outfits include the colour pink encoding them to be very feminine, since pink is considered to be a feminine colour. Characters such as Janice and Damien wear more thorough costumes in order to reflect their personality, for instance Janice wears dark clothes and has black hair which echo’s not only her personality but her need to be different from everyone else. The character of Cady begins to have numerous costume changes, especially when she becomes a part of “The Plastics”; she begins to wear pink clothes and short skirts which are all connotations of stereotypical female clothing.

Characters
As I’ve found through the codes and conventions the characters within the film are stereotypical for the genre of teen rom-coms. Towards the start of the film there is a scene where Cady is told about all of the different social cliques in the school, there are: cool Asians, varsity jocks, burnouts and many others. Point-of-view shots being used during this scene allow the audience to feel as though they are learning about the cliques as Cady does. These stereotypical groups are reinforced through the use of Mise en Scene, specifically though the use of costumes; this helps the audience to identify each social group.

Propp’s theory of certain characters can be applied to this film, for example Cady is portrayed as the heroine as starts to divide the students’ different cliques by breaking and sharing her spring fling crown. An exception to this theory is that Aaron may be considered as the princess since he is Cady’s reward at the end of the film. There are two characters that are represented as the mentors and they are Janice and Damian; they are considered as the mentors because they are the two characters that accept Cady when she first joins the school and help her form a plan to sabotage Regina. The villain of the film is the character of Regina as she wants Aaron to herself and blames Cady for creating the ‘Burn Book’ and posting flyers of it around the high school.

Narrative Structure
The film follows a linear narrative structure with a clear beginning, middle and end. Todorov’s theory can be applied to this film:

Equilibrium: Cady is home-schooled by her parents whilst living in Africa
Disruption: Cady moves to America where she attends public school
Recognition of disruption: Cady realises that no one at her new school like her
Attempt to repair disruption: Janice and Damian befriend Cady and tell her about the different cliques
Disruption: Regina gets together with her ex boyfriend, knowing that Cady likes him
Attempt to repair  disruption: Janice makes a plan to destroy Regina
Disruption: Janice, Damian and Cady begin to sabotage Regina in various ways
Recognition of disruption: Regina blames Cady for creating the ‘Burn Book’
Attempt to repair disruption: The school makes the girls do exercises to help trust one another.
Disruption: Regina, in a rage, runs out into the road and gets hit by a bus
Recognition of disruption: Everyone blames Cady for Regina being hit by a bus and ignore her
Attempt to repair disruption: Cady wins mathletes, becomes spring fling queen but shares her crown
Reinstatement of Equilibrium: The girls become equals with one another and Cady goes out with Aaron

Technical Aspects
Mid-shots are used frequently throughout the film to not only show characters costumes/reactions to one another but to also highlight relationships with each character. For example when the characters Aaron and Cady are becoming closer emotionally, a mid-shot would be used in order to show how close they are physically. Similarly this can also be seen when Cady is getting closer to becoming part of “The Plastics”.

Close-ups are used recurrently within the film in order to show a character’s reaction. For instance a close up of Cady is shown when Janice is referring to her changing into one of “The Plastics”, this helps the audience see the finer details of her change. A close-up of a character looking into a mirror, specifically Cady, is used to show the changes she undergoes to become “The Plastics” leader once Regina has left. The mirror symbolises vanity, which is a stereotype associated with teenage girls particularly girls of the ‘preppy’ stereotype.

Straight cuts are used regularly throughout the film in order to create verisimilitude for the audience. This allows the audience to be drawn into the narrative and feel for the characters compared to if the film was continuous.

 

A Cinderella Story - Opening

00:00 – 01:53

Sound
Non-diegetic sound is heard from the very beginning of the distributor logo’s, the music heard is instrumental which keeps in theme with the fairytale opening. The music increases once a castle is first seen by the audience however there is a voice-over on the top of it speaking the line “Once upon a time”, which also keeps in theme with the fairytale opening. The voice-over is used frequently throughout the clip in order to tell the story of the characters past. The diegetic sound is parallel to what is happening on screen, for instance the noise of cars on the road when the characters are driving.

Editing and Framing
The characters are positioned in the centre of the frame so that the audience’s attention is drawn to them the most. The font of the titles keeps in with the theme and the edits of fade in/out help keep the audience’s attention on the text as well as the background behind the text. The light speed edit from one scene to the other, such as from the batting cage to the diner, help keep up with the voice-over as well as creating continuity so the audience doesn’t become confused.

Camera Shot and Movement
A tracking movement has been used to show the mountains before the castle is seen and it is used to show the father running after his daughter, this movement keeps up with the idea that the voice-over is living her in own fairytale as well as keeping up with the action. Zoom out has been used from the snow globe to the daughter and father to remind the audience that the castle isn’t the actual setting for the narrative, from this a long shot has been used over the city to show the audience the real setting for the narrative.  A crane shot is used over the car when the characters are driving to show the audience a closer view of the setting as well as the two characters together. The pan movement has been used to show the diner and its relevance to narrative and characters. This movement is used showing a woman carrying glasses to some children at a birthday party; this could suggest that the female doing the voice-over could be one of the characters at the party reinforcing the relevance and importance of this place to that character.

Mise en Scene
Naturalistic lighting of the sunlight and lamps within the diner create verisimilitude, so the audience feel as though what they are watching is real. The setting is shown through the use of camera shots and movement however the diner could be an important setting for the narrative and possibly a meeting place for the teenagers since it is stereotypical for teenagers to have a meeting place where they get together to gossip. It is hard to distinguish the different stereotypes that will be seen in this film due to the opening being set in the past however the clothes/props/child’s body language and gestures are all explained through the voice-over.

Clueless - Opening

00:00 - 01:00

Sound
The non-diegetic sound in the clip begins from the moment the title sequence appears, although its volume increases once the stars appear on screen around the Paramount logo. The song is appropriate for the genre (teen rom-com) since it is “Kids in America” by Kim Wilde; the song begins to fade once the chorus has been sung however when the female character says the line “normal life for a teenage girl” through the use of a voiceover, the song changes completely. The diegetic sound within the clip is of the characters laughing throughout the various scenarios we see them in since it encodes them to be fun loving characters.

Editing and Framing
Simple edits have been used for the title sequence, for instance the text comes from three directions; bottom, left and right. The certain words leave from the same directions apart from the words that came from the bottom; they leave from the top end of the screen.  A lot of jump cuts have been used in order to show the different scenarios however the majority of these scenarios are repeatedly shown throughout the opening. The characters are positioned in either the left hand or right hand side of the screen although the exception is when the female blonde character removes her hair from her face, as she is doing this she is positioned in the centre of the frame.

Camera Shot and Movement
A mid shot has been used of the female blonde character walking with shopping bags however it is also a tracking movement on her, this allows the audience to get a feel for the environment she is in and what sort of character she is based on her clothes. A crane shot is used to show the car travelling underneath it; it also shows the four characters that the audience will expect to be in the film a lot. Handheld camera movements have been used frequently throughout the clip which creates the effect of the characters being unaware that they are being filmed, it is used specifically during the pool scenario and when the characters are sitting on stools. A zoom out has been used to show the girls walking down the corridor which gives the audience a sense of the characters surrounding and clothes to determine what ‘stereotype’ they belong too.

Mise en Scene
Naturalistic lighting is used, such as sunlight, when the characters are outside either in the jeep/shopping/by the swimming pool. Artificial lighting coming from overhead lamps is used when the characters are inside, for instance when the characters are sitting on the stools inside or when the blonde female character is in her bedroom. The characters are seen in a high school in one scenario which is an iconography of a teen rom-com however you get a sense that the characters are rich due them being in a private swimming pool as well as the blonde character having a walk-in wardrobe. Another factor that adds to the characters being rich is through the use of props, the characters are seen driving down the road in a jeep which suggests they are from a wealthy background since jeeps used to be seen as expensive cars. The characters are seen walking down the corridor laughing with one another signifying that they are close and by seeing a character paint her nails by the edge of the pool connotes these characters to be of the ‘preppy’ stereotype.

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging - Opening

00:00 – 01:55

Sound
The clip is mostly diegetic sound however the little use of non-diegetic sound begins from the moment the Paramount logo has finished, since the music is instrumental it doesn’t overpower the dialogue. The diegetic sound is mostly dialogue between the characters, such as the father and daughter and characters at the fancy dress party. The other use of diegetic sound is when Georgia knocks over the plates and cups from the table, these sounds parallel what is happening in the film world. The line “boys don’t like girls for funniness” encodes these characters to always be after the approval of boys, reinforcing the ideology of women being dependent on men.

Editing and Framing
Straight cuts have been used to show the two characters talking, the daughter and father in the car, to a long shot of the pair. This shows the surrounding and the two characters in order for the audience to get the connection between the pair. Another example of a straight cut is to show the reactions of the other characters once Georgia has entered the party room.  The characters are positioned in the centre or the left hand side of the frame, however once the audience see the characters at the party, there are people completely filling up the frame. The titles that are seen fade in and out of the screen as well as being at the bottom of the frame; this allows the audience to focus on what is happening on the screen without being distracted by the titles.

Camera Shot and Movement
A tracking movement has been used to follow the car and character outside of the car down the road, this movement is appropriate to what the characters are talking about. A long shot is then used to show the setting although a road is shown it could indicate that this is where the majority of the film will be set. Mid-shots have been used to show the characters in their costumes as Georgia is walking past and the characters that Georgia is talking too. Close-ups have been used, particularly at the party scene, in order to show the different characters reactions to Georgia’s costume. From this a tilt movement has been used to follow Georgia walking through the room up to her part of the costume where one of the characters hits her with their prop.

Mise en Scene
Naturalistic lighting has been used in order to create verisimilitude, so the audience feel as though what they are watching is real. A lot of Georgia’s reactions are sad due to the characters laughing at her when she enters the room in her olive costume however the olive costume could connote that her character wants to stand out but she realises her mistake once she arrives at the party. It is hard to distinguish the different stereotypes that will be within the film but it is clear who the “villain” of the narrative will be due to her laughing first once Georgia has entered. Although the characters are in costumes, the majority of them are wearing short skirts, low tops or short dresses which are stereotypical of girls wanting to be seen.