Discussion about Mean Girls

When talking about the film Mean Girls with another student, we discussed the use of a variety of different personalities in the film. There are the mean girls, the sport guys, the stereotypical gay guy and the nerds. The fact that they used all of these different stereotypes was extremely important in the film, as it allowed the characters to develop and express their individual personalities separately and allows the audience to see how sometimes these different personalities can clash but also how sometimes the differences can bring people closer together. It also made the film very relatable to the teenager audience as they can apply these situations to their own school life, which is one of the reasons why this film was such a big success.

From this we then discussed what else made this film such a huge success. We figured out that it was also down to the humour used throughout the film from the different individuals and also due to the very memorable quotes. Some of these quotes include;
"You can't sit with us"
"Stop trying to make fetch happen Gretchen"
"If you're from Africa then why are you white?"

Character Mise-en-scene Analysis

Teen Angst films include varieties of the stereotypical teenager such as, being lazy, anti-social, mean/rude, school focused (nerdy) and also the sporty stereotype. Whilst looking into teen angst films I realised that each of these stereotypical groups is established mostly through the clothes that they wear and the props that they hold/use. Due to the importance of the mise-en-scene in Teen Angst Films I decided to annotate some of these conventions.

Regina George - Mean Girls

In the picture below, you can see that Regina is wearing a lot of pink which is a stereotypical girl's colour and it emphasises her feminism. She is also wearing a white top, which is very contradictory of her personality, as white usually connotes innocence where as her character has a mean, judgemental personality. Another stereotypical factor of a teenage girl would be the fact that the skirt she is wearing is very short, which is a common theme throughout all of her outfits in the film as they are all fairly risqué.

Wesley - The Duff

In the Duff there is a character that could be defined as sporty. The character Wesley is usually shown in the film in a sporty background such as a field where he is shown playing American football. This is further supported by the fact that the picture is set in a locker room, which is associated with sports. The clothes that the character usually wears are muscle tops and shorts or stylish clothes such as simple hoodies and jeans. The reason he wears a mix of these clothes is because although he is identified as being a jock he is also one of the most popular guys, thus meaning that he needs to keep up with the trends. An example where he is keeping up with the latest trends would be the continuous appearance of a mobile, which supports the fact he is also technological - another teenager stereotype.

 

Princess Mia - Princess Diaries

The picture above shows Mia from the princess diaries before she is given a make-over form her grandmother. This is significant as this then emphasises a huge change in her appearance from this nerdy character to a princess. When she is presented as a nerd, the mise-en-scene is very stereotypical as it includes, immaculate uniform that consists of a blazer, glasses and her big, frizzy hair. The hair is not the strongest stereotypical aspect as it does not appear in all films where a nerd is present, however it can be argued to be an aspect as it shows that she is not too bothered what other people think of her appearance. This can be supported in Harry Potter with Hermione who also has very frizzy hair and is presented to the audience as an extremely smart teenager.

 

Titles of Teen Angst Films Mindmap

From this mind map I learnt that Teen Angst film titles are completely random; some of the titles have long names such as "10 things I hate about you", whereas some have only one word such as "Juno". It could be argued that some are linked to stereotypical teenage emotions such as mean, wild and clueless but not all of them which suggests that there is not a particular pattern when creating a teen angst film title. From this I have learnt that when I am creating my own teen angst film title that it doesn't have to follow a certain theme and as long as it has some relevance and link to the film itself.

Target Audience

Demographics

• Age - 15 to 25 years old
• Location - Town
• Gender - Female 
• Income level - Minimum wage 
• Education level - Student in sixth form/college to university
• Occupation - Student 
• Ethnic background - Caucasian British/American

Psychographics

• Personality - Lazy, pessimistic, confused about their sexuality, confident
• Attitudes - Negative view on life, always wanting what they don't have and not appreciating what they already do have, don take responsibility for their own actions and usually blame other people, sometimes ambitious but don't necessarily show it externally. 
• Values - Family, friends, education
• Interest/hobbies - Using technology (social media) to remain updated constantly, hanging around their friends/boyfriends/girlfriend, attending parties, watching television/Netflix, listening to music
• Lifestyles - Part time job, in education, stay up to date with the latest technology/gadgets, conflict between friends and family and boyfriend/girlfriend, balancing social life with education

Film Opening - Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

There are a couple settings in the opening sequence which allow the audience to have an understanding of the area in which the characters live straight away. The first setting shown is the streets of her hometown as she is telling her dad not to drop her off as it will ruin her costume and her entrance  this is stereotypical of teenagers as they do not like the have their parents to embarrass them. 

After this a house party is shown. This is signifiant as this is associated with teenagers, enabling them to relate to some of the film instantly. However, at this house party, you can see that all the female characters are wearing quite revealing outfits in order to impress the boys, which is also very stereotypical. Georgia is wearing an olive costume which is very counter typical of a teenager to wear at a party however, she is surrounded by other teenagers showing a perfect stereotypical outfit at a party, such as a black cat and a devil costume. After this we see the main character running home, after her friends went behind her back and didn't tell her about the change in outfits. 

In this section, the audience can see that it is a busy seaside town, which adds to the embarrassment of the main character that she now has to run through the streets wearing a stuffed olive outfit with lots of people watching her. To add to this chaos non-diegetic music starts playing as soon as Georgia leaves the house party. The song used is called 'She's so lovely', which is a very upbeat and happy song. In some ways this contrasts Georgias emotions as she is feeling very upset, embarrassed and like she has lost all of her friends. However, the fact that it is very upbeat can also be seen to symbolise Georgia's heart beating as she is running through the streets. The song was used to attract the teenage audience as it is a very modern song that teenagers would already recognise and listen to themselves. 'She's so lovely' may have also been used as an almost sarcastic element of Georgia saying how lovely her friends are that they didn't bother to tell her they weren't going with the fancy dress idea anymore.

The next setting in the opening sequence is Georgias bedroom. Here the audience can see her stereotypical side, as it is all pink, with boy-band posters up, lots of photos of her and her friends and teddy bears. This shows her comfort zone almost and it emphasises how brave she was to go to the party dressed as an olive as it was out of her comfort zone. This makes the audience feel sorry for Georgia as they can see how hurt she was by her friends, which is exaggerated further when she starts ripping down all of her pictures on her walls and throwing them and her teddy bears in the bin. Another aspect used throughout the opening sequence in order to make the audience feel sorry for her would be the consistent use of shot-reverse-shot at the party and as she is running home. It is used between Georgia and her friends and also between Georgia and strangers in the streets. At the party, it shows how guilty how friends feel and how hurt Georgia is by this, which enables the audience to feel more emotionally connected with her. As she is running home, it creates an almost paranoid effect and makes the audience think that Georgia feels as though everyone is watching her and adds to her embarrassment. 

The last setting is the most stereotypical of teen angst films as it is a high school. This adds to the relatability of the film as it is a place that all teenagers attend and have their own experiences of. From the previous events in the opening sequence the audience gets the idea that high school isn't going to be an easy place for Georgia as she has recently fallen out with her friends and also embarrassed herself in front of a lot of people in her year. 

The credits and title is presented in a white serif font, which gives a very feminine feel. This makes the audience think that is going to be based around female characters and their experiences as being a teenager. This is further supported by the fact that the film is called 'Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging' which are all elements associated with teenage girls. The use of white connotes purity and innocence, which can be contrasting in some teen angst films as usually this changes by the end of the film, as the characters are no longer innocent. In this film I think that it shows Georgia's character at the start of the film as she was always the misfit, but by the end of the film she has found out that it is okay to be different and that there will always be people who like you for you and that you don't have to change for anyone. 

Film Opening - Easy A

The opening sequence of Easy A starts with a montage of the town where the film is going to be set. This is important for the target audience as it allows them to fully understand the location where the film is going to take place and gives them an incite into what type of film it is going to be, as there is quite a bit of difference between American films compared to other countries. After this montage of the town, a high school is then shown, which will be the main setting fro this film, enabling the audience to understand that this film will be about students and their lives, which is further emphasised by a voiceover of the main character. 

In the opening sequence a mixture of different social groups are shown in order to show the audience a stereotypical high school, where people are isolated into different groups. Whilst showing the individual groups, there is a voiceover from the main character where she explains here life in high school and how she doesn't really fit in to any of these social groups. This allows the audience to have more understanding on how the film is going to pan out and also allows the to connect more with the main character. 
The clothes that the characters are wearing are all quite 'trendy'. This shows that the characters are stereotypical of teenagers and how they present themselves, which makes the audience think that there is more than likely going to be someone who doesn't dress in this manor in order to present a counter-type. Due to the fact that the main character is only shown at the very end of the opening sequence, for the majority of it the audience is left wondering if it will in fact be the main character. The clothes that the students are wearing include, jeans, top and hoodies which is very casual, fitting in with the idea of being at school. However, there is one group who does not follow this, who can straight away be identified as the popular group, due to the use of props and outfit choice - shorts, skirts, dresses, heels, sunglasses and the use of mobile phones. In this group there is also one specific character who seems to be the 'leader'. This is because she is shown right at the front and in the middle of this group, suggesting she is of importance and more significant then the girls around her. She is the only one wearing sunglasses, which cover part of her face, which suggests privacy and creates a sense that she will be able to see all of you and all your emotions, but you can't sos the same with her as her eyes are covered, further emphasising that she is significant. 

The music used throughout the opening scene is very happy and up-beat, which can be associated with a teenagers nature and they fact that they would more than likely listen to this music themselves. In the song there is a repeated 'la la la' which connotes positivity and fun, relating to the idea of school that it should be fun and enjoyable, however this is actually the complete opposite and could suggest that the music is contrasting school life as it is not as fun as it initially seems due to these social groups and standards. During the opening scene there is also a use of diegetic sounds, such as the school bell and talking of the students. This sound layering with the voiceover and both diegetic and non-diegetic sound, creates an idea of busy-ness, which can be associated with high school life. Also in the voiceover there is a consistent use of humour, which will appeal to the target audience as many teen angst films include humour. 

Lastly, the placement of the credits is very important in this opening scene as they follow the students as they appear on screen from either side. It is also important as it follows the camerawork (tracking), which gives the opening a good flow and allows the audience to follow the action taking place and read the credits without being distracted by them. The fonts used are sans serif and in white. This is important as white connotes innocence, however the film is about innocence and purity being taken away, so the use of white almost contrasts this. 

The title of the film also follows this idea of contrasting what the film is actually about. The work 'easy' is in capitalised sans serif font and is in white, which connotes the innocence and the styles emphasises its simplicity. Whereas the letter A is also capitalised but it is in serif font and in red. This colour connotes danger, suggesting that the main character may come into problems throughout the film. The style the A is written in added a feminine tone to it which could suggest that a gal is going to be a main character or that a girl will be causing all of the problems. 

Film Openings - Juno

The overall impression that the title sequence of Juno gave was that it was inspired by cartoons. From this we can suggest that the target audience for this film is in fact people of a younger age group - teenagers. This theme is emphasised throughout the opening scene through various aspects such as the camera movements, the credits and the non-diegetic sound. This has a significant impact on the target audience as it will appeal to them and will also allow them to easily follow the action that is going on throughout as the cartoon effect makes it simplistic. 

The majority of the opening sequence besides the first and last few seconds is presented in a cartoon-like manor as Juno is walking through the streets of her home-town. The transition between reality and cartoon is marked by a tree, which gives a similar effect to a wipe transition as it signifies a change in theme.

The setting used throughout this opening sequence would include a suburban town. This is not the most stereotypical setting for a teen angst film as this usually is a high school, however it is still relatable to a teen target audience. Juno is shown to be walking through the streets of her home town on her way to a shop, which is a extremely common and casual daily activity, which enables the audience to put themselves in Juno's shoes, adding to the idea of relatability. 

The clothes that Juno is wearing are also very casual, which can be argued to be counter typical of a teenager in some respects as it shows that she doesn't keep up with the latest trends of fashion. In the opening sequence she is wearing a red jacket, over a dark t-shirt and blue jeans. This can also be seen to be quite boyish, which tells the audience that Juno isn't a stereotypical teenage girl, who wears lots of pink and skirts and dresses. 

There is a constant emphasise of a happy tone throughout the opening sequence through the use of non-diegetic sound, lighting and props. The non-diegetic sound is of a country type music that has an up beat rhythm which is called "all I want is you". As Juno enters the animation part of the sequence the tempo increases which can be argued to create a dream-like feel. This could suggest that she is day-dreaming which is emphasised throughout he lack of dialogue (diegetic sound) and also the fact that she is walking through the streets on her own not taking much notice of what is going on around her, which could suggest that she is 'in a world of her own'. The lighting throughout is quite high key which helps to add to this idea of a happy tone. In the animated section although the buildings and surroundings are fairly dull, it still remains high key due to the fact the the colours are quite light in general and have an almost washed-out appearance. this could infer that she is not happy with where she lives as it is boring/dull. The fact that she is wearing a bright red jumper contrasts her surroundings and allows the audience to understand that she has a lot of significance in the film. It could also connote danger, suggesting something bad is going to happen to her. finally, the props would include the sunny-d drink, which can be considered quite a childish drink. This suggests that she may be quite child-like and doesn't care about what she is eating or drinking, which is very stereotypical of teenagers. 

The credits/fonts used in the opening sequence further add to the theme of a cartoon-like world. The credits appear in a cartoon manor that almost look hand written, which creates a casual aspect to the sequence. The font used is capitalised sans serif font in a series of different colours. Due to this it will attract the target audience as it is in keeping with the age group, as teenagers are known to read comics etc. 

Film Titles Analysis

10 Thing I Hate About You
The word hate can be associated with teenagers as they can be perceived stereotypically moody.
The use of the word 'you' makes the title seem more personal as it is directly talking to the audience.

Mean Girls
Again the word mean is associated with moodiness, which is relatable to teenagers.
The fact that this title identifies a stereotypical group within a high school, allows the audience to presume what the film is going to be about and also creates a sense of reliability as they might know a group of 'mean girls' in their school themselves.

Easy A
At a first glance this seems like the film would be about a student who can easily get A's in all of her classes. The word easy suggests that the individual doesn't have to work hard to get the good grades and it almost comes naturally to them.

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
This is quite a random title and includes all aspects that could be associated with a teenage girl. Angus represents a crush, which is extremely common in all teen angst films, 'thongs' represents the young girl growing up into a teenager as this is potentially considered an adults item of clothing. Finally, 'perfect snogging' also refers to the girl coming of age where falling in love and 'snogging' is a natural part of life.

Wildchild
This could refer to a stereotypical teenager, as they are sometimes perceived as wild due to their stereotypical actions such as, constantly going out to parties and staying up late. This can be considered as 'wild' as it is not the usual/normal activity.

Twilight
The word twilight is also another word for midnight. This could suggest that teenagers are always stereotypical awake at midnight or that this is the time they go to sleep. However, after watching the film it is clear why the film is in fact called twilight. This is because the film is centred around the idea of vampires and wolves. At midnight, vampires are able to go outside without worry as there i9s no sunlight to potentially kill them and it is also a chance for them to go hunting as they cannot be easily seen.

Clueless
Clueless could refer to the way that older people may perceive teenagers, more commonly elderly people. This is because they are older so they have experienced more thus suggesting that they always know more than people younger them then. It could also refer to the stereotypical blonde teenage girl, who is supposed to not be very smart, which gives her the appearance of being 'clueless'

13 Going on 30
13 is the age where someone becomes a teenager, from here it is common that the individual is always wishing they were older as they feel like being a teenager is maybe stupid as they cannot do anything. Although this is not true, this is the way in which teenagers perceive life stereotypically. The fact that this film is called 13 going on 30 could suggest that this is the case for a certain teenager, which the film revolves around.

Analysis of Production Company Logos

Connotation of Film Production Company Logos

Universal

Universal uses capitalised, sans serif font of their company in order to emphasise the idea that the films they have produced are loved world-wide or even by the whole universe. This is then further emphasised by the use of the world and space behind the title which enables the audience to see a visual representation of how many people supposedly love these films. The use of the white company title against the dark space colours allow it to be brought to the audience’s attention in order for them to identify the fact that this particular company has produced this film.

DreamWorks

The name DreamWorks suggests that this production company can be perceived as a ‘factory’, which is in the process of making dreams for its audiences. This is further emphasised through the use of a night sky, clouds and a crescent as these aspects are associated with night time where dreams will take place. The fact that a boy is shown to be fishing on the moon, could connote that idea that he, himself is fishing for his own dream within the company, this is because the fishing rod ends when it reaches the production company’s name. A glow is used on the moon and the young boy in order to bring it forward to the audience’s attention, potentially suggesting that this production company aims its films towards a younger target audience. All of the important aspects in this logo are a light, white-ish tone, possibly connoting the idea that dreams are supposed to be innocent, pure and a happy moment.

20^th Century Fox

In the 20^th Century Fox logo, light beams are shown to be surrounding and shining on the name of the production company. This connotes the idea of importance, as light beams are usually used at premiers or special events in order to build up excitement for the audience and to show that something special and significant is about to happen. 20^th Century Fox is also shown in a gold sans serif font, which symbolises importance again but also wealth and glamour. This is because gold is considered an expensive material that only the wealthy could afford. The significance of this in relation to this particular production company would be that it is implying that the films produced will be of the best quality and standards.

Vertigo Films

The definition of vertigo is a sensation that you or the environment around you is moving or spinning. This could suggest that this company produces films that make you feel that you are in a different place (not in reality). The idea that the title is in black bold sans serif font suggest that it is of extreme importance and one to take notice of. The only colours used in this logo are red and black which connote danger and that the films being produced are going to be a huge competition to the other film companies (a threat). Additionally, the double forwards slash could connote this production company as a modern twist on the industry, as this symbol can be considered as modern.

Film 4

Film 4 uses only two colours, red and white in order to contrast each other and is also used to emphasise the simplicity of the company. The most noticeable word on this logo is the word film which is of extreme importance as this is what this production company is actually producing. The number 4 is significant as this is used to represent the fact that these films are shown on channel 4, meaning that this emphasises a direct link between the two.

Take Two Productions

In this logo there are two T’s present going at diagonal angles in order to symbolise the two words used in the name ‘Take Two’ that begin with T’s. On these two T’s is an idea of film reels, which are used in order to emphasise the fact that this company produces films. ‘Take Two’ could also suggests that this particular company will film all there films in only two takes as they are of such a good standard and quality. The fact that the only colours used are black and white which contrast each other could suggest that this production company is simplistic and potentially find it easy to create award winning films.

Warner Brothers

In this logo the initials of the film company ‘WB’ are used as the main attraction, which are presented in a gold shield. The shield could represent the fact that the company is heroic and should be looked up to as the best company in the film industry. The shield is in gold, which emphasises this but could also suggests that the production company produces films of the best quality as gold is considered a wealthy material. The shield is also demonstrated in the sky, which could suggest that this production company produces films that are above the other companies. 

Preliminary Task

For this task we created a short film in order to show the use of the 180 degree rule, shot - reserve - shot and match on action, which for most were new to me. I already knew how to use shot-reverse-shot from GCSE media as this enables the audience to see both sides of a conversation between characters, which is a very important part of creating an effective dialogue sequence. However, the new aspects that I have learnt from this task would be match on action and also the 180 degree rule.

The 180 degree rule is where there is an imagination line or guideline at the 180 degree mark in which the camera must not pass over. This is important as it means that the two characters maintain the same relationship to each other as they remain on the either the left or the right. This allows the audience to follow the conversation in the most effective manner as the eye line will always match up to the other character which also emphasises the illusion that the audience is present with the characters on screen. Once the sides the characters will be on is established the camera must not pass over the line as this now becomes a crossing the line shot or a reverse angle.

Match on action refers to the cuts made whilst filming as the character completes a new action. In the film above there is cuts when the character walks up to the door, reaches for the door handle, closes the door, enters the room and finally when she is approaching the table. This is effective as it cuts the irrelevant parts of the action and focuses on what is important, as a result, the audience can follow the action very easily.

Poster on Camera Shots and Angles

Before we started looking at various teen angst films, we first identified the different camera shots and angles there were and the effect this has on the audience. To do this I created a poster that could be shown to students in order to help them differentiate the different camera shots that exist. This was important in my research as it helped me to refresh my memory on these shots and also allowed me to begin to decide which shots I would like to include in my film opening. The way that I designed the poster is very simple and clear to read. This was important to me as it meant that if a student was to use this in their media lessons, then they would be able to easily read it and get the information they need from it.