Film Synopsis

Geeky girl likes the popular boy but he already has a girlfriend whom is the popular girl, who hates her and uses every opportunity to embarrass her especially in front of her ‘crush’ / the popular girls boyfriend. Eventually the geeky girl feels so put down by this that she goes to get a make over, and things take a turn for the best at school when the popular boy falls for her.

Paramount Pictures

The production company we have chosen to research for our film is Paramount Pictures. We think this particular company will be suitable because Paramount Pictures have produced a number of well known, successful films that fit into our chosen genre, teen romantic comedy.  These films include, The Prince and Me, Mean Girls, Crossroads, Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging and She’s Out of My league.                                                   

The majority of films, which they have produced, were highly successful at the box office. Angus thongs and Perfect Snogging, a relatively new teen rom-com, has made over £10million in the UK alone. Not only have the films been successful, they also incorporate many of the themes we are considering selecting for our own opening, which include social grouping and relationships, both of which we feel the company portray well through the films they produce. The majority of teen rom-coms such as Mean Girls and Crossroads also have the same audience as who we will be targeting ourselves, meaning it will be a popular production company amongst our own audience, as the previously produced films are likely to have been watched and well received by our target audience, something we found through our questionnaire results, which proved Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging in particular to be an extremely popular choice.

Furthermore, Paramount Pictures is a vertically integrated company because its production and distribution diversion are entwined. This is significant because Paramount Pictures have the control of all elements within the business, therefore the profit and expenditure made by Paramount Pictures is internally contained.

Following on from this, the films which have been distributed by Paramount Pictures include Mean Girls and Failure to launch and they tie into our film because they incorporate the teen comedy genre. In addition to this, the distribution company has experience in marketing and distributing films regarding this genre, therefore we believe it is the right distribution company to use.

Multi-media presentation

Audience research questionnaire summary

Audience Research Questionnaire

Age                                                         Gender

______                                           Male/Female

How do you generally watch films?

TV                  Internet                  DVD

Cinema         Handheld device   Video        Other ______________

Do you think there are films currently available to suit your age range?

Yes / No

 What films have you watched from the following list?

Mean girls                                                         Grease

Never been kissed                                           Wild Child

Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging           Clueless

What was the purpose for watching the films chosen?

Entertainment       Information

What type of characters do you expect to see in a teen comedy genre?

The bully                         The popular character

The new person              The loner

The geek

What type of characters do relate to the most?

The bully                         The popular character

The new person             The loner

The geek

Do you expect a teen romantic comedy to relate to you?

Yes / No

What makes a good film?

Storyline          Setting       Correct target audience

Actors         Music        Good use of camera techniques

What do you expect a film to be? (please circle one genre)

Entertaining            Informative        Other _____________

What do you expect to see in a teen comedy film?

Cars     Realistic situations   Costume   Alcohol   Parties   Jewellery

What type of environment do you associate with a teen comedy?

Home       Outdoor         School

Do you think the environment of a film determines realism?

Yes / No

Do you expect a film to have a theme?

Yes / No

What do you expect to be explored in a teen comedy film?

Relationships              Social issues              Segregation   

Do these themes relate to you?

Yes / No

Opening Summary

	Findings	Example
Create an enigma	The identity of the key character	-          In ‘Never Been Kissed’ the key character is seen in dark lighting therefore it connotes her as mysterious.
Introduce key characters	Narration/Flashback technique Flashback technique	-           In ‘John Tucker Must Die’ there is narration and flashback technique used to introduce the main character. -          In ‘Crossroads’ they introduce the key characters by using the flashback technique to depict when they were children.
Introduce key themes	Dialogue	-          In ‘The Perfect Match’ the mother gets dumped and this relates to the theme of relationships.
Introduce Genre	Stock characters Background Music	-          ‘Bring It On’ features cheerleaders and this is a stereotypical of a teen film comedy. -          The opening music in ‘St.Trinians’ is upbeat and relates to a teenage audience.
Use of titles	Upbeat There is a general use of feminine titles, this connects to a female audience Titles connect with themes within movies	-          The transition of the titles is connected to the rhythm of the music in ‘Never been kissed’. -          Pink text is used in ‘St.Trinians’ and ‘Wild Child’. -          The opening titles of ‘Sisterhood Of The Sister Hood Of Travelling Pants’ connects to the theme of jeans.

Genre Summary

Codes and Conventions	Findings	Textual evidence
Stock Settings	Schools are commonly featured An outdoor environment Parties	-          In ‘Never Been Kissed’ different social groups can be explored. -          Beaches/Parks allows the audience to view teenagers in an unrestricted environment. -          In ‘Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ teenagers are seen by audience without parental control.
Stock characters	The Jocks Cheerleaders Loner/Outcast New Person Geek Goth	-          In ‘Mean Girls’ the characters such as the Jocks and Cheerleaders are idolised because of their higher status. Whereas the smaller social groups tend to be the underdogs.
Themes	Relationships Social issues	-          The main character In ‘Never Been Kissed’ explores teenage relationships and the movie also explores the changing teenager/dominant ideology through a school setting.
Narrative	Todorov’s theory is a common feature.	-          ‘Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ begins and ends with equilibrium. Angus gets the boy in the end.
Iconography	Parties Jewellery Alcohol Costume	-           ‘Never Been Kissed’ -          Shows a change/encourages behaviour of a teenager in order to convey the dominant ideology of the troublesome teenager. -          Teenager can express attitude/feelings.

Textual anaylsis

Three whole films – Teen Comedy

Bring It On

Stock settings

·     The primary stock setting for ‘Bring It On’ is in a school environment and this follows the codes and conventions of a teen comedy. The use of school environment allows the audience to explore the realms of a teenage setting which consists of a variety of social groups.

Stock characters

·    ‘Bring It On’ features the typical stock characters which are found in a teenage comedy film. The most prominent characters are the cheerleaders, jocks and the boy next door. It is suggestive the portrayal of the stock characters in the film allow the film to portray an element of diversity, although it posses stereotypes. On the other hand, the incorporation of these characters allows the audience to explore the differences of attitudes conveyed by each social group.

Themes

·     The main theme present in ‘Bring it On’ is relationships, the relationship between two cheerleading squads is experimented with. The relationship is initially hostile but in time it grows. Therefore, it is suggestive the relationship between the two social groups have been experimented with in order to bridge a gap in terms of social grouping.  Furthermore, the experimentation of the relationship between the two groups allows the audience to view a common code and convention of a theme in the teen comedy genre.

Iconography

·     Cheerleading costumes are shown strongly throughout the film, the prominent stock characters appear in costume. The cheerleading costume could be interpreted as being similar to a uniform and it also appears to give those wearing it a sense of identity. The iconography fits the codes and conventions of a teen comedy however, it suggestive it paints teenagers in negative light.  In this film teenagers appear dependent on their image because they associate identity with a uniform.

Narrative

·    The narrative of the film follows a linear structure however; it relies on a stereotypical view of a teenage behaviour. Throughout the film social groups are pitted against each other and in doing so the portrayal of the teenagers can be defined as being the dominant ideology, troublesome. In addition, the portrayal of teenagers in 'Bring it on' is commonly found in  films in the teenage comedy genre.

Juno

Stock settings

·     In ‘Juno’ the typical stock setting of a school is present, the school acts as an environment which houses a wide range of social groups, such as the athletics and outcasts.  The social group which ‘Juno’ belongs to could be deemed as outcast, because she appears to not fit into the school environment.

Stock characters

·    ‘Juno’ could be defined as an outcast which is a code and convention of the movie genre.  The representation of ‘Juno’ is suggestive it is influenced by her pregnancy. By allowing the representation of ‘Juno’ to be influenced it highlights her underage pregnancy as an issue.

Themes

·    The main theme in ‘Juno’ is relationships and this is a common feature in the teen comedy genre. The relationship between Juno and her community is delved into in order show how pregnancy has affected it. The effect of a teenage pregnancy on a relationship is not a general code and convention of the teen comedy genre; however it allows the audience to explore an issue which they might not be familiar with.

Iconography

·     The iconography in ‘Juno’ connotes verisimilitude because it is set in a realistic environment.  In ‘Juno’ the audience can form a relationship with the characters and setting because they are placed in a domestic environment that is identifiable to them.

Narrative

·     The narrative of Juno, could be perceived as conveying teenagers as the dominant ideology of being troublesome. A teenage character is depicted as underage and pregnant. The depiction of the character appears to be negative and it is suggestive it has been used to reinforce the dominant ideology.

Mean Girls

Stock settings

·     The stock setting of ‘Mean Girls’ follows the codes and conventions of a teen comedy genre. ‘Mean Girls’ is set in a high school and it is suggestive this stock setting has been chosen because it features many teenage social groups and characteristics.

Stock characters

·     There is a variety of stock characters used in ‘Mean Girls’ such as the school jocks, outcasts and new girl. The incorporation of many stock characters could be considered as heightening the sense of reality in a school environment because it showcases many social groups under one community. Following on from this, the effect from housing many social groups is friction which is an element of entertainment for the audience.

Themes

·      The main theme throughout ‘Mean Girls’ is relationships, the social groups which consist could be considered as a catalyst.  Depending where you are placed on the social scale in ‘Mean Girls’ it determined the level of communication and respect given.  It can be interpreted by using social groups as a catalyst to explore relationships it has made the audience view the typical codes and conventions of a teen comedy theme through the eyes of different social groups.

Iconography

·      In ‘Mean Girls’ the costume worn by the stock characters appears to be a reflective of their social group.  The jocks costume featured college jackets and the outcasts wore dark clothing. It is suggestive the iconography in ‘Mean Girls’ has been used to provide characters with an identity because the costumes worn portrays their character

Narrative

·      The narrative of ‘Mean Girls’ focuses on relationships it shows how social groups such as jocks and outcasts are related to in a school environment. The focus on relationships allows the audience to understand a perspective which they may never have considered previously, therefore it could be considered as effective.

Textual analysis of film openings.

Film openings – Teen Comedy

Never Been Kissed

        Mise en scène

·         Pink Jacket – Pink is a feminine colour and it could be attributed with weakness, due to the dominant ideology of patriarchy. The female character is seen wearing a pink jacket in a work environment and this could be interpreted she is aware of her place in society as a woman. Furthermore, it could also be considered a pink jacket has been chosen to wear for the character because it provides empowerment for the female audience interested in the comedy genre to venture into a male oriented work setting.

·         Back light – Mystery has been created from the incorporation of a back light, there is a shadow created that creates an isolated shadow covering the females back. From the back light a dark light is produced and this connotes vulnerability. Therefore, the female character could be interpreted as a vulnerable and the positioning of the light which showcases her in shadows reinforces this.

Editing

·         Blue Blocks- The colour blue is generally associated with peace, in the opening title there are blue rectangular blocks present which transition changing their location. The change of location could be perceived as contradictory to the nature of the colour blue because change occurs frequently. Furthermore, the pace of transition from block to block is fast paced and it follows the rhythm of the upbeat sound. It is suggestive the blue blocks have been edited to have a constant change of direction, in order to encapsulate the idea that teenagers are always changing.

·         Fade – Text in the opening title credits fades in and fades out, the use of fade enables the audience to have a slow transition between frames.  The slow transitions between frames is effective to the audience because they are able to relate the use of edit to the ideology that teenagers are trouble and have no real place in society, therefore they fade in and out.

·         Font colour – The text present in the credits has a feminine nature. The font colour of the text is pink and this colour is generally associated with females. It is suggestive the colour pink has been used because it is typical of teen comedy to feature a female character who is challenging and exploring their femininity.

Camera shot/movement

·         Pan – Throughout the opening of the film there is a lot of camera pans present in frames. The camera pans from the baseball crowd to a crowd of people in the city. The transition also allows the audience to feel like they are involved in following the action taking place. Following on, it could be considered the camera pan has been added to show the audience a contrast of people in society in order to explore and enforce the message that we are all different. Exploration is a common element in a teen comedy and it could be considered the camera pan has achieved this.

·         Jump Cut- Jump cuts are prominent within the opening titles; there is a jump cut from the score board to the cheering crowd. It could be interpreted jump cuts have been prominently used within the opening titles to increase tension and pace.  In addition, pace is important in teen comedy because it is reliant on timing to covey a comedia aspect.

·         Mid shot – In the opening frame a mid-shot introduces the female character, the character is framed central and this suggest the character is of importance. However, the mid-shot also enable the audience to form a connection with the character. Furthermore, the character appears to be isolated because she is standing on her alone and this reinforces the urge to form a connection with the character.

Sound

·         Non-diegetic sound – There is non-diegetic sound used in the form of background music. The background music has lyrics which include the phrase ‘catch a falling star’. Stars are associated with good fortune and it could be interpreted the background music has been chosen in order to convey the general outcome of a teen comedy genre.

   

Furthermore, the non-diegetic sound fades into a diegetic sound. The diegetic sound being the dialogue of the female character becomes entwined with the non-diegetic background music and this allows the audience to believe the character is going to have good fortune because of her association with the background music.

13 Going on 30

Mise en scène

·      Braces – Braces are commonly linked to the experience of being a teenager, however they are often viewed in a comedic nature. The female character in the opening titles wears braces and it suggestive the incorporation of braces has been used for a comedic purpose because a geeky character is a common convention of a teen comedy.

·      School environment- To set a teen comedy in a school environment it allows a showcase of different personalities. An example of this is the main female character shown in the opening frame that is stereotyped as a geek because she wears braces and appears intellectual due to the incorporation of books.

Editing

·      Font colour – The text colour has a feminine nature, the colour of the text is pink and it could be interpreted the colour pink has been used in order to relate to the lead character and her exploration of being a teenage female.

·      Dissolve – The dark background of the opening titles dissolves into a light cloud backdrop within the film.  The transition of the dissolve enables the audience to gradually progress from the opening credits to the film. In addition, it is effective to the audience because the transition is done at a slow pace so the audience is allowed to see the contrast between the dark opening credits to the light clouds which could be considered as a depiction of hope and further events in the story line.

·     Background – The background of the opening titles is dark, however it allows the audience to believe that something good is going to happen later on in the plot. It could be interpreted the background is a galaxy; there are stars present and a multitude of vibrant colours which have been used softly. The background is mysterious because it is not verisimilitude to the audience however it features stars which symbolises good luck which reinforces something positive is going to occur. Following on from this, in a teen comedy is it typical for good luck to occur, therefore the background could be considered to reinforce this point.

Camera shot/movement

·      The camera zooms out to a long shot of a geeky female character; the use of camera shot and movement allows the audience to establish the character is a typical stock character in a teen comedy. By using a stock character it is verisimilitude and reinforces realism.

Sound

·      Non-Diegetic – There is non-Diegetic sound in the opening titles of the film and the sound featured is upbeat.  There are drums present which gives the sound a catchy rhythm. Therefore, it is suggestive the sound has been used in order to relate to a teenager audience due to the catchy nature of the sound.

Grease

Stock settings

·         The opening of Grease does not follow the typical conventions of a stock setting of a teen comedy because the opening is not set in a typical school setting; it follows the stock characters in their own personal environments such at their homes and places of work.  However, the environments shown do relate to a teenage audience because they are realistic. It could be considered by not following the typical stock settings it has allowed the audience to understand the backgrounds of the characters before they are placed in their conventional teenage comedy role.

Stock characters

·         The characters in the opening credits are introduced to the audience without a clear differentiation to their classic codes and conventions in a teen comedy genre. The character portrayal relies on a gender stereotype; a female wearing a pink jumper which connotes femininity is evidence of this. However, a collective of characters wear black jackets which appears to be similar to a uniform and therefore suggests they are a group which is a convention of a stock character in a teen comedy. It is suggestive the ‘Grease opening’ is allowing the audience to become familiar with the characters and feel integrated into a yet undefined social group.

Themes

·         The main theme presented in the opening could be perceived as exploration. The teenagers are presented in a variety of environments which allows the audience to gain an insight into the lives of the teenagers and to understand what is expected in a teen genre.

Iconography

·         There is a conventional use of iconography present in the opening of ‘Grease’.  The costume consisting of a leather jacket, worn by the collective of males is reflective of the teenage fashion during the era of ‘Grease’. Furthermore, the iconography used is effective because of its verisimilitude nature.

Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Stock settings and themes

·         The opening of ‘Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ features the codes and conventions of teenage comedy stock setting. A female character is seen in an outdoor environment; however she is not portrayed as a stereotypical teenager because she is accompanied by her Father. The accompaniment could be considered as a countertype of the dominant ideology in society that teenagers are uncontrolled trouble. Following on from this countertype it is suggestive to the audience the theme of parental guidance is followed throughout the film, although it is not a prominent feature generally in the teen comedy genre.

Stock characters

·         In the opening of the film there is presence of a divide based on social groups, which is a common feature to the teenage comedy genre.  The popular social group of girls are contrasted by another group of girls who appear lower in the social spectrum. The positioning of the girls reinforces this because the girls who appear popular are framed centrally, whereas the less popular girls are framed intimately in a corner with dark lighting which suggests vulnerability.  

Iconography

·         There is a party shown in the opening of ‘Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ and this follows the codes and conventions of a teen comedy genre. However, the party appears controlled and this is a counter type of the general representation of the teenage attitude.

10 Things I Hate About You

Stock settings

·         In 10 ‘Things I Hate About You’ the conventional stock settings of a film in the teenage comedy genre is present. There is a place of education and an outdoor environment. The use of the conventional stock settings is verisimilitude to the audience and it establishes a sense of place.

Stock characters

·         There is a divide shown between two social groups and this is typical in a teen comedy genre. Presented in the opening credits are a group of girls who appears to be of high social status and an individual girl, who could be deemed as a loner. Both of these characters are stereotypes usually founded in a teenage comedy and these stereotypes could be construed as negative however they enable the audience to divulge into the different characteristics of a teenager.

Themes

·         The main theme present in the opening credits could be interpreted as segregation because there is a clear divide present between two social groups. Segregation is a common theme in the teenage comedy genre; it highlights the difference between people and social groups. On the other hand, it allows the audience to explore different social groups that they have yet to embrace.

Iconography

·         The iconography of ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ posses a sense of realism because it is set in a real life situation and this is typical to the teen comedy genre. Following on from this, the use of iconography allows the audience to form a relation because they are shown an environment that they are familiar to.