Synopsis of Film

A Geeky Girl joins the school and is taken in by the popular people.

There is a party and the popular girls give the Geeky Girl a makeover, and at the party the 'head' Bitch’s boyfriend falls for the Geeky Girl.

The 'head' Bitch then finds out and plans to make the geeky girl’s life hell. Lots of pranks happen to the Geeky Girl and she becomes friends with the Loner Guy, who the popular people bullied in the past. The Loner Guy and Geeky Girl and the Popular Girls all prank each other.

The film ends with a school dance and the Geeky Girl gives a meaningful speech about how looks aren’t everything. She is announced Prom Queen and the Popular Boy asks her out, but she realises 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

Questionnaire

Summary of Openings

Summary of Textual Analysis

She's The Man (Opening)

0:00-2:00

Distributor: DreamWorks

Sound:

Non-diegetic sound is the main type of sound that is heard in the opening of the film. The song is upbeat and fast which quickly establishes that the film is for teens. Diegetic sound is heard through dialogue but this only consists of screams when the brunette female character scores a goal. This emphasises that she is good at football which indicates to the audience that this could possibly be important to the narrative or her character.

Editing and Framing:

Straight cuts are used to follow the fast pace of the action, as well as creating verisimilitude. The brunette character is in the majority of shots, showing her to be either in the frame alone or surrounded by people. This gives the impression that she is the main character. Also, when close framing is used, the audience begin to identify the time of year that it is as the female characters are wearing bikinis and skirts, showing that it is summer.

Camera Shots and Movements:

Long shots are used frequently in the opening of the film, showing the setting to be a beach. This strongly suggests to the audience that it is summer, as well as giving an impression of the type of place the characters live. Tracking is used to follow the brunette character playing football. This reinforces the idea of her being the main character and important to the narrative. Close-ups are used throughout the opening, focusing on character’s legs and the football itself. This implies that football is very important to the narrative, as well as identifying that these characters are teenagers. Mid-shots are also used, an example of this is when the girls begin to dance with each other. This reinforces the stereotypical view that all teenagers just care about having fun, and also identifies the brunette female character to be quite outgoing and popular, as she is in the centre the dancing.

Mise en scene:

The costume the characters are wearing in the opening of the film reinforce that it is summertime, as all of the girls are wearing bikinis and the male characters are topless with shorts on. The brunette female character wears a bikini but covers her bottom half with a demin skirt. This shows her to be less feminine then some of the other girls as she isn’t showing as much flesh. This also highlights her to look physically different then the other girls, again reinforcing the idea that she is the main character of the film. High key lighting has been used to give a natural feel to the situation, as they are on a beach in the summer. This style of lighting also creates verisimilitude.

Titles:

The titles of the film are very artistic and colourful. This connotes that the film is youthful from the very beginning and possibly not very serious. The colour orange is used to highlight the different names that appear on screen. This colour isn’t gender specific, but is stereotypically associated as a more feminine colour, suggesting that the brunette female character has some masculine qualities. The font is a block simple style, but as the text is white, this has connotations of purity and innocence, which is a trait that is stereotypically associated with youth. The titles do not appear in one specific place on screen, possibly referring to the unpredictable lifestyles and personalities of teenagers. This random feel to the titles gives the impression to the viewer that the action taking place in the opening is going to be disrupted throughout the film, as it seems as if what is being portrayed is a perfect environment, but it is being invaded by text randomly.

She's All That (Opening)

0:00-1:50

Distributor: Miramax Films

Sound:

The film begins with non-diegetic sound through the use of music. The song is youthful and has a heavy beat, indicating that the female character may be quite serious, but the overall tone of the music immediately implies that this film is that serious and the main characters are probably going to be young teenagers. Diegetic sound is heard through dialogue in the opening. An example of this is when Laney goes to wake up her brother. The way she speaks to him shows she has authority and allows the audience to quickly wonder why she can speak to her sibling in a parental way.

Editing and Framing:

The action constantly fades in and out during the beginning of the film, allowing the audience to understand that time is passing but also show she is putting a lot of effort into her work. The frame during this time is also filled with her and her work, which gives the impression to the viewer that she takes her school work seriously and emphasises that art in particular is her specialty. This idea of being hard working and passionate about a subject isn’t the way that many teenagers are stereotypically portrayed, which immediately shows her to be different. When Laney talks to her brother, straight cuts are used to create verisimilitude and help the audience relate to her character easily and the situation she is in.

Camera Shots and Movements:

Mid-shots are used of Laney when she is trying to wake her brother up, showing her in the same clothes and her reactions to what he says. This allows the audience to see that she has just finished her work whilst everyone else slept, reinforcing the idea that she is hard working. The camera also tracks her as she walks towards his door, indicating to the viewer that she is an important part of the narrative. Close-ups are used to show Laney’s hands when she is working and the paint when she uses it. These all have connotations of being creative and strongly suggest she is an imaginative and artist character.

Mise en scene:

Laney wears a yellow top with brown sleeves and apron in the opening of the film. The apron she wears links with her painting but the odd mix of colours suggests that she is trying to express herself through her appearance, which is a stereotypical trait of teenagers. Also, she wears glasses which portray her to be a geek characters as glasses have connotations of being intelligent. When Laney is painting, the lighting is quite dark, indicating that what she is doing may be private as well as linking with her doing it in her basement where there wouldn’t much light realistically, so this style of lighting creates verisimilitude.

Titles:

The titles used in the film appear at the beginning of the film but do not show up on screen in one fixed place. The animation used in the titles link to what Laney is doing, which is painting. For example, one piece of text appears to be squished down and then stabled to the work. This reinforces the idea that art is an important part of the narrative and highlights Laney to be an important character as she is the one making the piece. The font and colour used look like paint and again links to what is happening on screen, allowing the audience to not become distracted by too many colours.

Clueless (Opening)

0:00-2:00

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Sound:

The first sound heard in the opening of the film is non-diegetic. The music used here is a popular song called ‘Kids in America’. This immediately indicates that the characters are teenagers and the setting is America. Non-diegetic sound is also heard through the use of a voiceover. This allows the audience to feel as if they are seeing into somebody’s life and the voiceover also makes the character have a personal connection with the viewer. Diegetic sound is heard through the use of dialogue. The audience get in impression of the type of character that teenage girl is as she calls her father ‘Daddy’, which is a stereotypical way of portraying a character to be spoilt.

Editing and Framing:

Straight cuts are use throughout the opening, immediately creating verisimilitude, as well as keeping a fast pace to the action, connoting that a lot happen in these character’s lives. In many shots the frame is full of people having fun and laughing by the pool or joking at the bar. This gives the impression that it is summer time and indicates that this group of people are friends. Also, the blonde female character is in the majority of the shots, which quickly gives the impression to the audience that she is will be important to the narrative, and is probably the main character.

Camera Shots and Movements:

Mid-shots are used frequently throughout the opening, an example of a mid-shot is when the female blande character walks out of a shop carrying shopping bags. This indicates to the audience that she is possibly a materialistic character as well as being very wealthy. The camera then tracks the character as she walks off with her shopping bags. This gives the impression to the viewer that this character is going to be important as the camera follows her. Close-ups are also used in the opening, for example when the group of girls are at the bar. This shot shows one of the girl’s legs on show as she is wearing a very short skirt. This reinforces the stereotype that young girls are provocative and want attention. A crane movement is used when the jeep is shown. This allows the audience to see the group of girls in the car and shows that these characters will more than likely been seen numerous times throughout the film.

Mise en scene:

When the girls are around the pool, they are all wearing bikinis and swimming costume, reinforcing the idea that it is summer. This also shows them to be revealing quite a lot of their bodies, implying that they take care of their appearances, which is a stereotypical teenage issue. The blonde female character’s costume when at home is quite formal and covers the top half of her body. This gives the impression to the viewer that she is a different type of person when with her parents, which is a common thing that many teenagers do, and this helps the audience relate to her character. This yellow tweed skirt and blazer, has connotations of her being popular as she would be noticed in a crowd and again emphasises that it is summer as yellow is often associated with this season. The lighting used is very bright in the scenes outside, as it is summer. High key lighting is also used to create a realistic feel to the film and allow the audience to relate to the characters and issues more easily.

Titles:

The titles of the film begin immediately after the Paramount Pictures logo is seen. The titles themselves are very bright but it could be argued that the colours don’t match, which echoes the stereotype that young people try and express themselves through colour but they’re not always perfect. The font used is large and in block, but the letters aren’t all the same sizes, which again reinforces the idea that teenagers aren’t always perfect. The text appears in the centre of the screen, but only the distributor and name of the film are shown in the opening. This gets the audience’s attention straight away but doesn’t allow them to be distracted in the rest of the opening.

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (Opening)

0:00-1:55

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Sound:

The majority of sound heard in the opening is diegetic. However, non-diegetic sound can be heard in the opening, through the use of instrumental music. The light music is relatively quiet, enabling the audience to hear and focus on the dialogue between the daughter and her father. The diegetic sound in the opening of the film is heard through dialogue. The stereotypical way that many teen romantic comedies portray young people to speak in slang and differently to adults is echoed here. The line ‘Boys don’t like girls for funniness’ reinforces the stereotype that young girls a constantly looking for approval from boys, which allows the audience to relate to the characters.

Editing and Framing:

Straight cuts are used throughout the opening, which creates verisimilitude. This also shows characters interacting, such as the father and daughter talking. When Georgia walks into the room, the frame is filled with shocked expressions from the other characters at the party. The use of this immediately creates comedy as she has come dressed differently to the other characters at the party. It also gives the impression that she is not like the rest of the teenage characters as she seems more quirky.

Camera Shots and Movements:

Tracking is used to follow the car as the Georgia’s father talks to her as she walks down the street. This immediately implies that she is going to be important to the narrative because she is creating an issue from the very beginning of the film. Mid-shots are used to show Georgia’s friends telling her why they didn’t dress the same as her to the party. This emphasises how different she is to the rest of the people at the party as the audience can see what the other characters are wearing. A close-up of Georgia’s face is also used in the opening when she walks into the room of people. This shows her looking disheartened that she is dressed so differently and also shows her to seem self-conscious, which aids the viewer in relating to her character.

Mise en scene:

The costumes that are seen in the opening are fancy dress, but still give an insight into the types of characters in the film. For example, Georgia is wearing an olive compared to the other girls who are dressed as angels and bunnies. This connotes her to be quirky and someone who doesn’t follow the crowd. One girl is immediately portrayed as being a bitchy character, as she teases Georgia on her outfit. This girl is dressed as a black cat, which has connotations of being bad luck and evil, giving the impression that she could be a villain in the narrative. Georgia’s friends are all dressed like many other people at the party, showing them to go along with the crowd and being self conscious about what other people think about them, which is a stereotypical teenage trait. High key lighting is used to create a natural feel to the film, allowing the audience to believe the characters and situations are real, and therefore relating to them easily.

Titles:

The titles appear at the bottom of the frame, which allows the audience to not be distracted by what is happening on screen. Also the font is curly and could be considered childlike, which gives the impression that the characters aren’t very serious. The font is white, which again doesn’t distract the viewer, but links to the idea of innocence, which is frequently associated with children.

10 Things I Hate About You (Opening)

0:00-1:50

Distributor: Touchstone Pictures

Sound:

Non-diegetic sound is heard from the very beginning of the film, when the Touchstone logo is seen. This immediately addresses that the target audience are teenagers, as the music heard is an upbeat song which the young girls in the blue car recognise and dance to, showing that it is popular amongst this age group. Another non-diegetic song is used when the camera pans to another car that is also waiting at the same crossing as the blue car. The song heard here is ‘Bad Reputation’, which implies that this girl is different to the other characters, which is emphasised by their judging faces.

Editing and Framing:

Straight cuts are used throughout the opening, creating a sense of verisimilitude. They have also been used to show the difference between the girls in the blue car and the girl in the red car. This helps emphasise how different the female character in the red car is and gives a sense of her being an outcast as she is on her own. The style of framing used in this scene also implies the girl in the red car is a loner, as nearly half of the frame is taken up by the empty seats of the car, compared to the framing of the blue car being full with characters.

Camera Shots and Movements:

Mid-shots are used to show the reactions of the group of girls in the blue car when the female character in the red car pulls up alongside them. This again reinforces the idea that she has a reputation for being different as they all seem appalled that she is so close to them. Another example of a mid-shot used is when the red car owner pulls down the prom poster at school. This is unusual to see a teenage girl do, as many young girls are stereotypically represented as dreaming about the prom since being a child. Tracking is used before she tears down the poster, which gives the impression that she is going to be an important part of the narrative. A long shot is used to show the city that the film is set in and gives the audience a location of the characters which allows them to relate easier. A pan is used to reveal a more suburban area in the city that the characters live in, allowing the audience to automatically have expectations of the types of characters they will see. Another setting is shown through the use of a tilt. This camera movement reveals a school, which is a stereotypical setting that is used frequently in teen romantic comedies.

Mise en scene:

A contrast of the characters is shown through costume in the opening of the film. The girls in the blue car are all wearing light colours, with the driver wearing a flowery top. This connotes them to be feminine and free, which is representative of their age and stereotypical of teenage female characters. However, the girl in the red car is wearing a black cardigan with a dark top. This has connotations of her being close-off and mysterious, which again shows her to be an outsider to the rest of the characters. High key lighting is used to give a natural and realistic feel to the film, which also helps the audience believe the characters are real people.

Titles:

The titles begin from the very beginning of the film, and are first seen against a black screen. This highlights the bright colours of green and blue used in the text seen, which immediately gives a less serious feel to the opening. The font is also very rough looking and could also be implied to be handwritten, which links to the teen genre and target audience. When the screen begins to show footage of the city and the school, the titles appear in the middle of the screen, in the same blue and green colours. This keeps a theme throughout the opening. When action is taking place, such as the car scene, the titles do not appear on screen. This allows the audience to not get distracted and instead focuses the attention on what is happening in the scene.

Textual Analysis: She's All That

Distributor: Miramax Films

Typical Codes and Conventions:

She’s All That is set in America. The main setting used in the film is a high school, this is a very common stock setting that is used in the majority of teen romantic comedies, as it highlights the idea that school takes up most of a young person’s life. Some scenes show individual character’s homes, such as Laney and Zack. The use of these in the film reinforces the stereotype that all teenagers live with their families and are financially dependent on their parents. The local beach is also seen at various times throughout the film. It is shown as a meeting place for the teenagers where they can hang out in the day and also gives a more specific idea of the type of place the characters live.

Laney’s costume changes throughout the film. This use of mise en scene visually shows the change in her personality and character. When she is first seen, she wears glasses and a mismatch of colours. The glasses portray her to be a geek and that she doesn’t fit in with the other perfect looking characters. Also, the use of many different colours being worn at once has connotations of her trying to express herself which is a stereotypical view of teenagers. As she begins to change in the film and open up more as a character, her costume changes too. She begins to wear dresses instead of trousers, showing her to be more feminine now and taking care of her appearance like the other female characters. Also she doesn’t wear her glasses anymore, which connotes her to be more accepted as she physically looks similar to the other characters in the film. Zack is immediately portrayed as a jock by him wearing a letterman jacket when he is first introduced. Throughout the film, Zack tends to wear simple clothing such as t-shirts and jumpers. This echoes the style of many teenage boys so it is a stereotypical style of costume that is seen in teen romantic comedies.

Stereotypical teenage traits are seen throughout the film, an example of this is Taylor getting a tattoo. This encodes her to be rebellious, which is a stereotypical view of teenagers. Prom Queen posters are also seen scattered around the school on walls. This emphasises the important of the prom to the narrative as well as showing the dance is considered very important to many teenagers.

Non-diegetic music is used at the very beginning of the film. This interests the audience straight away and also establishes that it is a teen film as the song is popular and upbeat. Diegetic sound is heard through dialogue. Many of the characters swear when speaking to one another which reinforces the stereotypical view that all teenagers use bad language.

High key lighting is used constantly throughout the film, which gives a natural and realistic feel to the situations and narrative, and also creates verisimilitude.

Narrative Structure:

She’s All That follows a linear narrative, consisting of a very clear beginning, middle and end. The film also follows Todorov’s theory:

Equilibrium: Zack returns to school after Spring Break.
Disruption: Taylor breaks up with Zack.
Recognition of Disruption: Taylor starts dating another man.
Attempt to Repair Disruption: Dean bets Zack that he couldn’t make Laney Prom Queen.
Disruption: Zack begins to like Laney.
Recognition of Disruption: Zack opens up to Laney.
Attempt to Repair Disruption: Zack and Laney nearly kiss.
Disruption: Laney finds out about the bet.
Recognition of Disruption: Laney ignores Zack’s phone calls.
Attempt to Repair Disruption: Laney goes to prom with Dean instead of Zack.
Disruption: Dean tries to have sex with Laney.
Recognition of Disruption: Laney goes home instead.
Attempt to Repair Disruption: Zack is waiting at Laney’s house and they kiss.
Reinstatement of Equilibrium: Zack and Laney graduate and are now together.

Characters:

The characters in She’s All That are very stereotypical of a teen romantic comedy. Mise en scene reinforces these stereotypes throughout the film. For example, Taylor is portrayed as the bitch, as she ruins Laney’s dress and also tells her she’s not good enough to be around her and her friends. Another stereotype seen in the film is that artistic people have dark personalities. An example of this is Laney’s art class peer, who wears very dark clothes throughout the film and makes jokes that Laney should kill herself.

Propp’s theory can be applied to the characters in the film. Zack is portrayed as the hero, because he tried to save Laney when he thinks Dean has taken her to a hotel to have sex with her, and he also drives the narrative forward. Laney is shown to be the Princess, as she is Zack’s reward after he tells the truth about his feelings and that he was in the wrong for making the bet. As the hero is a male in the film and the Princess a female, this implies it is very traditional when it comes to the character types seen in the film, which may be due to when it was made. The villains in the film are Taylor and Dean, as both try to stop Zack and Laney getting together, such as Dean going to prom with Laney and Taylor trying to win Zack back. Laney’s friend and Zack’s sister are the mentors of the film, as they help Zack and Laney be together by telling Zack about Dean’s plan.

Themes:

An important theme throughout She’s All That is family. This emphasises the stereotype that teenagers are dependent on their families and also shows how important Laney’s family is to her. The idea of not fitting in is also a strong theme seen in the film. This is also a very important part of the narrative and seen as an important part of teenage life.

Technical Aspects:

Mid-shots are used continually throughout the film, allowing the audience to see character’s reactions, whilst also showing other character’s at the same time. An example of this is when Zack is announced Prom King.

Close-ups are used frequently in the film, often to show reactions and emotions of characters. For example, when Laney finds out about the bet. This helps the audience identify easily with the character as they can clearly see how they are feeling.

Straight cuts are used consistently throughout the film as it creates verisimilitude and continuity, making the audience believe what is happening to the characters is real, and therefore identifying with them and the situations and issues they are facing.

Textual Analysis: Mean Girls

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Typical Codes and Conventions:

Mean Girls is set in America but predominantly in a high school, this is a stock setting that is used in teen romantic comedies as school is major part of teenage life. Other setting that are seen in the film include a mall, highlighting the stereotype that all teenage girls love shopping, and it is portrayed as a local meeting place for many of the main character’s peers. Regina’s bedroom is also seen a handful of times throughout the film. The mise en scene used, such as posters and pictures, as well as there being many different bright colours in the room, reinforces the stereotype of teens trying to express themselves through colour.

The majority of the characters wear simple but colourful clothing, again implying that young people express themselves through their appearance. Some characters have a more detailed costume, which reflect their different personality to the rest of the students. For example, Janis wears dark, gothic clothes, which echoes her pessimistic personality. The Plastics wear some item of pink clothing most of the time, as pink is considered the most feminine colour. Cady’s costume changes throughout the film as she becomes a bigger part of the Plastics. This means that she begins to wear skirts instead of trousers, and low cut tops revealing her cleavage, which are all considered stereotypical feminine clothing.

Non-diegetic is used in the film, primarily through the use of a voice-over. This creates a deeper connection with the audience straight away, as it is as if they are being told a personal story by the main character, Cady. Non-diegetic music is also used frequently throughout the film, often to show the passing of time, such as when Cady, Janis and Damian begin attempting to ‘destroy’ Regina. Diegetic sound is also heard in the film through dialogue. Many of the characters speak in slang, for example Gretchen using the word ‘fetch’ a lot in the film, reinforcing the stereotypical way that teenagers are portrayed as speaking in teen romantic comedies.

High key lighting is used throughout the film as it creates verisimilitude as well as giving a more natural feel to the narrative, allowing the audience to relate to the characters more easily.

Narrative Structure:

The film has a linear narrative structure, with a very clear beginning, middle and end. Todorov’s theory is also followed in the film:

Equilibrium: Cady is home-schooled by her parents in Africa.
Disruption: Cady moves to America and attends public school, where she is an outcast.
Recognition of Disruption: She doesn’t have any friends.
Attempt to Repair Disruption: Janis and Damian become her friends.
Disruption: The Plastics take an interest in Cady.
Recognition of Disruption: Janis explains who The Plastics are.
Attempt to Repair Disruption: Cady becomes friends with Plastics.
Disruption: Regina gets back together with her ex boyfriend, Aaron, knowing that Cady now likes him.
Recognition of Disruption: Cady sees them kissing.
Attempt to Repair Disruption: Janis makes a plan to ‘destroy’ Regina, so Cady can get with Aaron.
Disruption: Janis, Cady and Damian begin sabotaging Regina, by making her fat, Aaron breaking up with her and make Gretchen and Karen fall out with her.
Recognition of Disruption: Regina blames Cady, Gretchen and Karen for the ‘Burn Book’, a book of rumours about people at their school.
Attempt to Repair Disruption: The girls in the class do group exercises to trust each again.
Disruption: Regina gets hit by a bus.
Recognition of Disruption: Cady becomes an outcast again.
Attempt to Repair Disruption: Cady wins mathletes and becomes spring fling queen, but shares the crown with everyone.
Reinstatement of Equilibrium: The girls in the class are equals now and Cady gets together with Aaron.

Characters:

The characters in the film are very stereotypical of teen romantic comedies. In the film, there is a scene where Cady is being informed about all of the different social groups that sit in the caferteria. Point-of-view shots are used here to allow the audience to feel part of the action, and feel as if they are finding out about this, at the same time as the main character. The stereotypical social groups, such as Jocks and The Plastics, are strongly represented by mise en scene. This helps the audience identify the types of characters quickly and helps the viewer to relate to the narrative and characters too.

Also, Propp’s theory can be identified in the film’s characters. Cady is portrayed as the heroine, as she wins the mathletes competition, and also ends the divide of the students into different social groups by sharing her spring fling crown. In the film, Aaron may be considered as the Princess, because he is Cady’s reward for ending the group divides. Janis and Damian are represented as the mentors in the film, as they form the plan to sabotage Regina, but they couldn’t do this without the hero, Cady. The villain is shown through Regina, as she wants Aaron for herself and also tries to harm Cady by blaming her for the ‘Burn Book’.

Themes:

In the film, a key theme is trying to fit in at school. This highlights and clearly shows to the audience the stereotypical characters in the film, and emphasises that Cady is different. Relationships are also a strong theme in Mean Girls. The main type of relationship that is seen in the film is friendship but the audience also see characters having romantic relationships. This idea of friends and love is considered very important to many teenagers.

Technical Aspects:

Close-ups are used very frequently in the film, often to show a character’s reaction. An example of this is when Cady is announced as spring fling queen, this is used to help the audience relate to Cady as her shocked face fills most of the frame. Another use of close-ups in the film, is to show the change in Cady, as she becomes more and more like an actual Plastic. A mirror is often used in the frame to show a close-up of her face with more make-up on than at the start of the film, with the mirror symbolising her becoming vainer as time passes, and vanity is a stereotype that is often attached to teenage girls. This allows the audience to feel part of the narrative as they can clearly see the change like other characters, for example Janis and Damian.

Mid-shots are also used repeatedly in Mean Girls. For example, a mid-shot is used when Aaron is tutoring Cady in maths. This physically indicates that the pair is getting closer, but also implies that their relationship is becoming closer too.

Straight cuts are used continually throughout the film to create verisimilitude. These also aid the viewer in relating easily to the characters and feel as if the situations and issues are more realistic.

Textual Analysis: She's The Man

Distributor: DreamWorks

Typical Codes and Conventions:

The film is set in America and the main setting within the film is a school. This is a typical setting that is seen in teen romantic comedies, as education is a big part of teenage life. Character’s homes also feature in the film, reinforcing the idea of living at home and being dependant on family.

Character’s costumes are stereotypical of teen romantic comedies, such as uniforms, as they link with the setting. Casual clothing is also seen throughout the film, such as short sleeved shirts underneath long sleeves tops. This is a popular fashion trend for teenage boys, and helps the audience to relate to the characters. The character Viola, whose costume changes throughout the film from feminine to masculine, wears tank tops and shorts when dressed as a girl. This emphasises the change from male to female through her costume, but also reinforces the masculine traits she holds, as shorts are seen as a more male clothing type.

Non-diegetic sound is used at the very beginning of the film, engaging the viewer from the very beginning. Diegetic sound is heard throughout the film through dialogue, and the use of slang creates comedy as well as reinforcing the stereotypical way teenagers are portrayed to speak in teen romantic comedies.

High key lighting is used throughout the film. This style creates verisimilitude allowing the audience to relate to the narrative and characters easily.

Narrative Structure:

The film follows a linear narrative structure, with a clear beginning, middle and end.
Also, She’s The Man conforms to Todorov’s theory:

Equilibrium: Playing football on the beach with friends in the summer.
Disruption: Girl’s football team is cancelled.
Recognition of Disruption: Girl’s ask to try out for the boy’s football team, but fail.
Attempt to Repair Disruption: Decides to dress as twin brother and play as a boy.
Disruption: Begins to like for roommate, who doesn’t know she is not really a boy, and her brother comes back to school early.
Recognition of Disruption: Other characters begin to realise that she isn’t really a boy.
Attempt to Repair Disruption: Reveals she is a boy, but has shown that she is good enough for the team, and wins the game.
Reinstatement of Equilibrium: Girl gets together with roommate and plays football.

Characters:

The characters in the film are very stereotypical. These stereotypes are represented strongly by the use of mise en scene.  For example, Eunice, who wears glasses and has braces, and therefore represented as a geek. Other stereotypes such as the bitch are also seen in the film. The character Monique is represented this way through her character being clingy and having cat-fights with other female characters because of boys.

Propp’s theory is seen in the film. For example, Viola is the heroine throughout the film, as she drives the narrative forward and is on a quest to prove herself as a good enough female footballer, and she wins the match for the team at the end of the film, which is part of her reward. Duke is portrayed as the Princess as Viola rescues him from his obsession with Olivia as well as winning the football game for the team which Duke is the captain. Malcolm is the villain of the narrative, as he tries to stop Viola playing the game by attempting to uncover her true identity, to win the affections of Olivia. Viola’s friends, Paul, Kia and Yvonne, are mentors to the heroine, by helping her disguise herself as her twin and win the acceptance of the other boys at the school.

Themes:

A main theme throughout the film is relationships, especially romantic ones. The idea of falling in love very quickly and easily is a stereotypical view of teenagers. Another theme that is seen in She’s The Man is not fitting in at school. This is due to the fact that education is a large part of teenage life, and it also refers to the stereotypes that are associated with young people.

Technical Aspects:

Mid-shots are used throughout the film, for example, when Viola thinks of the idea to disguise herself as her brother. This allows the audience to see any props that are important to the narrative, such as the football.

Close ups are used frequently in the film too, for example when Duke kisses Viola at the carnival. These allow the audience to relate to the character’s situation as their face takes up the frame. Also, they highlight to the viewer that this is a key moment in the film, as well as helping the audience feel part of the action.

Straight cuts are used continually throughout the film. This is to create verisimilitude and aid the audience in relating to the characters and narrative as it appears realistic.

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