Binary Oppositions

My groups chosen film was Romeo and Juliet, in this teen film there are loads of binary oppositions, however due to the story-line of the film there is one clear binary opposition which i will be focusing on in this blog and it is represented. The story line that is shown in the opening shows the rivalry between two families, The Capulet's and The Montague's, it is presented as a very violent battle between the two.

The element of Mise en scene is used very clearly to show the difference between the two gangs. At we see the Montague boys entering, their attire is very colorful and immature, they are portrayed by their clothing and the car they're driving as a group who are not very serious and just having fun. However when the Capulet's enter they are the complete opposite, they're wearing suits which present them as much more serious and sophisticated they are also all dressed in matching clothes. They have pistols with their gang name on it as well, this just presents them as a well prepared gang in comparison to the Montague boys which would allow the audience to take them much more seriously.

The next element that show the differences between the two gangs is Sound, when the two different gangs enter they is a very obvious difference between the sound used to introduce each gang. When the Montague boys enter there is a punk rock music playing which shows again that they may not have a strong presence like the Capulet's who when entering have a mysterious type of cowboy music playing which does show them to have a more older and mysterious vibe about them which leads you to believe they have an edge on the fight between the two gangs.

Another element is Editing, there is a lot of shot-reverse-shots used between the two main leaders of the Montague's and the Capulet's. This is done to show the differences between the character and show how opposite they are by switching from one to the other it allows us to see their physical differences as well as any other mise en scene on the screen .

Camera work is also used to show the two binary oppositions, in the clip above there is a moment when the camera uses a two shot to show the leader of each gang chuck their guns down and hold their hands up high, when this shot is done you can clearly see both gang leaders differences, from the colour of their hair, to the way they dress, to the way they stand and their presence.

Overview of the bling ring

The bling ring 

the bling ring is a teen film because it has all the themes a teen film has for example all the characters are either teenage girls or boys.Also there is a stereotypical clique within the movie which has an outsider who finally becomes popular.

furthermore a convention that makes it a teen drama is the fact that it is set in a high school in los angeles.moreover the beaches,the parties and the lifestyle they were living reflects how a teenager lives their life.

the film reflects that teen lives are more materialistic and more about money and clothes.it also shows the lifestyle of teens as they regularly partied and took drugs.

the clique is a made up of a 4 girls and one boy,typically the clique has one leader,a blonde and 2 girls that just follow along with the rest.this typical clique links in with another teen film -mean girls but unusually it has a boy that gets included into the

the film differs from other teen films because it doesn't include the other teen characters for example the jock,the nerd and other stereotypical characters.it also differs as the outcome in this teen film is more serious outcome as they end up in jail.furthermore most other teen films are sugar coated to make the teen life seem less harsh and more fun whereas in this film the use of drugs and robbery shows the realism.

the boy is portrayed as a homosexual in this film which helps him to fit in with the clique as if he was a hetrosexual he wouldn't fit in also the film is seen mostly through his eyes so we were able to see how he saw most of the things

the film represents consumerism by basing the whole storyline on the girls robbing clothes to seem more popular,also social networking was used to show all the teenagers activities and was also used to gain popularity as they posted photos of the things they robbed.Modern stars were used as the main motivation to rob these clothes as the teenagers thought they could be more like their idols 

the bling ring teen film

'The Bling Ring' is a teen film mainly because of the setting of the film which is based in a high school at first and then leads to parties, these are the main settings usually spotted in teen films. the themes in the film also makes it a obvious teen film because it being about teenage girls focusing on looks and fashion in high school and wanting to party but there is a twist in the film were the clique introduces a new way in shopping by robbing celebrities houses near by their homes. a new character is introduced at the beginning also known as a 'outsider'. they also introduce the perfect girl/with her clique. these are some of the common characters known to be played in teen films.

the use of fast cars and partying with alcohol and drugs certainly makes it a reflection on teen life styles in the modern standards of teens. it could be a over exaggeration because it is rear for teenagers to go and rob celebrities homes and any car down their neighbour hood road. 

the way the clique is represented in the film could be similar to many teen films for example mean girls is a good example because the cliques are usually introduces either showing of their clothes or gossiping about something. this is the main and usual way in how teen 'girl' cliques are introduced or represented in teen films.

this film really does differ because it is a rear story line were teenagers rob celebrities homes several times over and over again and many other products like cars. you do not usually see this in teen films apart from the characters like the cliques, outsiders and the mean girl etc.

it is similar to other films were the outsider is drawn into the clique but this one differs because of the gender of the outsider being a male and joining a female clique. but the boy being a bit feminine could be a advantage of it being a lot more relative to other teen films based on these themes. this is because the boy is actually gay so he fits in with the clique.

the film represents consumerism and social networking along side the celebrities imbedded in the film in a very blatantly way. this is shown where the boy and the girls post everything they have stolen and take selfies on Facebook as it is one of the biggest social networking sites. they producers show the stars in the film a lot as they are on of the main people to get robbed. the way they show how Lindsay Lohan is accused of robbery in the film is relative to the theme of the teens robbing people and things in high amount of prices.

  

The Bling Ring

 

The Bling Ring is a teen film about a group of teenagers who are fame obsessed and use the Internet to their advantage in order to track celebrities so that they can rob their houses. This can definitely be classed as a teen film because it has many themes which are seen in a teen film such as cliques, drugs, partying and materialism. The settings also represented a teen film as it opened in a high school which is usually the main place teen films however due to the nature of this film it was also set in other unusual places.

This teen film portrays teenage and modern culture in a negative way as it highlights the greed amongst teens and how obsessed they are with materialistic items and celebrities.

The characters in the film are also of a teen film nature, the main focus of the film is the clique.

The clique in this film represents how most teenagers have a group of friends they are very close with. Within the clique there are independent characters such as the outcast, the bad girl and the rebel. This film however is different to other films as it doesn't have the typical characters such as the ditsy blonde, the jocks, geeks etc, but due to the nature of the film it wouldn't have these typical characters. The character that is an outcast is a guy which makes it very different to other characters as usually it would be a girl that is brought in however he gets away with it due to the fact that he is gay.

The film focuses on modern day society's obsession with materialistic items and how we would go out of our way to gain these items. Some may feel that it is a very exaggerated however it is based on a true story so it does give an acurate idea of what todays teens are like.

Social networking also plays a big part in this film as it is used to find out what celebs are doing and it is used to post pictures of themselves after they steal the clothes.

Binary opposition

What I understood on binary oppositions in teen films is that it isnt hard to indicate them in the films. Binary opposition means when either two characters or anyother object or species in the the film has a direct opposite to it. They are usually found in mise en scene, editing, sound and camera work in the films. One of the films we watched as a group and analysed to find the binary oppositions was Romio and Juliet, one good example of binary opposition in thia film is the main gangs capulets and montigues. The way mise en scene presents the binory opposition is really easy to indicate because the montigues are dressed in smart clothes in direct opposition the capulets are dressed in funky, coloured clothes. This is one of the many examples on binary opposition in teen films.

   

Another example of binay opposition in teen films is in the film 'ten things I hate about you', at the beginning of the film the cheerleaders arive at the traffic lights in a normal ordinary car unlike the emo girl who arives in a bangedbup pick up truck listening to rock. These are good examples of binary oppositions in editing and mese en scene in this teen film. The use of binary oppostion in these particular filmsm is to separate the characters in the filmnin the sence of what charcter ia opposite and different to any other charcter in the film. Amd this is a way how producers do the division in characteristics In teen films and any other film. 

  

Another film I saw that had good use of binary oppositions in it to show the opposites of characters was "21 jump street". This film is a very good example because at the introduction we are automatically introduced with the geek/wannabe and the jocknof the college. The geek/wannabe comes in to college looking like a rapper and has a strainge reaction by the schools perfect girl and the jock with his long hair and baseball jacket just comes in by insualting the wannabe and this is a direct binary opposition in this typen of teen film.

   

Identification of sterotypes in teen films

A stereotype is usually a widely held but fixed and exaggerated image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

 In teen films most characters or groups of people are based on stereotypes which are commonly accepted among most people.

The first stereotype you will find in teen films is The popular girls:

Teen films make it very easy to identify the popular girls. They are usually dressed in very skimpy pink outfits, often the typrical ditzy blonde who is the leader of the popular girls, they are almost always good looking. These types of girls can also been identified as they are the girls who have the most boyfriends in the film sometimes the slutty ones, they are the head cheerleader or a cheerleader and they usually make fun of the 'lame' kids. 

This stereotype is clearly shown in such films as Mean girls and Bring it on.

Another stereotype you often find in teen films is The jocks:

The jocks are usually the 'It' guys around high school, the guys the girls want to be with and the guys want to be. They hold qualities such as being good looking, often have very good physic and they can also be identified by their clothing it is usually a baseball jackets. They are very popular and sometimes feared by other groups in teen films such as the geeks. The jocks are also most commonly linked with sports of some type.
This stereotype is clearly shown in films such as Grease, 17 again and Mean girls.

The next stereotype that is usually  found in teen films is The geeks:

The geeks are the complete opposite of both stereotypes that I have mentioned so far, the geeks are always the losers, the outsiders who usually get picked on by other groups such as the jocks and the popular girls. You can identify them through their clothing, they usually wear clothes way to big for them, that other teens wouldn't be seen dead in and clothes which are not considered stylish. The signature prop used for geeks is probably their glasses which are seen on almost every geek.

Another stereotype occasionally found in teen films is The transformer:

The transformer or the ugly duckling if you like, is the character in the movie who starts as a nobody, typically a girl who probably cant dress or doesn't really fit in with the 'it ' crowd then they are transformed into the perfect idolized character who everybody now wants to know and be friends with. This stereotype is easily recognizable as at the begin they will probably be very awkward and  unsociable and in the end they're the total opposite.

representation task; identification of stereotypes in teen films.

identifying stereotypes in teen films a stereotype is a common and generally understood idea or ides that are often exaggerated to give a representation of curtain characteristics/qualities in people, characters, and groups. these are some of the examples you would see in an ordinary teen film; the jock; the jock would usually be the sporty young boy with a built body and would have a baseball jacket or a jersey. he would be the one the girls would usually dream of dating.  this is how film makers would introduce tis kind of stereotypical character in their film.'the mean girl' would be another example of a stereotype in a teen film. this particular character would usually be dressed in mini skirt in high hills and a full on pink outfit.she would usually be blonde as this is another main stereotype the media has introduced o the film world. another representation in teen films that include a stereotypical character would be the 'weirdo'. this type of character would be introduced with a funny accent which identifies that he/she is a outsider. they would be dressed strangely for example with a colour scheme that doesn't match in their clothes.  a final example that i want to give is an 'nerd'. this is a character that is stereotypically introduced in a film. this person would usually wear glasses with braces an bigger bag then their body and scruffy un matching clothes. this is how the producers of teen films would introduce a nerd in a teen film or any other film that contains a nerd.

representation task: identification of stereotypes in teen films

A stereotype is a widely common and generally understood idea that is often exaggerated to give a representation of certain characteristics/qualities in individuals and groups. Mis en scene is used to portray characters within a teen film. Things such as props, costume and location all help us identify the role of the stereotypical character.

During a typical teenage movie we are introduced to a variety of different kinds of characters. The popular jock character is often a part of teenage films. This character is usually sports orientated which is evident from his physical appearance which happens to be built and broad. Furthermore, their clothing would usually consist of wearing baseball jackets and jerseys as they typically sports orientated. The popular jocks are commonly tall and good looking in teenage movies and also tend to socialise with each other and the 'popular girls'. This stereotype is demonstrated in many teenage films such as Mean Girls and Grease and Mean Girls.

Geeks are also very popular in the teenage movie industry, however are unpopular with their role in the movie itself. They are stereotypically portrayed to be the outcasts as well as 'losers' within a teenage movie. This mainly due to costume and location; the clothing of a typical geek would be a buttoned up shirt, tucked in to high-wasted trousers with a pair of glasses; they are not fashionable or stylish in comparison to the jocks.They are usually located in library's and classrooms within teenage movies. Furthermore, the props would consist of school books and glasses unlike jocks who's props would consist of footballs and protein shake. This stereotype is also evident in the teenage movie named Mean Girls.

The popular girls are promptly established in teen films which is emphasised through the use of costume and location also.They are usually dressed in pink as having minimal clothing as they typically wear short skirts. Furthermore, their hair and make up is also always perfected. They are mostly located in the girls toilets where all the 'bitching' takes place as well as shopping malls.The popular girls are usually pretty and regularly associate with the jocks.They are portrayed to be stuck up and look down on different social groups such as the Geeks. This stereotype is shown in Mean Girls and Bring It On.

Representation

stereotypes within teen films 

within our group we had to come up with a definition of what we thought a stereotype is and we came to a conclusion that a stereotype is : a stereotype is  common and generally understood idea or set of ideas that are often exaggerated to give a representation of a certain characteristics/qualities in people ,characters or groups.

From watching a clip from a teen movie we were able to  identify 5 f the main stereotypical characters within a teen movie .

1.

The jock - the jock is normally the most popular character in teen films he is always the most sporty and is normally part of a team at the high school,the jock also is normally good looking and has a great furthermore jocks normally get all the girls and are seen wearing the baseball jacket to show they are a jock and wear it everywhere they go


2.the mean girls- the mean girls are normally the most popular girls , there are stereo typically always 3 girls with the main girl being blonde.The mean girls normally date a jock or a outcast becuase they have the power to.Also the mean girls dress in all pink and  wear all the latest brands and clothes.when the mean girls are in a scene the scene is always edited in slow motion to focus entirely on them

3.the nerd- the nerd is always a main character in a teen film, a nerd normally is seen wearing shirts and high waisted trousers which is seen as 'un- fashionable' in a teen film. they usually wear glasses and are seen wearing a giant pack back which gets pulled on by the jocks or bigger students,The nerds are normally extra smart.the nerds are also seen as the less attractive students as they normally have pimples or spots.


4.the outcast- in a teen film an oucast can range from a person that is strange and doesnt speak to simply a person that is not from the ssme place as the other students .the outcast is always

teen audiences

THE HUNGER GAMES

the hunger games- the first film i have chosen is hunger games. in this film is about about a young boy and girl who are entered into a tournament where they have to survive against other teenagers.this film is aimed at teenagers aged from 13-18  from both genders because although it has some violence it is not too gory.it is mostly aimed at teenagers who are into fantasy and sci fi because it is set in a virtual world,furthermore it appeals especially to boys that are into fantasy as they fantasies about taking part in the hunger games

LIKE MIKE

the second teen film i have chosen is like mike, this film is about a young boy who is brought up in a orphanage who likes basketball and one day finds magic trainers who makes him good at basketball.This film is aimed at predominately male teens who like basketball because it has a lot of real players and features from the basketball in it ,it also couls appeal to sports fans.

ATTACK THE BLOCK 

 attack the block is a sci-fi/thriller set in southeast london which is about a gang of boys who's area becomes invaded by a;iens.The target audience is male teens from the ages of 14-18 as it has some violence and and it is a thriller .teenagers around london as they can relate to all the characters in the film also it is not your typical teen film set in a high school or surbuban town so it has a more of an audience from teens living in london 






















 

Teen Movies and their audiences

The first film I have chosen to discuss is CLUELESS

  

Clueless is a teen film based on comedy and romance, the film is about a young girl who loves fashion, clothes and helping her friends with makeovers and trying to look for a boyfriend for herself. This teen film is very clearly aimed at teenage girls who are very feminine and may feel as though they can relate and identify to the main character in this film (cher) or even the other characters. This film is based on characters around the ages of 16 who are in high school meaning it would mostly appeal to that age range of teenagers and also for tweens which are aged between 10-14, 'too old for toys but too young for boys' as they are described as that age range would be very interested in watching the film as they would find it very appealing.

The next film I have chosen to discuss is LOVE AND BASKETBALL

Love and basketball is a film based around a young boy and girl who we see grow up in the film who both share a passion of basketball and also share a love-hate relationship with each other but end up breaking up after high school but cross paths later on in life due to their basketball careers and end up playing a final game of one on one to win each others hearts. This genres in this film are drama, sport and romance. I believe this film would have a large target audience amongst teenagers as it covers a lot of themes which connect with teens, the target audience I feel would be teenagers who are into sports who are in high school or college, who would be dealing with the issues of love and the drama it may bring when trying to balance it with something such as studies or career plans. I don't believe this film is targeted to only one gender because conflicts of both genders are shown in the movie which allow it to appeal to both girls and guys.

The last film I have chosen to discuss is ATTACK THE BLOCK

Attack the block is a action, comedy and sci-fi teen film which sees a teen gang in south London defend their block from an alien invasion. Attack the block is not your typical teen film which contains high school students and romance like most teen films this film is of the opposite which I believe makes its target audience a male dominated one as the genres of this film usually appeal to young male teens mostly aged around 14-18, but due to big female roles in the film that could also leave open a possibility for a female target audience.

Genre and Sub genre

Teen films are targeted at teens and young adults. In teen films the plot is usually based on something which teenagers are interested in and subject which they can relate to this is so that it attracts them as an audience.
The common genres found in teen movies are :

• Comedy
• Romance
• Action
• Crime
• Sci Fi
• Violence/Conflict
• Sports

These genres are mainly used as teens can relate to them and identify with the themes of the movie and even the characters found in the films. The characters usually found in a teen film are very stereotypical characters which aim to represent a variety of teens such as the popular guys in school who get the popular girls who are usually into dance and guys into sports. There are also the geeks and the outcasts in these teen movies. There are a wide range of characters which teens can relate too in these films. This is done to attract teens into watching the movie.

The locations of a teen movie are very similar but they mainly depend on what type of genre is being made.

Some of the most common locations used are usually areas within schools/colleges such ass the cafeteria, hallways, stairs, the gym, sports fields. There are also locations outside of the school area such as the characters home, fast food places, theme parks, funfairs.

Here is a collection of popular Teen movies which cover most of the genres I have discussed:

genre and convention

what is a teen film ?

teen films are films made suitable for mainly teenagers that contains many themes in the film genres. these are films made to draw the audiences attention mainly teenagers but could be rethured to elder people this could be because of the characters in the film or a relative situation in their life time. the common genres that the films are plotted are;
.Comedy
.Romance
.Horror
.Thriller
.Sci Fi
.Science fiction
.Action
.Violence/ conflict.
.Sport/ dance

these are few of the many film genres teen films are made upon.

Genre and Convention

 A teen film is a movie, which consists of many aspects that would appeal to the target audience; teenagers. Although, teen films may be watched by other audiences such as adults, they are however commonly viewed by teenagers, as they are able to identify with the characters and lifestyle of the characters, aspire to be like one of the characters or may feel gratified by watching teenage films.

There are many sub genres that are common within teenage films. This includes romance between teenagers, violence and rivalry is also a very common sub genre as well as drama in friendships, relationships and family. These sub genres are what appeal to the target audience, as they may be able to identify with one of the many sub genres. There are a variety of stereotypical teenage characters, which also makes it appeal to the target audience. Characters such as the jock, hero, popular cheerleader, and geeks are all the stereotypical characters, which are thought to be in our current society. Furthermore, having these stereotypical characters may 

trailers for teens and genres

The first film i chose "21 Jump Street"
Trailer; http://youtu.be/ZirgAYBcOgo

the genres that this film is based on is comedy, romance, action, violence and conflict. this film is able to appeal to females along side males because the use of romance draws the attention of females. the audience for this film is mainly college students to university students because it based on middle aged teenagers and above (15-19) and maybe people in their early twenties. there are elderly characters playing in the film so it could be suitable for elder people along side teens. the characters that play in it Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, these are the two main characters and they are comedians but adults at the same time. them being adults in a teenage film could appeal to a wider audience.


the second film i chose is "The Hunger Games"
trailer; http://youtu.be/FovFG3N_RSU

This film is a action based but at the same time it has a romantic story line. the use of romance in this film could appeal to females and the main character being a female is a advantage for this film so the audience would be wider because it wold be suitable for females as well as males aldo it contains violence and murder. the audience or the people it is targeted at is young teenagers. it could also be for elder people because this film is based on books published several years ago that contains action and romance.

the third film i chose is "Attack The Block"
trailer; http://youtu.be/cD0gm7dHKKc

this is a action based science fiction film suitable for young teenagers. the film is targeted at young teenagers around the ages 15-17. the reason for this is because it is a science fiction that contains aliens. in advance to this it could also be suitable for young adults because of the use of drugs and alcohol; in the film, the characters in the film could also be another reason for this because the famous comedy character Nick Frost is a main actor in the film. the film could appeal to females in a way because one of the main characters is a female names Jodie Whittaker, her being a main character could widen the range of audience and it could also target at elder people than teenagers in the age groups 20-25.  this film would draw attention to youngsters even m,ore because of the stereotypical use of young London street boys. and these type of character use in film draw attention to this age group.