Thursday, 19 December 2013
The Bling Ring Review
The Bling Ring is a movie inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities' whereabouts in order to rob their homes.
Characters
Israel Broussard- Marc
Is The Bling Ring and Teen Drama
The movie is considered to be a teen drama because, it shows the current life style of teenagers in Hollywood. The movie also holds a similar 'Teen Drama' plot and characters which are easy to identify.
Also, the film was made to attract teenagers because, of common interests like partying, relationships and rebellion.
Conventions which make this film a Teen Drama
Since the whole movie is based on Crime and Theft the other not so obvious conventions include; Love, Money, Fame, Clothes, Fashion, Drugs and Alcohol & A celebrity life style which they all crave for.
The Bling Ring shows that teens in this modern culture are very materialistic, they seek attention and only care about fashion and the way they look rather than the more deep and meaningful things in the world. It shows teenagers are wild and they don't care about others' feelings but their own when it comes to theft and accusations.
Cliques
The Clique in The Bling Ring is like any other teen movie. You have the bad girl, the mean girl, and the guy who is often a nerd or in this case he's gay. Since all of the kids attend the same 'dropout' school it shows that they all have a history. And because of that their bond for past family drama and constant need to party, drink and do drugs it brings them together.
In Detail
This movie differs from other Teen Drama's because, the characters are shows in a very different way and their 'look' and 'personality' doesn't really fit the stereotypical teen movie characters so that could have been difficult for the audience to identify.
At the beginning of the movie The Clique wasn't really evident until, the new 'outcast' boy came along and then all of the characters started coming together and it was easier for us to identify who is the leader, the bad boy etc.
The male character in the movie is portrayed differently than any other Teen Drama. The usual male in teen movies are Jocks, very good looking and confident with a lot of females surrounding him. However, in this movie the guy is shows as a very insecure and not too fond of his looks guy. From what we can see the guy is Gay and very much interested in fashion and style.
Social Networking
This film is mainly based on consumerism and social networking and modern stars. The consumerism is represented in the form of 'theft' because, these teenagers main interest is having what the celebrities want. Social Networking is shown as a negative and positive aspect. Positive because, the teenagers were able to find house address and become Facebook popular. The negative aspect is that the police was able to track their locations and Facebook pages making it easier to accuse them of theft.
The Bling Ring Review.
As a class we watch 'The Bling Ring.' Whilst watching I focused on the elements that show a typical teen movie. I took note on the characters, the setting and the themes shown in the film. I also compared 'The Bling Ring' to other cliche teen movie for similarities and differences.
Like most teen movies. there is always an outcast who gets drawn into rebellion by a bad kid. In this case, it was the character 'Marc' following along with 'Rebecca.' However, this particular teen movie was based on a true story whereas most teen movies are exaggerated versions of teenage life in high school. Throughout the film you have this constant thought of 'how did they actually do that?' In most teen movies, there is always a leader who is often fearless, self-absorbed and has a certain look that makes them stand out.
The Bling Ring portrays to the audience that teen culture is materialistic, the obsession with money and fashion. Watching this film, I believe a lot of teens can relate to wanting what celebrities have. In this teen movie, the characters are constantly seen under the influence of drugs. This portrays teens as rebellious. Therefore, teens are seen as irresponsible.
The protagonist in the film, who's name is Marc, has similar characteristics of Kadey in Mean Girls. This highlights how having an outsider who gets pulled in by popular kids or delinquents. The character Marc is shown as easily influenced and an 'outsider.'
This particular teen movie conveys the obsession and envy or modern stars and the thirst of fame. The real life bling ring and the characters in the film targeted well known stars in the media, this would interest the media more to see these stars that are in the lime light.
Like most teen movies, there are typical locations and themes in this film. There was the school, teen bedroom and parties. For the themes there is often a driving in a nice car scene, teenagers underage drinking at parties and a shopping scene in a flashy shop.
I found this film somewhat boring in the sense that it was repetitive. Every 5 minutes they were in another celebrity house or at a party. This made the film drag on and predictable. The ending wasn't something rememberable, it would've been better if it shown what happened to al the individuals after, not just the one.
When creating a film based on a true story, it is vital to be as accurate as possible so the audience understand the storyline that is as real as possible.
Like most teen movies. there is always an outcast who gets drawn into rebellion by a bad kid. In this case, it was the character 'Marc' following along with 'Rebecca.' However, this particular teen movie was based on a true story whereas most teen movies are exaggerated versions of teenage life in high school. Throughout the film you have this constant thought of 'how did they actually do that?' In most teen movies, there is always a leader who is often fearless, self-absorbed and has a certain look that makes them stand out.
The Bling Ring portrays to the audience that teen culture is materialistic, the obsession with money and fashion. Watching this film, I believe a lot of teens can relate to wanting what celebrities have. In this teen movie, the characters are constantly seen under the influence of drugs. This portrays teens as rebellious. Therefore, teens are seen as irresponsible.
The protagonist in the film, who's name is Marc, has similar characteristics of Kadey in Mean Girls. This highlights how having an outsider who gets pulled in by popular kids or delinquents. The character Marc is shown as easily influenced and an 'outsider.'
This particular teen movie conveys the obsession and envy or modern stars and the thirst of fame. The real life bling ring and the characters in the film targeted well known stars in the media, this would interest the media more to see these stars that are in the lime light.
Like most teen movies, there are typical locations and themes in this film. There was the school, teen bedroom and parties. For the themes there is often a driving in a nice car scene, teenagers underage drinking at parties and a shopping scene in a flashy shop.
I found this film somewhat boring in the sense that it was repetitive. Every 5 minutes they were in another celebrity house or at a party. This made the film drag on and predictable. The ending wasn't something rememberable, it would've been better if it shown what happened to al the individuals after, not just the one.
When creating a film based on a true story, it is vital to be as accurate as possible so the audience understand the storyline that is as real as possible.
Monday, 16 December 2013
Representation.
To carry out this task, we had to have an understanding of what a stereotype was.
We came to the conclusion that it is the often exaggerated labelling of an individual, a character or a group defying them by certain characteristics or qualities.
Within this task we focused on 5 different stereotypes you would often find in a teen movie. As a group we concluded with the nerd, the mean popular girls, the jock, the weirdo/outcast and the token black guy.
THE NERD.
The nerd in a movie often carries a large back-pack, has glasses, usually wears suspenders or braces, their hair is usually messy. To a nerd their appearance is the least of their worries. Nerds are not seen as fashionable or the popular characters. In teen movies you often find them in the library, in a lesson or collecting books from a locker. These are all common places to spot a nerd in a teen movie. An example of a nerd is 'Janey' from She's All That.
THE MEAN POPULAR GIRLS.
They are often skinny or considered to have the 'perfect' body, usually tall, make-up, flawless hair, likely to have an obsession with pink, high heels and something revealing. Their appearance and status is everything. They're usually head cheerleader or wealthy boosting their popularity. In teen movies they're dominating the hallways or gossiping in the toilets and have expensive girly cars
An example of a typical mean popular girl is 'Regina George' from Mean Girls.
THE JOCK.
Your typical jock is usually tall, athletic, often wealthy charming, funny, 'perfect' hair, has the best clothes, wins at everything, has the 'perfect' body and is ultimately popular because of his looks. In teen movies, the character known as the jock is usually found in a sport gym or sports field, the locker room and like the popular girl, seen dominating the hallways. They too arrive to school in the nice flashy car, often a convertible. An example of a cliche jock is 'John Tucker' from John Tucker Must Die.
THE WEIRDO.
The weirdo aka outcast don't fit in to any cliques. They dress fairly basic which means no bold colours, no designer clothing and no eccentric patterns. An obvious characteristic of a weirdo/outcast is their vocals, they criticize everything the popular clique stand for and often seek revenge on their popularity.
They're usually 'anti-social or socially awkward.' You find them in clubs that are seen as unpopular with few members. However, they play a significant role as the 'weird kid at the back of the class.' The character of the weirdo ties a cliche teen movie together as it allows the audience to relate to having that one outcast in their lesson or being that one outcast. A great example of a weirdo in a teen movie is 'Janis' from Mean Girls. (Mean Girls basically has it all!)
THE TOKEN BLACK GUY.
He is seen as the 'yes man'. Usually agrees with what his friends say. A popular guy but not for his looks or athletic ability. They're fashionable, but not a trend setter. Famous for their one liners that become catch phrases throughout a teen movie. Token Black Guy never has a specific location, he is usually following the jocks and is seen as one of them. They often bring a lot of humor to a teen movie like a class clown. An example of a token black guy is well.. the 'token black guy' in not another teen movie. (He has no name).
They are often skinny or considered to have the 'perfect' body, usually tall, make-up, flawless hair, likely to have an obsession with pink, high heels and something revealing. Their appearance and status is everything. They're usually head cheerleader or wealthy boosting their popularity. In teen movies they're dominating the hallways or gossiping in the toilets and have expensive girly cars
An example of a typical mean popular girl is 'Regina George' from Mean Girls.
THE JOCK.
Your typical jock is usually tall, athletic, often wealthy charming, funny, 'perfect' hair, has the best clothes, wins at everything, has the 'perfect' body and is ultimately popular because of his looks. In teen movies, the character known as the jock is usually found in a sport gym or sports field, the locker room and like the popular girl, seen dominating the hallways. They too arrive to school in the nice flashy car, often a convertible. An example of a cliche jock is 'John Tucker' from John Tucker Must Die.
THE WEIRDO.
The weirdo aka outcast don't fit in to any cliques. They dress fairly basic which means no bold colours, no designer clothing and no eccentric patterns. An obvious characteristic of a weirdo/outcast is their vocals, they criticize everything the popular clique stand for and often seek revenge on their popularity.
They're usually 'anti-social or socially awkward.' You find them in clubs that are seen as unpopular with few members. However, they play a significant role as the 'weird kid at the back of the class.' The character of the weirdo ties a cliche teen movie together as it allows the audience to relate to having that one outcast in their lesson or being that one outcast. A great example of a weirdo in a teen movie is 'Janis' from Mean Girls. (Mean Girls basically has it all!)
THE TOKEN BLACK GUY.
He is seen as the 'yes man'. Usually agrees with what his friends say. A popular guy but not for his looks or athletic ability. They're fashionable, but not a trend setter. Famous for their one liners that become catch phrases throughout a teen movie. Token Black Guy never has a specific location, he is usually following the jocks and is seen as one of them. They often bring a lot of humor to a teen movie like a class clown. An example of a token black guy is well.. the 'token black guy' in not another teen movie. (He has no name).
Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Genre and Convention
Teen films is a film genre targeted at teenagers and young adults in which the plot is based upon the special interests of teenagers. Teen movies often include themes of fun, craziness, and teenage optimism.
Teen movies are films that both shape popular culture and are also shaped through popular culture.
In a typical teen movie, a teen must always overcome personal obstacles that result into him/her being a better person. For some films, the obstacle can sometimes be an adult and other times it's just typical teen drama.
Teen Films are mainly watched by the teens themselves but, adults tend to watch some teen movies aswell because, they most likely miss their younger years and watching the movies is a wave of nostalgia on certain turn of events which most likely relates to their life.
Teen Movies have a range of genres, these include:
- Teen sci-fi
- Teen romance
- Teen horror
- Teen drama
- Teen comedy
- Teen musicals
Each genre is used for a specific obstacle in the teen film. The conventions of teen films are very dependant on the cultural context such as: proms, alcohol, drugs, high school, parties and raves, losing virginity, relationships, social groups and cliques.
Almost every teen film will include some classic codes and conventions of teen films which mainly come from America. Some commonly used stereotypes include:
- The Jock/ Cheerleader
- School Diva
- The Geek/Nerd
- The Rebel
- The Outcast
- The Boy/Girl next door
- The New Boy/Girl
- The Loner
- The Band Geek
- Class Hottie
- Class Clown
The settings in teen films are based on what type of movie it is. The commonly used locations are: bedroom, kitchen, attic, caffeteria, classroom, hall, gym, corridor, playground, library, toilet, head teachers office, school bus, football field, locker rooms, swimming pool, shopping centre, local cinema, car park, concerts. venues, cliffs, tree house, airport, theme park, funfair and forests.
Monday, 9 December 2013
Teen movies with different audiences
1) Kickass 2- 'The costumed high-school hero Kick-Ass joins with a group of normal citizens who have been inspired to fight crime in costume. Meanwhile, the Red Mist plots an act of revenge that will affect everyone Kick-Ass knows.'
The movie kick ass 2 appeals to both female and male teens because of the sub genres incorporated in it, for example, action, romance and comedy. Female audiences will also be interestd because of 'Hitgirl', who is the superhero identity of a teenage girl, this contrasts the norm of male superheros. Also there is romance which is set in a high school which many teens can relate too. The cast consists of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse from Kick Ass and this means there is already a fan base for this movie. Also the film stars Jim Carrey who has a huge fanbase of the older generation because of movies such as Ace Ventura, Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, The Truman Show and many more. Furthermore the teenagers are rebelling by bunking school and sneaking out of their house which can be related to the target audience, teenagers.
2) 17 Again- 'About a guy whose life didn't quite turn out how he wanted it to and wishes he could go back to high school and change it. He wakes up one day and is seventeen again and gets the chance to rewrite his life.'
This movie mainly targets teenagers because there is comedy, romance and set in a high school but it also may appeal to adults because they may want 'escape' from reality as their lives may not have turned out how they wanted and perhaps want to go back in time and change a few things, just as Zac Efron does in this movie. Also Zac Efron from 'High School Musical' has many teenage girl fans who will be interested in watching 17 Again.
3) The Bling Ring- 'Inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the
internet to track celebrities' whereabouts in order to rob their homes.'
The Bling Ring definitely appeals to teenagers and young adults because of the crime element. Also music from Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Azealia Banks, Kanye West and Deadmau5 used in the movie helps to expand audiences. The teenagers in the movie are robbing celebrities which will make teenagers excited to watch The Bling Ring because of their obsession with some celebs. Furthermore, Emma Watson who plays 'Hermoine' from the Harry Potter franchise will broaden the target audience because viewers might be curious in seeing her in a different 'bad-ass' role. The movie has settings of high school, clubs, parties which relates to teenagers and young adults.
Task 2: 3 teen movies with different audiences
1) She's All That.
'A high school jock makes a bet that he can turn an unattractive girl into the school's prom queen. However, ends up falling in-love with her through the process of changing her.'The specific target audience for this film is teenage girls hoping for a fairy tale fantasy, a happy ever after. Although, this movie has both comedy and romance, by having more than one genre it expands the audience making it a more versatile teen movie. Throughout the film there are some minor appearances from 'Lil Kim' & 'Usher'. This film was released in 1999 when both Lil Kim & Usher were at the peak in their careers. Therefore, this made the movie more adaptable as it made fans of their music want to see their contribution to the film.
2) Easy A.
'A clean-cut high school student relies on the school's rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.' This teen movies target audience is socially awkward teens, those who are not seen as 'popular.' Also, this film has elements of comedy and romance. Both two very popular genres for teen movies. The reason both comedy and romance are popular genres is because the romance is usually used to appeal to the girls and the comedy to appeal to the boys. By using actresses such as 'Amanda Bynes', well known for teen movies and comedy, it expands the audience to a wider audience.
3) Boyz N The Hood.
'Saga of a group of childhood friends growing up in a Los Angeles ghetto.' This film mostly appeals to the black community as it is purely based on the lives of black males in America living in the ghetto. To enhance this, famous black figures were used in this film such as well known rapper 'Ice Cube.' The genres for this film are crime & drama which makes the film appear somewhat more realistic. Therefore making the audience more aware of what world they live in. This is highlighted with the key facts shown throughout the trailer.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
Thursday, 5 December 2013
Monday, 2 December 2013
Film Openings
At the beginning of a film we expect the following:
- Ident e.g. Dreamworks, Touchstone, Warner Brothers, MGM
- Sound/ Music e.g. Adele for Skyfall
- Titles / Credits (Title of the film, main credits including director, producer, production company, stars and distributor).
- Images linked to the film.
- Ident e.g. Dreamworks, Touchstone, Warner Brothers, MGM
- Sound/ Music e.g. Adele for Skyfall
- Titles / Credits (Title of the film, main credits including director, producer, production company, stars and distributor).
- Images linked to the film.
Introduction
Hi, this is group 27.
We will be making an opening to a teen film.
Our names are:
Kris, Shannon and Tarun.
Bye.
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