10 Things I Hate About You

This movie has many conventions of a typical teen rom-com movie. This includes conventional characters, locations and many binary oppositions.

Conventional Locations:

• Highschool - corridor/lockers, football field, canteen, classroom, entrance, hall for prom
• Home - living room, bedroom, bathroom, garden
• Hang out - house party, club
• Other - boat, paint ball field

Conventional Characters: (left to right)

• Weird best friend - Mandella; eccentric clothing, weirdly styled hair, obsession 
• Geeky friend - Michael; old fashioned clothing, greased hair, geeky
• Mean best friend - Chasity; bright fashionable clothing, styled hair, stuck up, dumb, nice at first
• Dumb rich guy - Joey; fashionable clothing, styled hair, rich, popular, mean
• Ugly/pretty girl - Kathy; dark clothing, same style hair, seemingly mean
• Beautiful weirdo - Patrick; dark clothing, misjudged, unruly hair, 
• Perfect girl - Bianca; bright coloured clothes, styled hair, popular, 
• Normal guy - Cameron; regular clothes, no defining traits

Binary Oppositions:

• Parent + child - who has more control
• Male + female - the 'superior' gender
• Love + hate - love/hate relationships, hate often turning into love
• Pretty + ugly - seemingly ugly girl becoming pretty

10 Things I Hate About You

In the movie 10 Things I Hate About You we can clearly see and establish the conventions. This is mainly shown through the settings, the way the characters are dressed and their actions and also through the binary oppositions that the audience can identify. This movie is a typical teen movie because it includes all the characters and stereotypes that a teen movie usually portrays.


The binary oppositions established in this movie are :

• Love and hate
• Parent and Children
• Male and Female
• Pretty and ugly
• Fun and boring

The conventions that we are introduced to in this movie are:

• High School
• Prom
• Sports Field
• Class rooms
• House Parties
• Bedroom 
• Car Park
• Entrance to the school
• School corridor

This movie also shows us the conventional characters of teen movies such as :

The perfect girl (Bianca)                                                                               The ugly girl (Kat)

                                                                                 

The normal/regular guy (Cameron)                                                         The beautiful weirdo (Patrick)

Geek (Michael)                                                                                             Kat's Best-friend (Mandela)                                                                                                         

The rich guy (Joey)                                                                      

                                      Bianca's mean best-friend (Chastity)

10 Things I Hate About You

The Conventional Characters:

- Ugly/Pretty Girl (Kat)

- Beautiful Weirdo (Patrick)

- Normal/Regular Kid (Cameron)

- Geek (friend) (Michael)

- Best-friend (Mandella)

- Mean Friend (Chastity)

- Stupid Rich Guy (with entourage) (Joey)

- Perfect Girl (Bianca)

The conventions of this movie includes:

- High School (Students and Teachers)

- Prom (Hall)

- Sports/Track Field

- Classrooms

- House Party

- Bedroom(s)

- Car Park

- School Entrance/Hallway (Corridor)

- Band/Concert/Club

Binary Oppositions:

   Male VS Female

     Fun VS Boring

     Parent VS Children

 Teachers VS Students

Pretty VS Ugly

Good VS Bad

Representation of Stereotypes

Not Another Teen Movie

Representation of stereotypes include the obvious and highly exaggerated characters that builds a teen high school movie. Not another teen movie is a parody of many other teen films including Grease, She's all that and 

Representational Stereotypes

Representations use stereotypes in order to convey ideas about the 'types' of characters in different movies. Stereotypes are not real they are only elaborate exaggerations. The representations constructed in these movies are made through the use of costume, props, acting, directing, sound, lighting, camera angles etc.


Not Another Teen Movie :

In the film 'Not Another Teen Movie' we are introduced to a number of characters. Their actions are exaggerated and their costumes are there to symbolise stereotypes. Every time a character is introduced we hear a different song/sound playing in the background.

Jake - The Jock / Popular Guy

• He has blue eyes
• Styled hair
• Arrives in a sports car
• Nice fashionable clothes (trainers and jacket especially)
• He is introduced with rock music (very lively )

We can also refer to this type of character in films like 'She's all that' and 'The Breakfast Club.




Priscilla - The Cheerleader

• She has blue eyes
• Blonde hair
• Associated with the colour pink
• Arrives with a girl group
• She wears mini-skirts and belly tops: to show her breasts off
• She has a slim figure

Characters like Priscilla are in films like:  Mean Girls, Grease, Bring it On.



Reggie - The one who gets bullied

• Chubby/Fat - which is why he gets bullied
• No one listens to him
• Gets bullied by other students who are of higher status
• Doesn't care about what he wears

There are characters similar to Reggie in films like : Pitch Perfect, Diary of a wimpy kid, Just Friends.



Amanda - The Perfect Girl

• Nice hair
• A  nice green (white glowing teeth)
• Fit body
• When she is being introduced she has a gold glowing light behind her
• Her walk down the stairs is edited to slow motion
• The sound played in the background is very magical and mellow as she walks down the stairs

10 Things I hate about you, The girl next door and Just go with it all have a character who is conveyed as 'the perfect girl'.



Malik - The Token Black Guy

• He has an exaggerated afro hairstyle
• His actions and remarks are exaggerated
• Shiny face
• Shining white teeth

We can find characters like Malik in these films : White Chick, American Pie and Scary Movie

Representation of Stereotypes

In teen movies, stereotypes are used to convey certain ideas about different characters. They can be represented though a characters costume, music, actions, props, lighting and camera. These are often deliberately exaggerated to emphasises a stereotype, even though they are not real. In most teen movies the stereotype is the same to create consistency and often to mock the stereotype. Not Another Teen Movie mocks the stereotypes created in western culture and exaggerates them to create humour.

 

Jake - Jock/Football Star
 



Identity -  letterman jacket, styled hair, sports car, rock music, popular
In Other films - She's All That, The Breakfast Club

Janey - Pretty Ugly Girl

Identity - weird clothes, glasses, tied up hair
In Other films - She's All That, A Cinderella Story

 

Amanda - Perfect Girl

 Identity - modest stylish clothing, styled hair, slim figure, polite
In Other films - 10 Things I Hate About You, The Girl Next Door

Priscilla - Mean Girl

Identity - short skirt, blonde hair, pink clothing, slim figure
In Other films - Mean Girls, Grease, Bring It On

Malik - Token Black Guy

Identity - afro, exaggerated actions/remarks, casual clothes
In Other films - White Chicks, American Pie, Scary Movie

Binary Oppositions in Openings of Teen Films

Story lines are often based on binary oppositions to cause conflict between characters and groups . These are usually established in the opening of any film as they set up the story line and start to build tension. These oppositions can be found mainly in sound, camera and mise-en-scene. Some example of these are:

 

10 Things I Hate About You 

In the opening 5 minutes of the film, many binary oppositions are made apparent. In mise-en-scene, the first opposition is the contrast between the popular girls and the outcast the popular girls are in a blue convertible, with the top down, brightly clothed and bopping along to upbeat music. This is contrasted by the outcast, who drives next to them. She is in a run down red car, with a stoic facial expression, and wearing all black. This shows conflict between the characters and foreshadows upcoming struggles between them. as the film is set in an American high school, there are different cliques shown in the opening. the audience is introduced to the jocks, coffee kids, white Rastas, cowboys, popular kids and the ivy league nerds. These all contrast each other and helps to showcase tension already established between the cliques. The guidance counselor is a contradiction of herself. She wears light pink clothing and is dressed smartly which normally represents someone as innocent; however when we get a close up of her laptop we see that she is the opposite. 

The use of camera also helps to establish an opposition in characters. In the beginning, a mid-shot is used to show the popular girls as a group, presenting them collectively and signifying that they are to individuals as popular people are normally the same. In the same scene, a mid close-up is used for the main female character to show that she is alone and establish her as the outcast. In the guidance counselor's office, a contrast go high and low angles are used to show who has the power. For the new kid at the school, he is seen using a high angle shot which shows him as inferior where as the guidance counselor is shown using a low angle shot. It shows who is inferior due to age and status.

Romeo + Juliet
In the beginning of this movie, binary oppositions are established through the rivalry of two gangs. This is the first major opposition as the audience is introduced to the Montague and Capulet gangs. Through this, they are presented to be opposites to show their differences. In the mise-en-scene:

Montague	Capulet
Light colours	Dark colours
Weak	Powerful
Yellow convertible	Blue smart car
Peace	War
Casual dress	Smart dress
White American	Latin American
Dog tags	Gold bling
Chubby	Fit
Not groomed	Well groomed

These complete contrasts help to make the rivalry between the two gangs more obvious. It shows that the Montague's are more relaxed and immature whereas the Capulet's are more silent, serious and mature. Their differences are also shown through the use of sound. When the camera is focused on the Montague's, synchronous hip hop music is played to go along with their appearance. This immediately shows a difference in their sense of style which is often the base of conflict in any teen film.

Grease
In the beginning of Grease, a contrast between the gangs, female and males are shown. A major opposition is shown between the two main characters in the cartoon part of the opening. The male character wakes up in a messy room with his hair unkempt, The female character, however, wakes up to a clean room with her hair already done. It creates distance between the characters and foreshadows upcoming conflicts. Conflict between the male and female gangs. The male gang is called the T-birds and they wear leather jackets and style their hair in a typical 70's fashion. The female gang are called the Pink Ladies which is stereotypical for women. Both of these gangs, although have their conflicts, present a the members as having a bad attitude. Both of these oppose the other clique presented in the school; the innocents. These are a group of girls who wear long flowing skirts and appear to be the opposite of the T-birds and the Pink Ladies.

      

The opposition in sound is shown through the accents used by the main characters. The main female characters has an Australian accent and the male main character has an American accent. The beginning scene mainly points out the differences between the main characters; even though they were shown to be in a relationship in the beginning.

Twilight
The settings that are shown in the beginning help to establish binary oppositions. The first place the audience sees is Phoenix, Arizona; very sunny and in the desert. The other setting shown is Forks in Washington; chosen by Stephanie Meyer because it is the rainiest city in the US and has a forest surrounding. The change in scenery suggests problems for the main character as she is moving from one place to another. Sound is also used to assert the idea of contrast between places. In sunny Phoenix, country music is played whereas in Forks only the voice over of the main character (describing the weather and minimalist aspects of the place) is heard. The use of costume and props also helps the audience to recognise the main character as the 'outsider'. She turns up at the school in a worn out truck whereas everyone around her is driving flashy up-to-date cars. She is also wearing a mustard coloured jacket which stands out among the dark colours of the locals. By establishing her as the outsider, it signifies that there will be conflict based around the main character as she doesn't seem to fit in.

Teen movies !!!

High School Musical

 

  Teens are interested in high school musical because it involves drama, love/romance, highschool life, sports, music, friendship which are most of the things  they can relate to. This  sequel movie is appealing to both  females and males. The main characters are: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel,Monique Coleman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love and basketball

 

Binary oppositions in opening teen films

A binary opposition is a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning. Binary opposition is the system by which, in language and thought, two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off against one another.

List of binary oppositions found in teen 

   films such as:

 Romeo and Juliet:

Montague and Capulet

In the opening scene there are numerous binary oppositions comparing the Montague boys and the Capulet boys which  are:

The Montague boys	The Capulet boys
They were in Bright clothes	On the other hand they wore Dark clothes.
They are Nervous cowardly men	But they are brave/calm men.
They owe a yellow convertible fun   car	however they owe a blue smart car.
Represent peace	Represent war
Chubby men	Fit and muscular men
They  wore casual Hawaiian suits	Whereas they wore smart suits.
They are White Americans	And they are Latin Americans.
Associated with Hip-hop motif	Associated with Cow boy music.
Dog tags     Weak men     Not groomed	Gold Bling     Powerful men     Well groomed

These binary oppositions shown through the mise en scene of Romeo and Juliet   demonstrate  the conflict there is between the two rivals. The contrast between the two families (the Montague and the Capulet) also foreshadows the tragedy that will happen at the end of the movie affecting both families. The Capulet boys made it really clear they are all about war and this has clearly lead to people getting hurt and dying.

 

10 things I hate about you:

 

 

 In the opening, various binary oppositions are shown through the mise en scene. The first binary opposition shown at the beginning are the smiley, girly girls  in the blue car, jumping and dancing, feeling all happy vs the girl that strolled beside them with a straight face, not happy at all, showing  a  serious look and wearing all black in the pink car. It is noticeable that throughout the movie there will be a form of conflict that will arise between both category of girls somehow judging by the contrast between them. Following the first binary opposition is the opposition that demonstrate that the guidance counsellor  is the opposite to what her job portrays her as. She is supposed to be a counsellor but on the contrary her pink outfit shows a more fun/less serious side of her when she is supposed to be a serious character. There are also different cliques introduced in this opening such as jocks ,  coffee kids, white Rastas, cowboys, beautiful/ popular rich girls and the geeks etc.. Automatically the binary oppositions amongst these cliques will create a huge conflict/ drama between them judging again by the contrasts between them.

To add to this when talking about the binary opposition through music , when the girls in the blue car were dancing/ having fun, pop music was playing whereas when the girl in the pink appeared beside them  the music suddenly changed into loud rock music. This contrast gives us an insight into the characters in that particular moment. Furthermore low angle and high angle shots occurred in the counsellor's office to show who has the power and who is vulnerable. These binary oppositions showed through the camera portrays the counsellor as a powerful/ in control individual and the new boy, the vulnerable boy that knows nothing about his new school yet.

 

 

Grease:

 

Most of the binary oppositions in Grease are shown in the opening cartoon. The binary oppositions occur between males and females. At the beginning, the cartoon shows a male (Danny) that has woken up in a dirty place, with messy hair whereas in contrast a female( Sandy)  has woken up in a princess lady like way and in a clean room. She portrayed the personally of a princess. She was looking all cleaned. Conflicts were obviously portrayed between the female gangs and the male gang. However conflicts are also portrayed between ladies.  One of the lady gangs are called Pink Ladies  and the male gang T-Birds. The colour stereotype is noticed  as ladies were in the pink car and men in the blue car. Males were in dark clothes/ less colourful clothes whereas females wore colourful clothes. Boys were also rebels and females were sweethearts . On the other hand we acknowledge that there are good girls but bad girls too giving us an insight into the characters once again.

 

 

 

Twilight:

 The binary oppositions that occurred in the opening of  this film are:

 

Animals vs humans

Vampire vs humans

Parents vs kids

Mother vs father

Big town vs small town

Insider( locals) vs outsider (outcasts)

Hot vs Cold

Black clothes vs Mustard jacket

Cars vs truck

all of these binary oppositions gives us an insight into the conflict that will emerge in the movie.