Second trailer AnalysisMean Girls

Conventions• The conventions of the movie Mean girls is a typical teen movie

convention as it is set in a high school which is conventional for teens as it’s more related to their every day lives. They also have all the labels on students for example the jocks, the popular, the geeks, the average kids, the band geeks, the loners and the asians etc. Throughout this movie there is constant labels on each of the characters in high school. They also use alcohol and parties etc throughout the film which is also a convention of the teenage lifestyle. The costumes worn throughout the movie are also conventions of teen movies as they wear casual clothes that teenagers would wear and also the popular girls have quite revealing clothes where as the geeks are all covered up and where different clothes to other people. Mean girls is more aimed at a female teen audience but some males do still take interest in to as it is about parties and teenage life.

Camerawork

Throughout the trailer, they use a number of different camera work techniques to represent that the trailer is a teen comedy movie. An example of this would be they use a wide show on three of the characters that are labelled the ‘popular kids’ when they are walking through the school halls. They do this because it shows the dominance of the three girls and how they are more important than the people around them as the camera shot makes you focus on them three and everyone around them having all eyes on them to show how important they are and then people moving out the way, making it clear for them to walk through.

Camerawork

During the trailer they use a high angle shot to show the popular girl sitting on the boys shoulders as they carry her around. This shows the dominance of the girl how important she is and how the boys are all like her and would carry her around. This matches the conventions of a teen movie as it fits the character of always having the popular girl that everyone does anything for.

Camerawork

They use a two person’s shot in the trailer when the two girls Regina and Kady and walking past each other. This shot shows both characters together and the relationship between them, which is enemies by the way they are staring at each other they can tell they do not like each other. This matches a convention of a teen movie as normally in teen movies you have the popular girl and the average girl that never get on together so the theme of the movie is based on their arguments just like mean girls.

Camerawork

They use another high angle shot through out the trailer, when all the girls are doing a school activity and one of the popular girls does it and then ends up failing. This follows the teen conventions of a teen comedy as the high angle shot lets the audience focus on the two girls on the floor to create that comedy and make the audience laugh as everyone is just standing around them. It also shows the high school setting of all the students standing around them,

Editing

In the trailer they use an editing technique when the two characters are on the phone having a conversation, they do a close up on both their faces and then crop the two pictures together so you can see both characters during the conversation. They do this to show the relationship between the two girls on the phone and to show there reaction to each other through out the phone call to make the audience understand their conversation better and make it easier for them to see it.

Editing

They also use a shot reverse shot in the trailer to show the conversation between the two characters when they are sitting in the lunch hall talking. This shows the difference between the two characters for example Regina is dressed smartly and has all her hair down and showing she is the popular girl where as Kady is dressed quite casual with her hair tied back which shows she is just an average girl. Throughout the shot reverse shot you see how Regina is speaking to Kady and her reactions to her and you see she is dominating her.

Editing

They use a number of eye line match shots in the trailer for example when the two girls Kady and Regina are arguing there is an eye line match on a photo of them to show the relationship of their friendship. This is just before the girl tears it up, so it gets the audience to have a look at them closely together, this also matches the convention of teen comedy as it’s a popular thing through out teen movies, girls failing out. There is another eye line match used when Kady is walking through a party dressed in the wrong sort of halloween out fit all the girls are staring at her. This eye line match gets the audience to feel what Kady is feeling as she is walking through with everyone staring. It also meets the convention of the teen comedy as she has come dressed in something different to everyone else, the looks the other people give her creates comedy.

Sound

During the trailer they use non – digetic sound of upbeat music when they are showing the different kinds of characters. They do this because it makes the film look a lot more happier and upbeat and a lot going on through out of it and makes it look a lot more fun. It also shows the characters youthfulness with the music. The music gets quieter when dialogue is used in the trailer so the audience can here what the character is saying.

Sound

They use a voice over in the trailer so when they cut in images of her life, she can speak over them to explain more to the audience so they understand the scene better and what is going on.

Sound

They use dialogue throughout the trailer, which matches the convention being a teen movie as one of the characters is speaking about the different groups in the high school for example she starts listing who people are by calling them ‘the jocks etc’. So this is a typical stereo type for a teen movie. An they also explain the girls around school by calling them evil, and knowing everything about everyone which is a typical thing for a popular girl at high school. They also talk about boys are how good looking they are which is another convention of a teen movie.

Mise en scene

They use different kinds of props in the trailer, for example they use cups of alcohol at the parties to show that the teenagers are drinking and doing what normal teenagers do so this also matches the conventions of a teen movie. They also use props of food which are bars to make you gain weight, but Kady uses them and says they make you loose weight which is a bitchy thing that a girl would do in high school.

Mise en scene

The costumes of each of the characters are very different as shown in the images and show the difference between each character. For example you see the popular girl dressed revealing ready for a party where as the other charactrers are dressed quite casual. This shows more about each character and relates to the teenage conventions of stereotypical teenagers.