Not Another Teen Movie - identification of stereotypes

1.The Jock 
This is one of the stereotypes that i noticed in the film. A majority of the jocks wore varsity jackets which indicated to us as the audience that they were jocks. They all are typically good looking and had neat hair, which reveals to us that they ran the school and that many girls were falling for them .

For example in films such as 'shes all that' ,'GLEE' ,'Cinderella Story' both consist of jocks being the alpha male of the school .
                                     



 
2.The Black guy
There is always the typical stereotypical black guy in most teen movies that I've seen. A majority of the black guys in the films were hoodies or urban clothing .They are seen as being intimidating and close with those in the school who have a higher status.

For example in films such as 'She's the man' and 'Not another teen movie' reveal to us who's friends with the black guy  .

                        




3.The Geeks
The Geeks in 'Not another teen movie' are seen to be wearing the attire of a geek which consists of a shirt buttoned up to the top, glasses, backpack and holding books.They are usually male in teen movies rather than being female geeks.

For example in films such as 'Napoleon Dynamite' and 'Revenge of the nerds' both reveal to us the lifestyle of a geek .

   




4.Slutty girls 'pretty popular girls'
The stereotype of 'slutty girls' is one of the main type of characters portrayed in teen movies. They are seen as the centre of attention throughout the whole film but for them it always ends in tragedy. They usually wear mini skirts ,tight tops, makeup and are blonde.

For example in films such as 'Mean Girls' ,'Angus thongs and perfect snogging' and 'Bring it on' all reveal to us the lifestyle of the pretty slutty girl .

                                                  



5.The perfect Girl
It is rare to have the perfect girl to being in a teen movie as there is usually 'the good girl'. The character of the perfect girl is flawless, this includes her having perfect hair, beautiful looks, well dressed and is seen usually walking slowly past their admirer .

For example in films such as 'Scott pilgrim vs The World' and  'Superbad' show to us  how the unpopular guys fall for them .

       
 

What conventions of teen dramas can we set in Bling Ring?

Bling Ring
Bling ring is about a group of friends that start committing burglaries on fellow celebrities and start to get careless and slip up. This film is based on real life events.

Genre

The main genre is based about Teens and throughout the film we see the characters going out partying, taking drugs and the excessive intake of alcohol.
Teen Movie

Theme + Issues
Throughout the film the main theme is partying and having fun. Also we see most of the main characters taking drugs and the recklessly drinking. The addiction of drugs is clear as it has become an every day event.

Drugs
Alcohol
Sex
Parties
Burglary
Theft
Friendships/Cliques


Settings/Locations                                                    
In the film the main burglaries are from celebrities houses and apartments.
Calabasas, California
Clubs
Houses
Mansions



Characters
Rachel Lee
Nick Prugo
Alexis Neiers
Diana Tamayo
Johnny Ajar
Roy Lope, Jr

Teenagers
Ongoing teenagers
Adults
Criminals

The Bling Ring

What conventions of teen dramas can we see in  'The Bling Ring'? 

What is the film about?
The Bling Ring is about a group of teens from Los Angeles who are obsessed with the Hollywood fame and go on a thrilling crime spree of burglarising celebrities' houses by finding out their addresses online.

Sub-genres 
It is a biographical film which includes sub-genres such as crime, drama and a bit of comedy.

The image above consists of the seven teens and young adults in which the film was based on their criminal events and lifestyle

Themes
The themes that occur during the course of the film are as follows;

• Fame
• Celebrity culture
• Crime/Rebellion
• Money
• Drugs
• Relationships both between friends and within the family
• Cliques
• Partying
• Popularity 

Setting/Location/MES

• America, Los Angeles
• High school
• Friends' homes
• Bedroom
• Clubs
• Cars
• Celeb homes

 

Type of music included in the film

• Dance/Trance
• Hip-hop

Types of characters

• Teenagers
• Annoying parents/adults
• Authorities e.g. Police
• Celebrities 

Costume

Stylish, glamorous, in trend, designer branded outfits.

Bling Ring

What conventions of teen dramas can we see in Bling Ring ?

Who is the target audience ?
The target audience Bling Ring is aimed at  are young teenagers, but mostly girls. This is beacuse girls are are mostly intrested in fashion, celebrities and the lifestyle they live in . 

What sub genres are common ?
The sub genres that are common in this film are comdey, chick flick and high school drama.This is why they are viewed mostly by teenage girls.

Conventional themes 
A range of themes  in the film are based onmoney , crime, trust ,family conflict ,friendship and partying.Towards the end it shows how everything comes together and to what consequences that occur.

Locations
In the teen film Bling Ring, the loction usually changes from being in the home to school/college, sports locations and other locations.Although there are places like bedroom, schools and parties in which are the most popular places which have been used.

Characters  
The characters in bling ring are all teenagers, annoying parents and people with authorities. It conveys to us that the teenagers in the film have control over everything until the end.
 


Costumes
The use of costumes used in the film are mainly branded designer clothes that had been stolen from celebrities. Although their own clothes are usually casual when going to school . 

Music 
Soundtracks had been used to liven up the film and to show a sign of how they are having fun when robbing from celebrities homes . 

 

Individual task 2

Choose 3 teen movies that have different audiences. 

Mean Girls

Mean girls is a chick flick which is targeted mainly for girls between the ages of about 13 to 20. The genre of the movie is drama comedy and a bit of romance. The film escribes how female high school social cliques operate and the effect they can have on girls and so in many cases the target audience could relate to life in high school as a girl but also entertainment. 

High school musical 

High school musical is mainly aimed at high school students who have an interest in musicals from ages as low as 11-16. It is targeted both and boys and girls however more for the young girls. The film is about life in high school which is a bit exaggerated with the musicals however it is creative which is perfect for a young audience. The types of genre included are romance, comedy, musical, drama and family. The romance is acceptable for young ages, this helps young teens who may be bexperiencing love for one another and could potentially relate to that. However musical plays a major role, young teens who are interested in music and singing will enjoy the film. Having a range of different genres in the film helps create a bigger audience which is a benefit for the film makers. 

Kidulthood

Kidulthood is a British teen movie aimed at both genders ages 15-24. It is about a day to day life of troubled 15 year olds growing up in west London and they problems they face. The main genre is realism and drama. This film appeals this specific target audience because of the strong relatability and struggles teenagers face in reality. The film is also aimed at teens living in the same conditions mainly in Britain and other teens in other countries may have different attitudes and values which may be harder for them to connect with the movie compared to teens living in Britain. 

Genre and Convention

What is a teen film ?
A teen film is a film associated with young people  and mostly relate to a tennagers lifestyle.

  


Who watches them ?
Teenagers in general are the target audience as it views people of their own age .Also it doesnt specifically choose a genger as either female or male could go through the situation the person in the film is going through .

What sub genres are common ?
The sub genres that are common are comedy, action,horror, ROM COM ,fantasy, high school, drama and coming of age. The first three stated are more likey to have viwed by teenagers due to the excitment given off by the audience . 
 
  

Conventional themes 
A large range of films are themed to be based on love ,family conflict, homecoming dancers and partying . These are just a few listed which teen movies are based on or include . For example,films such as high school musical and grease are musicals, whereas love and basketball is based on sports .

Locations
In teen films , the loction usually changes from being in the home to school/college ,sports locations and other locations.Although there are places like bedroom, schools and parties in which are the most popular places which have been used.

Characters  
characters in teen films are based on the streotypes we see today ,Groups such as the chocks, nerds , pretty girls and the goths.

Genre and Convention

What is a teen film?

Teen films is a type of genre targeted at teenagers and young adults where the plot is mainly based on their interests and problems they come across e.g. love/relationships, coming of age, rebellion, and family conflict.


Who watches them?

Teen films are mainly targeted at teens and young adults, however many adults watch teen movies to reminisce their youth or for educational purposes such as finding out more about the current youth generation.

What are the common sub genres?

Some common sub genres are; romance, comedy which are usually explicit, exaggerated and extreme this may be in order to reinforce the message it is trying to portray or maybe make the viewers who have been or sit currently in similar situations feel more comfortable, there are also, horror, realist low budget drama e.g. kidulthood, fantasy, psychological thriller etc.

  
 


Type of characters seen in teen films?

The type of typical characters seen in teen films is the bully(ies), nerds/geeks, popular hot girl and boy, the quiet one.

Where teen films are mainly located?

• Typical locations within the home in teen films: Bedroom, kitchen, bathroom

• Within the school/college :Hall/lockers, car park, toilets, classrooms

• 'hang out' locations: Diner, parties, friend's house, cinema