Geek Chic

Preliminary Task

Shooting Schedule

Rehearsal Schedule

Who: Anna and Charlotte and Robin

What: Read through of script/storyboard

Where: In common room

Time Dedicated: Period 5 (1 hour)

Number of Scripts Needed: 4

Location Scouts

Where:

•        School
•        Character’s bedrooms

Why:

•        School is a big part of teenage life and our audience feedback from our questionnaire told us that this setting is expected in a teen romantic comedy.
•        The use of character’s bedroom helps set up the stereotype for the specific character and also this links to the idea that all teenagers live at home. 

Character Profiles

Character Profile:

Name: Nina

Costume: Backpack, glasses, hair tied up, plain t-shirt, jeans

Characteristics: Shy, clever, introvert, brunette

Gesture/movements: Head down, fidgeting

Representations: Youth, geek stereotype

Possible Casting Idea:

Who: Anna Alcock

Why: Small in height, timid, has characteristics that match character profile

Character Profile:

Name: Leah

Costume: Black top, black skirt, black high heels, hair down, jewellery

Characteristics: Confident, blonde, high maintenance, attitude

Gesture/movements: Hands on hips, sharp movements

Representations: Youth, bitch stereotype, middle – upper class

Possible Casting Ideas:

Who: Charlotte Nettle

Why: Has characteristics that match character profile, blonde

Character Profile:

Name: Rob

Costume: White t-shirt, varsity jacket, jeans, short hair

Characteristics: Friendly, confident, brunette, affectionate

Gesture/movements: Fluid movements, eye contact

Representation: Youth, jock stereotype

Possible Casting Ideas:

Who: Robin Freemantle

Why: Has characteristics that match character profile, brunette, tall

Character Profiles:

Name: Jack

Costume: Band t-shirt, headphones, baggy jeans

Characteristics: Shy, bitter, lonely

Gesture/movements: Messy, expressionless

Representation: Youth, loner stereotype

Possible Casting Ideas:

Who: Chris Alcock

Why: Right type of look, has some characteristics that match the character profile

Geek Chic Storyboard

Geek Chic Script

Synopsis of Film

A geeky girl joins a new school and is taken in by the popular people. There is a party when the popular girls give the geeky girl a makeover, due to this the ‘head’ bitch’s boyfriend falls for the geeky girl. The ‘head’ bitch finds out and plans to make the geeky girl’s life hell. Lots of pranks happen to the geeky girls and because of this the geeky girl becomes friends with the loner guy who the popular people have bullied in the past.

The geeky girl and the loner prank the popular girls and the girls do the same to them. The films ends with a school dance (prom) where the geeky girl gives a meaningful speech about how looks aren’t everything. She is announced Prom Queen, at the dance the popular boy asks her out however she realises that she loves the loner guy. The popular girls learn from their mistakes.

A Guide to Paramount Pictures

The production and distribution company that we have decided to work with is Paramount Pictures.

We have chosen this organisation because they are considered to be one of the top-grossing movie studios, another reason why this is a suitable company is because they have produced and shown many successful films of our genre (teen romantic comedies).

An example of a successful Paramount Pictures produced teen romantic comedy is Mean Girls. Other films that have been successfully produced by Paramount Pictures are Forrest Gump (1994), Transformers (2007) and Iron Man (2008).

All of the films we have mentioned are well known and the company has a good reputation within the industry, therefore this allows our film to have a good chance at having success.

Paramount is a vertically integrated organisation and the significance of this is that the majority of the money will go to one company meaning that they will gain more profit allowing us to do the same.

Examples of successful teen romantic comedies distributed by Paramount Pictures are Clueless (1995), Pretty in Pink (1986) and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008).

These films tie-in well with our genre, as they are all successful teen romantic comedies and are distributed by Paramount Pictures. 

      

Multi-media Presentation of Our Findings

Teen Romantic - Comedy Questionnaire.

The Lizzie McGuire Movie - Opening Analysis.

The movie starts with a spy like music in the background and sliver writing with what looks like police lights. This not what you are expecting for the beginning of the movie but it could connote that Lizzie is trapped or that her parents keep a close eye on her. It then cuts to close ups of what looks like spy gadgets and then a tape with the words black mail written on it. The movie title is revealed still in the theme of a spy movie making it look bold and it stands out but still doesn’t fit in. It then starts to make more sense as it is revealed that it is her little brother using the gadgets which could mean he is trying to catch her out and could cause problems later on. We are then taken into Lizzie's room as well as her brother’s gadget, which is a racecar with a camera on it, this could connote that they play games with each other and don’t get on. The text then changes when in Lizzie's room to a cartoon like font with bright colours. She puts pop music on and her alter ego cartoon character appears doing girlie things such as putting on make up, spraying perfume, writing in lipstick and making a mess but revealing the credits while the real Lizzie sings around her room getting dressed. 

There are no boys within the first two minuets other than her brother but she obviously cares about her appearance and what people think of her. We are not sure of where she is on the popularity scale but she has blond hair and is well dressed so if she fits in with the stereotype of teen rom-coms she is more than likely popular or going to gain popularity.

Bratz - Opening Analysis.

The movie starts with all of the production companies logos and then cuts to a black background with pink cartoon like writing over the top of it with the titles and a almost spooky music in the background. It then fades out to a birds eye view of a town. This could connotes that everything before this day has nothing been as special as today as the clip gets brighter and brighter until it looks some what unnatural. The pink cartoon writing is still carried throughout until the movies name is revealed in big letters. There is then a zoom in a big pink clock and a girl wakes up excited and upbeat music starts to play. She is wearing white connoting that she is fresh and starting something new as she is a blank canvas. It then cuts to three other bedrooms where girls wake up exited and jumping around the room, all the rooms are very different from each other but the colours yellow, pink, green and bright blue are used throughout. They all log onto a computer to talk to each other showing they are a close friendship group and that they are also well off in life. They all then enter there wardrobes at the same time to plan outfits, this shows that this day is going to be important and that fashion is a big part of who they are. The song in the background then uses the lyrics "back to school" and the girls start talking about there first day of school and what they are going to wear. They all have very different styles but talk about borrowing each others clothes showing they are still close even though they are not the same.

No names are given yet or any love interest however you start to feel there excitement for there first day and want to get to know each girl individually. 

10 things I hate about you - Opening Analysis.

The clip starts off with a black background and rocky disorientated music. The text over the top of the background is in green, blue and a dark orange connoting that this is not a girlie rom-com like the other movies. It then cuts to a long shot of a big town showing us the setting and then cranes down on to an area that contrast with the mix-matched music as it has a sort of "perfect" look to it with green grass and white windows. This could connote that who ever the movie is based around does not fit in around the area. The camera then stops on four girls in a blue car dancing to the music in a girlie way with smiles on there face and wearing bright clothes and have perfect hair looking happy. A girl then pulls up next to them in a red car and her music over powers the other girls, she has no emotion and is alone. She is wearing all black so we can now tell the movie is likely to be based on her as she steals our attention.  Also all the other girls turn away from her and pull faces showing she doesn't fit in with them but she rolls her eyes and drives away connoting that not fitting in doesn't bother her. 

There is then a up crane shot of a school showing us they are students and that this is the main setting. Unlike in the other movies we don't see different groups of people, this could connote that it is not one group she doesn't in with its the whole school. The girl then walks into school ripping down a poster, this shows she is out spoken and doesn't go with flow. She voices her opions and doesn't care about other people as she upsets a girl but just walks off. 

There is no name given yet or plot or love interest but we are interested in why this girl doesn't fit and why she is so angry.

Clueless - Opening Analysis.

The film starts with bright coloured backgrounds and text and the name of the movie is revealed straight away. It then cuts to a group driving around a Beverly Hills and then shopping and going to pool parties. They are all dressed in bright colours and over the top outfits flirting and laughing with waiters and each other. A high low angle shot is used throughout the clip connoting they are at the top of the social ladder and that they look down on anyone not in that group. There are fast, straight cut, hand held shots used to show all of these thing connoting they live busy lives and the song Kids of America is playing in the background. A voice over then starts of a girl with a girlie American voice witting comments. It then cuts to a shot of her alone in her bedroom showing us she is the main character, she is dressed in white with blond long hair making her look angelic like. In the voice over she talks about school telling us she is in high school even if we don't see it. In this part of the opening a song with the word fashion is playing in the background connoting this is a big part of her life. She also talks about her dad showing she might be spoiled and we also see a crane shot of the house which is big and white with a chandler hanging showing she is rich. She also looks after her dad and is very comedic with him, she is wear bright yellow colours connoting she is happy and she plays with her hair. No real story line is revealed or romance however there is talk between the girl and her dad about a guy named Josh who she clearly dislikes. We don't know anything about this character on a personal level yet, we are not even told her name.

Easy A - Opening Analysis.

This open of this film starts with calm upbeat music in the background and is straight cutting to different parts of what seems like a small town. It has a lot of greenery and this is carried on thought the clip. It could connote that the main character has a lot more freedom in this movie and that the setting is a traditional one. A school bell then rings with a close up of the schools sign, this indicates that the main setting is a school and that the main character is in high school. A shot of a tree is then shown with the words "Easy A" in the corner, the movies tittle. It then cranes down to show all different people walking round the school in natural colours in groups or alone. It then focuses on a pretty blond girl, in a short skirt and low top cut top and a voice over starts about about guys don't notice her but how this not a ordinary story. The girl that is strutting around with her sunglasses on acting cool that we believe is voicing the voice over then bumps into another girl who is covered up with red hair who drop's all her books on the floor. She is looking up at another blond girl who is talking, this connotes that she is the unpopular one in a friendship. Considering this all happens in the first two minuets of the film we are given the plot for the rest of the movie as the red haired girl is then in another setting of her bedroom and is reading a sign saying the shudder including and cliched, however totally false account of how i lost my virginity to a guy at community collage. We can already tell that this is what the movie will be based on however there is no romance at this point.

Mean Girls - Full Movie Analysis.

This movie again focuses on not only a boy but a friendship group as well. It also uses the the character structure of the popular girl and the new girl liking the same boy. This film focuses on Cady, a 16 year old who has been home schooled in Africa her whole life. This movie includes a scene that whizzes around the school canteen and shows us all the different groups in the school such as "the plastics" who ask Cady to sit with them. They are place right in the center of the canteen facing outwards. They are all introduced in slow monition, with wind machines and short gym outfits by two other characters who seem to dislike them.

After Cady decides it would be fun to spy on these girls it is reveled that her and the leader of the group like the same guy and war beings. It ends in Cady becoming the new leader of the group and getting a extreme make over. Of course there is a party in the movie where everyone starts to see Cady for who she really is and again a lot of slow monition and up beat songs are used.
After this Cady is brought back to real world and realises the truth of "girl world" after the burn book is spread round school which is where the plastics back talk other girls. She has to find herself again and after competing in mathletes she is made prom queen, making some moving speech about everyone being beautiful. She gets the guy and the back stabbing stops. This movie again has a happy ending and a life message to go with it.

Wild Child - Full movie Analysis.

This teen rom-com focuses on the popular girl of the story rather than the unpopular one and again carries the message of becoming a better person. It is based on a 16 year old called Poppy who is forced to move to a English boarding school where she doesn't fit in as well as she did back in sunny Malabo where she was one of the most popular girls there with a big friendship group. The setting is again a school, however it is brick and stone unlike in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging which uses a lot of grass and playing field in its setting connoting how Poppy is trapped. On her first day she annoys and upsets the safe and pupils of the school and at dinner the love interest Freddie is introduced, again with slow motion and draw dropping girls. However Poppy is not impressed by him showing she is more mature even though she gets his attention. This is where the problem character is introduced as a typically English girl makes her way to Freddie and later on Poppy bumps into her where they confront each other as they carry on doing for the rest of the movie.
Poppy starts an unlikely friendship with the girls in her room who help her try and escape the horrible school however this can only be done by getting with Freddie, so after a makeover, party and lots of close ups on clothes Poppy goes after her man only to fall for his charm.
There is then a twist in the plot where the girl who is jealous of Poppy sends letters to the girls and Freddie making them hate her and then blames a fire on Poppy. This then gives Poppy a chance to show she has changed and everyone stands up for her.
Her father then comes to view her in a lacrosse match and is shocked by how much his daughter has changed with the help of a slow monition close up and dramatic music. 
So this ending is again a happy one where not only does the girl get her guy but also a life lesson.

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. - Full movie Analysis.

This is a British teen Rom-Com that focuses on a 14 year old and her life. The opening of the movie shows us the setting and also where she is on the popularity scale which tends to be very low down in teen movies. She goes to a party as a olive where as everyone else is dressed girlie and sexy and when she enters the party everyone looks at her while in the middle of the room is a blond girl who looks the most grown up and is wearing a lot of make up and a low cut top giving her dirty look and little hateful comments. we can already see that this girl is the most popular girl in the area and is going to cause problems for the main character. This event ends with the main girl running around the town, this again shows us the setting of the movie using long and crane shots. The setting is a small town, or as the main character calls it "gods waiting room" showing us nothing exciting really happens in the area. Also a speedy song is playing in the background about a beautiful girl. This connotes that her looks maybe an issue to her and this is proven with a voice over, in a sort of diary like style. She "thinks" about the 5 reasons why she has a sad life.

1) her parents

2) they hate her having a life

3) her sister is mad

4) she has a big nose

5) she will never get a boyfriend

these are now things she is set to over come thought the film. We also get more plot raveled shortly after as she revels she wants to have a birthday party, this now sets climax of the film. Also the fact her parents don't want her to have a party and the popular girl from the scene before is going to have a party the same day gives us more plot. 

The next scene is set in a school, we would expect this setting for a teen film as it is where the majority of our time is spent. we get introduced to different groups within the school such as bullies and "Lindsay slag martin" (the popular girl). we are also introduced to the main girls friendship group, this again is a common factor of a teen film as high school is where friendships are made adding to the realism.

The love interest is then introduced, slow monition and "smooth" music is used for effect, this is now another part of the plot added as we are already intressted to know what is going to happen between the charcters.
Of course this love interest likes the more popualr girl and after alot of tears, sad songs, fall outs and a move to New Zeland the two of them end up together with a massive party at the end, proving that looks don't matter and that happy endings do exsit.