The teen genre is a genre of film that is aimed at teenagers or young adults. They generally depict typical teen interests (eg. first love, rebellion, teenage angst, coming-of-age, conflict with parents etc.) in a particularly sugarcoated, stereotyped or trivialised way. They can be quite lighthearted, however, variants of them can be darker. Teen science-fiction films are an example of a heavier variant, often featuring dystopian universes that involve bands of teenagers that rebel against an oppressing body eg. The Hunger Games etc. I think this is a way to play on a teenager's instinctual desire to rebel, which is why this is such a common and successful genre. Teen comedies, however, often involve sexual themes - this not only plays on the age groups hormones and therefore appeals to them, but it also represents a common interest among teenagers and young adults. Moreover, crude humour is commonly seen in teen as its a type of humour that could be considered 'immature' yet too 'adult' for children. Pop-culture is a prominent feature in teen films too.
John Hughes is a noteworthy teen film director, and a noteworthy group of actors is the 'Brat Pack'.
Conventions of the Teen Genre
Teen genre conventions are easily recognisable, however, they do vary depending on the mood of the film. Eg. a teen comedy would have very different conventions to a typical teen science fiction.
- Setting - In a typical teen movie, the location will often be centred around a high school. This is the most commonly featured setting, as it is where teenagers are expected/required to be. It is also a relatable environment to the teenage target audience and a large, social and 'well-populated' location where interesting events are likely to occur. Moreover, it enables the inclusion of multiple social groups or 'cliques' - another common convention of the teen genre. These high schools are generally situated in towns or suburban areas - this is because these are particularly uneventful places which the characters can highlight as a factor in their mundane, unsatisfying teenage life (to play on the theme of teenage angst). Also, the idea of a sleepy, uneventful location may juxtapose the eventful plot the film contains. Not only this, large and teeming areas like big cities would not be an appropriate place for a child or teenager to be, so the characters would typically be situated outside of cities etc. Another setting in teenage movies is character's houses. These range from the protagonists to other, insignificant character's houses. A house may be used to host a party. These houses are generally large and clearly, belong to somebody wealthy - there's generally a swimming pool. The protagonist's house is often small and unimpressive, but this isn't always the case. A prominent feature of the protagonist's house will be the bedroom, where the character spends a fair amount of their time and may even host sleepovers. Another setting may be a holiday location when the characters are on school break. This may include a lakehouse, a secluded, rural destination, a beach etc. Beaches are commonly seen in teen movies because people believe beach parties are a popular party destination among stereotypical teenagers. Neutral but social areas, such as cafes etc. are common in teen movies as the central group of friends often use these places to discuss matters. In these areas the characters may accidentally run into another significant character - as they're on neutral 'territory' and all social groups can go to these places. Universities may be used too eg. Pitch Perfect. In science fiction teen movies, dystopian universes are quite commonly used.
- Technical Codes - Camerawork is predominantly neutral in teen films, however, due to the excessive stereotyping of characters, certain camera shots/angles may be used to portray the characters in a certain light and therefore change the audience's interpretation of them. For example, there is often a form of hierarchy depicted in a teen movie, people at the top of the hierarchy (i.e popular characters) may be captured from a low angle to create an intimidating effect and trigger the audience to dislike the characters. Continuous tracking shots are common because they're often used to manoeuvre around the high school and capture all of the social groups. This is seen in the films 'Easy A' and 'Mean Girls' and plenty of others. The colour grading is overall neutral but may vary depending on the type of mood being portrayed. Eg. the colour grading in 'The Hunger Games' is quite cool, bluish toned because an overall serious and sad mood is being portrayed, whereas, in 'Mean Girls', the colour grading is quite neutral but involves a brighter gradient to convey a more lighthearted mood.
- Characters - Social groups and stereotypes is the most vastly used convention. These are effective because this is how teenagers typically look at their lives - marking everybody else in a category or stereotype. Moreover, it's relatable because cliques and social groups are common in a large and social place like school. Using stereotypes also leaves more room for diversity, as a range of different types of people is covered. Most of the characters will be a teenager or young adult. The most commonly seen stereotypes are the following:
> The 'It' Girl - These characters can be the protagonist or the love interest of the protagonist. They're an extremely attractive, desirable female, however, are not one to flaunt their beauty - or are even aware of their beauty. The difference between the 'it' girl and the cheerleader is the fact that 'it' girls have a lot more to them - they're both 'it' in terms of personality and aesthetics. A good example of this kind of character is Mandy from the Teen Horror film 'All the Boys Love Mandy Lane'.
> The Misfit/Rebel - This character is the trouble maker and is generally looked down on by most characters, however, they may sometimes be feared. An example of this character type is Patrick, from '10 Things I Hate About You'. They tie in well with the outcast stereotype because they disassociate themselves with any social group and don't conform to the typical high school set norms and values. The difference is that they show actual displays of deviance, rebellion and defiance as opposed to just being bitter.
> The Outcast - The outcast is the character that doesn't fit in with any social group - either because they choose not to associate themselves or because they aren't accepted by them. Outcasts tend to be quite bitter, closed off, cynical and judgemental. They generally look down on everybody around them however, they are also looked down upon by everyone else. They are sometimes the protagonist of the film. Often, these characters may be a bit more toned down and more innocent, they're characters 'quirky', intelligent people might tend to relate to. An example of this kind of character is Kat from 'Ten Things I Hate About You'.
> The Newcomer - This is often the protagonist of the film - they're a character that only just moved into the neighbourhood and therefore all the other character's way of life is quite alien to them. People show an interest in them because they're new and the plot may centre around them adjusting to their new environment.
> The Girl/Boy Next Door - These characters are very plain - conventionally attractive and friendly/open. They're often friends with the protagonist/love interest, and the protagonist/love interest won't recognise the feelings they have for them and continue to tell them their romance issues. In the end, this is the person the character will normally end up with.
Other characters include stoners, geeks and somebody who is desperately in love with the protagonist who is usually perceived as quite gross. There are usually token characters included, such as token black characters. The characters are all fairly young so that it will appeal to the target audience and the target audience (teenagers and young adults) can relate to them better. Teachers are incorporated into teen films, some are seen as guidance and good whereas others make the protagonist's life a living hell. Parents are either seen as good or bad, as a huge theme in teen is conflict or rebellion against parents. Parents can be seen as obstacles in the plot, for example, running into his dad in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
- Sound - In typical teen romantic comedies, upbeat pop music is often played as opposed to score music. This is effective because this music will be popular among teens and will, therefore, engage them because they like the song. Moreover, it sets a cheery tone and therefore makes the audience happy. In darker teen films, like The Hunger Games, heavy score music may be used to convey a more serious or inspiring mood.
- Lighting - Lighting in typical teen films will be quite neutral. It will be more bright than dark to convey the lighthearted mood that is almost synonymous with popular teen comedies. However, with contemporary science fiction teen films rising to popularity, darker, more moody lighting is used. This is because a serious atmosphere needs to be portrayed. In these films, artificial lighting is fairly common, as it's a common convention of generic science fiction.
- Props - Props are used in teen films to help set the scene and reinforce the idea that it's set around teenagers. This could include basic objects that would be associated with teenagers. For example, in 'Jennifer's Body' there are band posters layering the walls to make it look like a typical teen room and depict the typical interests of a teenager. Things such as textbooks or folders may help suggest that the characters are in high school and perhaps that they are hardworking. Because stereotyping is very prominent in teen films, props can be used to help express these stereotypes e.g. always carrying a football around shows that they're probably athletic.
Target Audience - The obvious primary target audience for teen films is teenagers. This is because it appeals to their common interests by highlighting typical things they can relate to, expressed through characters of their own age in a setting they understand very well. Science fiction teen films featuring dystopian universe's appeal to teenagers because of their basic desire to rebel in some way. Furthermore, these universes often lack any adult authority or safety and the characters have to deal with this independently - a liberty many teenagers think they want. Statistically, it is typically females who watch teen film over males, however, the films aren't generally aimed at one gender specifically, except in some cases - particularly when romance is a key element in the narrative. A secondary audience for teen films may be adults, this is because adults may watch them to reminisce and feel nostalgic because obviously, everybody once was a teenager. Older children may be enticed by more immature teen films, e.g. Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging, because children look up to teenagers as though they're cool and therefore want to be them. This may make them want to watch teen films.
What do Film Companies Do to Attract These Audiences in Terms of Marketing?
Film companies address the teenage target audience directly, this is easy because they are easy to approach as teenagers are typically more up-to-date with modern technology and social networks than any other audience. The advertisement of pop-culture references within the films is a useful tactic as teenagers are very familiar with pop-culture.
What do Film Companies Do to Attract These Audiences in Terms of Marketing?
Film companies address the teenage target audience directly, this is easy because they are easy to approach as teenagers are typically more up-to-date with modern technology and social networks than any other audience. The advertisement of pop-culture references within the films is a useful tactic as teenagers are very familiar with pop-culture.
- Posters - Because one of the main features in the teen genre is stereotypes, the posters will generally depict the characters on the poster. An easily identifiable stereotype will be featured, particularly one associated with teenagers e.g. cheerleaders. This helps direct it at that age group because figures they see in their everyday life will be on the poster and they can therefore relate. The colour scheme for teen posters is generally quite eye-catching, this is probably to catch the eye of immature minds, as older people may find the striking designs gaudy and tasteless. It may contain bold fonts and even side writing - particularly arrows to point out the stereotypes in the film. Some posters, depending on the specific secondary target audience, may be designed to suit a certain gender. For example, the Mean Girls poster pictured below on the left contains 'feminine' colours. Moreover, the characters featured are fashionable, which generally associates with the female gender more. This poster shows the protagonist separated from a group of other characters - this may be playing on stereotypes and the idea of a social hierarchy within the teenage community. Her difference is not only highlighted by her positioning in the image but by what she's wearing and her general stance - she looks very out of place compared to the other girls. The poster for 'Not Another Teen Movie' shows a group of stereotypes, even with labels to state which stereotype each character represents. The stereotypes include 'The Popular Jock', 'The Token Black Guy' and many more. These posters will be placed in areas that teenagers may be e.g Shopping malls etc.
- Trailers - Trailers for teen movies often contain a lot of pop-culture references to signify to the target audience how relevant and in-fashion the film is. Moreover, they contain enough footage to establish the key conventions without revealing too much of the plot. These trailers will be shown before other teen movies to ensure they are directly addressing the target audience of this genre. Another technique film companies use that is particularly effective regarding teen films is using social media as a tool to promote the film. This is because social media is where current teenagers spend a lot of their time and therefore this is the most effective way to promote the film to them.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999, Gil Junger)
This film opening starts with popular music (already showing a common convention of the genre as it engages the audience) from the era playing and pans from what looks like a busy town onto a car filled with a group of girls. All the girls look quite similar, suggesting that they're part of a clique. This is further reinforced when they look at the character in the car next to them with disgust or rejection because she is not a part of their social group. This also suggests the presence of a social hierarchy, as the characters clearly look down upon this character and perhaps have a higher status than her. When the second girl arrives, the music suddenly changes to a popular rock song because the character in the car is playing it really loudly. Her separate music taste to the other character's suggests her different tastes and personality - this plays on stereotypes because of the exaggerated differences between the characters. The feminine appeal and generally conceited aura of the group of girls in the car relate to the popular/cheerleader stereotype, the fact that they instantly reject the other character suggests that she's an outcast - particularly as she has no social group around her. Moreover, she shows her general angsty, cynical and angry disposition when staring moodily at the characters in the other car and purposely blaring her music loudly. This idea is further reinforced when she drives into the high school (the conventional setting of a teen film) and makes her way past all of the other social groups angrily. She tears down the poster, suggesting her rejection of basic norms and values - this fits her into the outcast stereotype even more. The lighting is natural and therefore quite neutral, therefore not changing the audience's interpretation of the film. The colour grading is quite light - creating a lighthearted mood. The font is very playful and bold, this is appropriate for a teen film because it is whacky and unprofessional which adults may find tasteless however teen would like the colour and crazy font. Overall, this film opening depicts many teen conventions and is a good representation of the genre.
No comments:
Post a Comment