She's the Man

Pre-Production
During Pre-production after choosing the film, Sarah, Megan and I watched parts of She’s the Man, picking the scene we most liked and were able to remake. I transcripted the scene to create an accurate script needed for the production, as Sarah and Megan drew a storyboard, taking detailed notes on shots, equipment and costumes needed. Throughout this, we decided who would have each role during the production stage. For instance who would play who and who would film each scene.
Problems
Being unable to find a script for the film on the internet meant I had to spend time transcripting out every vocal detail of the scene. Figuring out who would bring what part of each costume also became a bit of a problem as we had to bring parts for different characters costume.

Production
Our Production of She’s the Man we found the location for our film set, the music practice room. Here, we were less likely to be disturbed, were able to create a somewhat precise setting for the scene and was the appropriate size. After going over our lines a few times, Sarah and I began filming as Megan was in most of the shots. It was great fun filming as we put our knowledge to the test to create a good re-production of this scene.
Problems
Despite how good everything was going, we accidentally recorded over lines we had previously filmed. After re-doing many, we still managed to miss some certain lines that we were then unable to re-do. My trip to China also imposed some problems for the group as we had to commence filming early and complete my lines as swift as we could. Getting the props in the right order each time and making sure my characters sleeves were down as in some they were up, also became an issue causing us to re-film multiple times. Other challenges that occurred such as no mirror or photo were soon fixed by drawing a picture and using a light reflector to solve our dilemma.

Post-Production
Post-Production involve countless editing hours as we learnt how to use iMovie, ordered our shots, created the music and added the credits to finalized our work, completing it on time.
Problems
Not knowing of our mistake made during the production, we found out we had taped over lines, causing some of the shots to be out of place. Using Garage Band to add an acoustic guitar melody, we fixed our problem of the loud background sounds caused by the neighbouring classes during production. It added a new feel to the scene, so it was a great solution.

Be Kind Rewind Films

Be Kind, Rewind

Ghost Busters
Foil, fishing rod, book, printed dress, vacuum hose, fishing wire, post it boxes, paper with a hole, vacuum, torch, tinsel, walkie talkies, garbage bag, slim, duffle bag, cardboard box, bag of groceries, fan, fridge, bell, siren light, water, photocopies of faces, car with turbo pipes, red skirt, patterned dress, bed sheet, marshmallows, toy cars, photo, whipped cream, tape, full body overalls, mop, green light, cat.

Rush Hour 2

Suits, noodle boxes, black top, jeans playground equipment, rope, turn table, record, torch, car mat, wooden bat, metal rod, extension cord, bamboo sticks, rubbish bags, matrass, white shirt, torch, blue dressing rob, ash trays, Chinese dress.

The lion king

Cardboard cut outs, spray paint, duvets, tape.

Robo Cop

Hair dryer, car parts, helmet, cop uniform, grill plate, gloves, grid iron  shoulder pads, water pistol, twin exhaust, rubbish bin, fork lift, rubbish, vent pipe, snow boots.

Driving Ms Daisy

Chauffers hat, old suit, floral dress, car, make up, decorative hat, fake moustache, wood planks, sticks.

When we were kings

Ribbon, garbage bags, boxing shorts, trailer, star, cushions, baseball bat, brown dress, pink hat, pilot outfit, cardboard cut outs, half a car, head phones, Christmas lights, glad wrap.

2001 Space Odyssey

Fridge, tires, helmet, black curtain, snow boots, full body overalls, spray pain, wheel hub, umbrella, tins.

King Kong

Model planes, cotton wool, white sheet, black dressing rob, hand duster, metal cases, string, half a toy truck, tin, curtain, cardboard, paper.

Carrie

Flowers, pink dress, bucket, metal book case, paint, toy cars, wooden barrel/high wheel, metal poles, steel beam, rope, cardboard, car.

Men in black

Toy cars, wooden barrel/high wheel, car, suits.

Boyz ‘n the hood

Wigs, matching vests/jumpers, fake gun, dummy/mannequin, street clothes, fire crackers, pizza base.

Fats Waller was born here

Make up, suits, bowlers, bow tie, shoe polish, instant mashed potato, cones, card board, tin, exhaust pipes, piano keys,  saxophone, metal pipes, bicycle handle, tubes, lights, handles, buttons, bell, car dash board, hands, bath tub, wheels, seat, funnel, fan, turn table, white clothes, bed with hole, sheets, horn, mini wooden coffins, garbage bin, paint tins, grill, buckets, bowler hats, bow ties, taps, tin, wood, clips, paper mache’ gun, fire crackers, glass, pizza, bible, priest robe, train, wine bottle, crane, house items, house, 30’s outfits, tires, tables, toy train, cotton balls, pyjamas, white sheet. cigar, plane, blankets, white clothes.

Film Comparison

Teen Films Vendiagram

Differences

Clueless:

- The setting changed to a larger scale

- Characters were similar

- Shallow and similar personalities

- Relationships are a common

- Social status is main priority

- Made in the mid 90’s (‘95)

- Focus’s on one protagonist, Cher

- More main characters (10)

- Jealousy

- Learning to drive

- Homosexuality

- Being a virgin is classified good

- Long time frame

- Self seeing issues

- Dramatic about issues

- High fashion status

- Chick-flick

- How you look

- Parties

- Setting people up together

- Superficial issues

- Shopping

- Formal language

- Charity work

- Boys

- Getting good grades

The Breakfast Club:

- Focused on 5 main characters

- Made in the mid 80’s (‘85)

- Shows all characters family backgrounds

- Unique characters and personalities

- Hasher language in text

- Time frame over one day

- Virginity was seen as a bad thing

- Reputation to up hold

- Understanding others

- Trusting and opening up to others

- Deeper issues

- Gaining friendship

- Dramatic sounds to cover up swearing

- Not judging a book by its cover

- One main setting with sub-settings within same area

- Deals with common adolescent behaviours and backgrounds

- Serious issues (Suicide, Abuse)

- Bullying/Harassment

- Stereotypes

- Anger management

- Had uncommon teen movie events

- Students were all in trouble for something

- Lyrics fitted what was happening to the teens

Similarities

- Music helped set the mood and genre

- Current music used

- Filmed in America

- Based on common teen experiences

- About trying to be popular and liked

- Sex/Virginity

- Love – falling in and out of it

- Fitting in

- Being yourself

- Mainly set in high-schools

- Drugs

- Home life

- Issues with friends

- Finding out who you really are

- Controlling parents

- Teenage life

- Romance

- School life

- Friendship

- Helping others

- Cliques/Groups

- Changing your look

Clueless

Genre

Drama, Romance, comedy

What typically occurs in a teen film?

In a teen film issues such as friend problems, boys, bullying, fights, sex, being different and family problems usually occur. As well as the cheesy romance parts. Also the stages of growing up and realising who you are and what you want to be.

Where are teen films usually set?

Teen films are usually set in high schools, at homes or at their favourite places such as a shopping centre, café’s, parties etc.

5 teen films I have seen:

-          Mean Girls

-          Easy A

-          St Trinians

-          She’s the man

-          Wild Child

The Characters

Cher

Cher is a 16-17yr old teenager facing the drama of new friends, boys, school and keeping up her social status. She is a very manipulative teenager when she wants something to happen. With this she can be very thoughtful about others but very thoughtless about the consequences. Cher is willing to help others who she thinks are in 'her need', but soon becomes highly jealous, immature if they become the centre of attention, not her. But despite all this, Cher is an intelligent, innocent, yet flirty and friendly young teenage girl, making her a good protagonist role.

Dionne

Dionne is Cher’s closest friend who is full of great fashion and also likes to be at the top of the social ladder. Whilst being involved in a normal relationship with Murray, Dionne enjoys helping Cher get her way but is unwilling to help those really in need such as flood victims. But like Cher, she is a well-spoken, intelligent teenager who plays a great role in the teenage high school drama.

Tai

When Tai first arrived at Bronson Alcott High, she was unlike everyone else there. Tai dressed how she was comfortable, not caring about what others really thought. She is a friendly girl who looks at people’s personality, rather than looks. Tai soon takes after Cher after being given a makeover and acts like the stereotype teenager falling for guy after guy, being manipulative and self-absorbed, forgetting who she is hurting and who her true friends are.

Josh

Josh is Cher’s somewhat older stepbrother who hands around their house rather the facing his mum’s husband number 4. Josh is an intelligent young man studying environmental law at university whilst also helping Cher’s dad with cases to gain more skills. He is a friendly, helping, truthful guy who deals with Cher’s immatureness and begins to fall for her, as he looks after her through her teenage crises.

Murray

Murray is Dionne’s long-time boyfriend who doesn’t care about having a lovers quarrel with Dionne in public in front of her friends. Despite this Murray is caring towards his girlfriend and supports her with everything she does. Murray is an enthusiastic, unfashionable, truthful young teenager, making his way through High School.

Elton

Elton is another manipulative teenager fighting for what he truly wants despite the hurt he causes others. He can be shallow and selfish when trying to get Cher for only one thing, sex. But despite this he is nice to Cher and is a great mate of hers when she or one of her friends needs it

Travis

Travis is a skater boy who’s into some drugs and gets poor grades at school. But besides all this, Travis is an open minded, down to earth, kind, and sometimes smart teenager who cares about the inside, not outside. Through everything that happened he kept his feelings strong for Tai and became a loyal friend no matter what she was doing.

Mal (Dad)

Mal is the stereotype father being concerned for his daughter and also extremely busy to look after himself much, since he is a big time lawyer always working on major cases. Mal is hard working, intelligent and focused on his career, but still loves his daughter dearly.

Mr Hall

Mr Hall is a hard to satisfy teacher who is aware of teenager’s manipulativeness and refuses to give in to raise their grade.  But he still falls for Miss Geist when Cher tricks him into doing so and becomes a fun teacher who is easy to please for he begins to look at the other side of things and loosens up.

Miss Geist

Miss Geist is a sweet and shy teacher at Bronson Allcot High who tries to look good but is unaware of her true beauty both inside and out.  She is dedicated to helping others and the environment.  When she falls in love with Mr Hall, her world brightens up and she becomes a jollier person.

How they developed over the text

Cher

At the start of the text, Cher is clueless to things going on around her but soon grows to realise things are not always as they seem, and she has to find new ways to get what she wants.  She helps others to find happiness in things but grows jealous when the world doesn’t revolve around her anymore.  Cher soon discovers that even though she has been hurt, and has hurt others, her mates are still there for her as she learns to respect those all around her close or not.

Dionne

At the beginning of the text, Dionne is disrespectful towards her boyfriend always having a quarrel with him public.  Dionne doesn’t wish to help others such as Tai, but soon finds its fun to do so.  After having a car incident with Murray on the highway, she realises how much she loves him and begins to care for him more.  At the end of the text, Dionne finds that what is on the inside of a mate and boyfriend counts most.

Tai

Tai is the new girl at Bronson Alloct High, starting off she is a bit insecure about herself with the girls.  Once Cher begins to help her.  Tai find her confidence among others and starts to find herself.  Though as the text progresses, Tai takes a bit too much advice from Cher and grows stubborn, selfish and immature, forgetting who her real mates are.  But she soon realises her wrong of ways and changes back to her normal confident self for the better.

Josh

Josh starts off as someone of minor annoying importance to Cher as he helps Mal with case studies.  But as the text progresses, Josh begins to help Cher’s friends have fun as Cher begins to realise how much she likes him.  Josh’s acceptance for Cher grows as he too realises their love for each other.

Costumes

Cher

Throughout the film, Cher wore matching outfits made by famous designers with knee high socks.  Cher usually wore pale pink makeup (eyes, lips, blush) and had her long blonde hair out but done up for the party.  She carried a matching handbag and a large cell phone and pager everywhere she went.

Dionne

Dionne is just like Cher, wearing out there designer outfits from matching skirts and jackets to blouses, cardigans and short tops.  Dionne wore it all with a unique hat, and a handbag, and cell phone.  This was topped off with her long black platted hair, nose ring and red lipstick and light eye make-up.

Tai

When we first saw Tai before the makeover, she wore loose fitting pants, top and flannel shirt, with her hair roughly done up, and no make-up.  But after the makeover, just like Dionne and Cher, she work designer matching outfits from stockings and skirts to blouses and shirts.  Though at times we did see her back in her normal overalls and jacket.  Tai wore curly red hair down with a headband and pale brown makeup.

Murray

Murray wore the stereotype clothes for a teenage boy, with no makeup.  He wore loose fitting pants with his undies showing, skater shows, large jumpers/jackets, a backwards facing cap and a necklace for some bling.

Plot

Clueless is about a popular teenage girl, Cher and her best friend Dionne, who begin to play match makers for their teachers, Ms Geist and Mr Hall. When all goes amazingly well, inspired by their efforts, they aim to makeover the clueless transfer student, Tai. All goes great until their love match for Tai backfires and Tai falls for someone else. In the midst of all this, Cher is trying to find a love of her own as she helps Dionne feel okay when her boyfriend lets her down. Misfires begin to take place before they truly find out their real mates and true love.

Settings

The main setting for the film ‘Clueless’ would be Bronson Allcot High and its classrooms and grounds as well as Cher’s house. The sub settings for this text include Cher’s jeep, Elton’s car, streets, highway, car park, ‘The Valley’, friend’s house (party) and at the restaurant/café/diner.

Music

The music in the film used was upbeat and popular at the time of the movie (1995) setting the time of the text. The lyrics fitted the themes, talking about love, friends, and just getting through life as a teenager.

Themes and issues

Issues and themes presented in the film are love; finding out who you truly like, finding someone’s special someone for a mate and getting jealous or heartbroken over a guy. Homosexuality; dealing with someone you love being homosexual. Friends; finding out who your true friends are, dealing with fights and jealousy as well as helping them out. Family; helping out a busy dad, having a non-related removed brother and not having a mum around but instead dealing with them being in heaven. Popular Vs. non popular; trying to get to the top of the social ladder, dealing with jealousy and being friends with anyone despite of their popularity.

Other teen films

Other teenage films I have seen raised similar issues to the themes that were raised during ‘Clueless’. For example ‘Mean girls’ includes love, friends, homosexuality, and popularity but differs a bit with family because it includes issues of moving countries and parents dealing with who you are becoming.

Review

Cher is a 17yr old teenager facing the drama of new friends, heartbreaks from boys, annoyingness of a school teacher and the difficulty of keeping up top of the social ladder. The film follows Cher and her best friend Dionne as they match up Ms Geist and Mr Hall in an effort to raise their grades. Once realising their success they attempt to make over the transfer student Tai as their next project. All goes well until the ‘who’s more popular’ drama kicks in and everyone begins to fall for the wrong people. As jealousy occurs, friendships break before coming back together in an effort to find your true self. Clueless is a common, funny, dim-witted teenage flick about love, loss, friends and boys which will keep you guessing about what else could go wrong in a typical teenage life.

The Breakfast Club

The Characters

Brian

Brian is the common nerd stereotype, taking all math and science classes, acing everything, and standing up for what’s right. But this is only what we see on the outside. Behind all his smiles, Brain is a young teenage pressured boy, struggling to ace his assignments. Due to the pressure forced upon him by parents and school, he becomes highly suicidal and attempts to kill himself with a gun hiding in his locker. This puts him in detention for a Saturday which will change his life, for the better.

Claire

There is more to being the stereotype princess we think Claire is at the beginning of the text. Claire’s parents use her to get back at each other since their divorce. But Claire’s home life is just as bad as her school life, her friends pressure her to do things she doesn’t wish to do but cannot simply say ‘no’ for she finds it harder then it seems. Throughout the text, we find Claire is a nice innocent girl with more depth than first thought. John also realises this as they begin to fall in love after they met in detention from Claire skipping school to go shopping.

Allison

Being an outcast is what Allison likes best. She is quiet, artistic, and unique but a compulsive liar. With no friends, she likes the quiet and being able to be herself for this is what she knows best as her parents neglect and ignore her constantly at home. But as Allison beings to use her voice and open up, we realise how misunderstood she really is, for after all, she only went to detention for she had nothing better to do. And after Claire’s makeover to Allison, we find what a beautiful girl lies beneath, and so does Andrew as be begins to fall hard for her.

Andrew

Andrew is a nice, caring, outgoing and athletic teenager whom most guys aim to be like, but there is more than meets the eye. Beneath he is a boy just trying to please his dad. But with all the pressure, it builds up and makes him tape a boys ‘buns’ together, landing him in detention. This isn’t such a bad thing for him as he see’s past the stereotypes and finds the true friends and with Allison, a true love.

John

John is your common rebel, breaking the rules, talking back, and just being plan mean towards everyone. But after being landed in another Saturday detention, we learn that John is just an out spoken, disrespected child who is being abused by his father, trying to find an escape with his anger. He takes it out on Claire, who to him is a wealthy rich perfect girl. But after finding out her full story, he falls in love with his once ‘punching bag’ for insults.

Costumes

Brian

During the film Brian wore a dark green jumper with a white top underneath, paired with a pair of cream pants, and black skater shoes with white socks. To go with this, Brian had a black watch and a stylish pair of black sunnies to make his look work. This all worked well with Brian’s blonde curly short hair.

Claire

Claire with her short red hair out, earrings, rings and a watch had the perfect look with medium make up and nail polish. She wore a pale pink shirt, long brown skirt, brown knee high boots and matched it all with a brown shoulder bag giving her the good look for an 80’s school prom queen.

Allison

To create the look of a mysterious teenager, Allison did it well. With her short brown hair, light pale makeup and grey shoulder bag it suited well with her outfit made up of a pair of black boots, a long grey dotted dress and a black hooded jumper. But after her makeover, Allison’s look completely changed to light pale pink make up, a white sleeveless top dressed with a black belt, a black skirt and topped all off with a white flower headband to give Allison the girly look Claire was aiming for.

Andrew

Being the jock that he is, Andrew wore a blue singlet, blue jacket hoodie, and blue jeans all topped with his wrestling jacket and a pair of white sneakers. With all this and his neat short blondish hair, Andrew looked like a smart teen you would want to be best buddies with.

John

With the rebel look he had to portray throughout the text, John wore a white tee covered by a flannelette shirt and ripped denim jacket. With his black pants, fingerless gloves, knife and long brown/black messy hair and earring, he looked like the teenager you didn’t want to get on the wrong side of.

How the students felt towards each other

At the beginning of the test, the students were unaware of each other’s true personalities, only knowing what they had heard from others and the horrible school rumours. But as they grew to learn about each other and remove the unlikely rumours, they learnt about each other’s past, present and future and how they really felt towards things. This made them grow respect, friendship and love between each other, something that would out last their life’s troubles.

Plot

The breakfast club is film about five students with nothing in common, forced to spend a long Saturday detention together in the Shermer High School library. As the time flew by and they began to talk, they started to learn about each other. Brian the nerd, Claire the school prom queen princess, Allison the quiet weird girl, Andrew the jock and John the school rebel. These labels are soon removed to discover what truly lies beneath each other teens, as they make new friends, find love and just be teenager.

Settings

The film ‘The Breakfast Club’ was shot in Shermer High School in 1984. The main setting for this text was the schools large library. But as the students roomed about other sub settings were created such as outside the front of the school, the venting system, a storage cupboard, the teacher’s office and many corridors connecting all the classrooms.

Music

At the beginning of the film, the music began with rock/alternative/soul music with lyrics and long instrumental parts, giving the setting of the 1980s well.

When swearing begin to happen during heated moments, dramatic music sounds were played over them to add the theme tune to the scene. As the teenagers got high and danced around, an uplifting 80s tune played making you want to get up and dance.

Themes and issues

The Breakfast Club focuses on a wide range of themes containing main different issues such as love; finding your true love in someone you wouldn’t look twice at. Friendship; making new friends despite how different you thought each other were. Stereotypes; the labels people are left with simply because how others think they are, not what they truly are. Communication; the lapse of communication between teenagers and parents which can cause hurt and misunderstanding for both. Anger; finding a way to let out the anger caused by many problems in your teenage life. Family; dealing with family problems from abuse to neglect and all in-between. Pressure; Finding ways to deal with pressure occurring from home and in your school life.

Other teen films

Compared to other teenage films, ‘The Breakfast Club’ is a different, not focusing on brainless plots, comedy or the body, but instead what it is like to go through life as a teenager with all different amounts of pressure and home or school problems. It focuses on removing the stereotypes people are labelled as, instead of creating new ones which affects the real high schools of today.

Review

Brian, Claire, Allison, Andrew and John are 5 seriously misunderstood teenagers put in detention for breaking many different school rules, and simply because some had nothing better to do. As we follow there story’s slowly being unravelled throughout the text, we learn about their true self’s and not the labels they had been given by others. A skill which all current teenagers should use to look past the labels of others around them. We are taken through their lives and how they are coping as we see them make friends, fall in love with people they wouldn’t look twice at and find ways to overcome their problems as they join together to form ‘The Breakfast Club’. It is a film which will take you through the true life of some teens and open your eyes to the lives they lie beneath.