Mean Girls Trailer

Genre, representation, audience and narrative

At the begging of the trailer “paramount” the producers of the film appears which is a stereotypical convention of trailers in general. Lindsey Lohan’s name is also displayed at the beginning of the film creating the effect that she is a key part of the film and the producers have purposely advertised the main actress as she is popular and many people may purely want to watch the film because they like her.

Most of the shots are school orientated, expressing that due to the fact the characters are teenagers the target audience will be of a similar age group as they will be able to relate with the characters.

Pictures are shown of Africa, creating the effect that because they are pictures, a life in Africa is part of the past.

The girlie music, masses of girls, bitchiness and mass of teens creates the idea that the film fits into the genre of “chick flick”.

After looking at the trailer you can see that the narrative links to the genre...The girl moves school (previously lived in Africa, becomes one of the plastics (wide shot of them walking down the hallway-”owning” the place), they fight and sabotage each other lives (mid shot-close up of emotion when angry dress doesn’t fit because shes been convince to eat this “protein” bar-but it makes her fat)and then the problems are solved (the falling back trust exercise shot).

Camera movements shots and angles• At the beginning there is a pan/fast forward time lapse of the canteen, establishing the school setting along with the

different “clicks” it then slows down when it gets to the “plastics” this creates the effect that these three girls are important to the film and “run the school”. A voice over is used when describing one of the plastics as stupid, in the following shot the music then stops when the new girl is talking to the “plastic”; “Sometimes I think I’m physic” linking into the idea of her being stupid. The silence makes the audience listen carefully to her speaking, making it seem important. The silence also emphases the comment about the plastic being stupid.

• A high shot is used when the boys are carrying the ring leader of the plastics creating the effect that she is the most important and everyone looks up to her and obeys her.

• There is a wide shot of the new girl, she then says “Regina seems sweet”, Regina then appears in a car in the back ground and a zoom in close up is used of her saying “get in loser” which creates an ironic effect as she doesn't seem very nice if she calls her a “loser”.

• A tilt up is used of the new girl, showing you her new transformed look. This creates the effect that she is now-head to toe one of the plastics.

• A two shot is used when the girls are on the phone to each other so the audience can acknowledge both of their emotions when speaking. This also links into the idea of bitchness and the “chick flick” genre.

• A mid shot followed by a close up is used of Regina the main “plastic” to emphases her anger when she realises she cannot fit into a size 5 dress. This close up enables the audience to feel her emotion and the fact that she is so angry about a dress links into the target audience of teenagers and weight and the idea that from a young age teenagers think they have to be a certain weight.

• A mid shot followed by a close up and then shot reverse shot is used to show the conversation between Regina and the boy, showing her emotion.

• Nearing the end there are a few fast music shots with fast tempo music illustrating the masses of mean exchanges that go on between the girls within the movie, giving the audience a glimpse of the narrative and show the genre of a “chick flick”.

• A wide shot is used to illustrate the power the plastics have within the “corridor” as they are walking in a line together taking up the space, this creates the effect that they rule the school and people look up to them/are scared of them.

Sound editing and mise en scene• A typical school environment has been used; an environment the films target audience

will be used to and will be able to relate to. Much like the clothing and “clicks” shown, a teenage audience would be of custom of the school clicks on a daily basis and will dress similarly, creating a shared frame of reference that the audience will be able to relate to and will more likely want to watch the film.

• The party shot shown will also be similar to the reality of the audience making them more likely to watch the film because of the similarities.

• The music used throughout is of a mainstream genre, attracting girls in particular which links to the genre. Its upbeat and cheerful which again would draw in its target audience.

• When expressing the personality of one of the plastics, the music stops to hear her dialogue, making it seem important and to emphases how stupid she really is.

• The new girl uses the dialogue “Regina seems sweet”, Regina then appears in a car in the back ground, Regina uses the dialogue“ get in loser” which creates an ironic effect as she doesn't seem very nice if she calls her a “loser”.

• The tempo of music slows down at the end when they are doing a trust exercise this creates the effect that there is a resolution of bitchiness.