Mean Girls

Director-Mark Waters                            

Paramount

Release Date-18^th June 2004

Comedy Drama

Awards-7 wins and 15 nominations

Opening Weekend-$24,432,195

2,839 Screens

Budget-$17,000,000

 

Non diagetic tribal music with piano over the top to signify that something isn’t right.

Titles on black screen, money saving strategy, simple font, bright colours signify target audience, teens.

Establishing shot low angle mid shot and patronising way characters are talking connote that they are talking to a child, this is the preferred reading. The camera then moves upwards to show the audience has been mislead and the central protagonist is actually a teenager.

Still shots and the sound of a camera used to show photos being taken and expressions on characters faces.

Use of stereotypes of home schooled children then use of central protagonist as countertype.

Woman in stereotypical mother role, fussing over child, crying on first day of school and screaming.

Detached house shows middle class.

Girl portrayed as a geek wearing glasses and braces.

Farmers shown in dungarees’, no teeth, music changes to show setting eg Africa more tribal, guitar in America.

Two women scream when nearly get hit by the bus, man doesn’t.

Mother stays and waves girl off, man walks off

Voice over of central protagonist gives exposition.

Filming from characters view to show how she is disorientated helps audience empathise and relate to character especially target audience because they may have been in the same position.

American teenagers portrayed as rude and unruly, walks into girl, setting things on fire, fighting.

Background and background characters blurred, central protagonist focused to show her confusion of starting new school.

Tina Fey writes and stars in the film so this may attract a wider audience because her fame from “Saturday night live” an American sketch show.