10 Things I Hate About You Analysis
Mise en Scene
Costume: In the opening scene of "10 Things I Hate About You" we see Kat, the main character, wearing a Black jumper and trousers. This separates her from others the same age as her as we also see a group of girls in the car next to her wearing light coloured clothing. From the very first scene the audience is told that Kat is different through her costume. It also suggests that she is rebellious as the colour black has a negative connotation.
Props: In the opening scene of "10 Things I Hate About You" we see Kat sitting in a rusty old car. This, just like her costume, separates her from others the same age as her because the girls next to her are in a convertible which looks new and clean, a complete contrast to her own car which is old and rusty. It also suggests that Kats family arent as financially secure as other kids in her year. The audience could infer from this that maybe her life isnt as easy for her than others, therefore they would show sympathy for her. By showing emotion for Kat they automatically make a connection with her and this makes them more involved with the film.
Setting: In the opening scene of "10 Things I Hate About You" the setting is a urban area (looks like a small Town) and a High School. The target audience for 10 Things I Hate About You is Teenage girls and most of them will find these settings very relatable and as a result of this they will find themselves connected and more involved with the film. In turn, they will enjoy the film more because they will feel a part of it and they may recommend it to their friends as they enjoyed it so much.
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10 Things I Hate About You
Camerawork
Pan Shot: In the opening scene of "10 Things I Hate About You" we see a pan shot used when Kat is driving in her car and stops at a red light next to a group of other girls in there car. The use of a Pan Shot emphasises to the audience how different and distance Kat is from the stereotypical 'normal' teenage girl. We see this because the first shot is of a group of girls together in a convertible, dancing to a pop song that was most likely popular at the time with smiles on their faces having fun. Then, it pans over to a second, more old and rusty, car waiting at the traffic lights. Inside is Kat who is wearing black clothes and has a moody facial expression. Also she is listening to a rock song. All these things are a massive contrast to the first car.
Mid Shot: In the opening scene of "10 Things I Hate About You" we see a mid shot of Kat. The use of a mid shot allows the audience to see the facial expressions of Kat, in this case it was and upset/moody one. As a result of this the audience can connect to her as they can see her emotions and can sympathise for her.
Establishing shot: In the opening scene of "10 Things I Hate About" You we see an establishing shot of a small town. This, to the audience, could be relate as they themselves may live in a small town and as a result of this there can relate the film to their own lives. This can make the film more enjoyable for the audience.
Editing
Foley: In the opening scene of "10 Things I Hate About You" foley is used when Kat rips a poster off of a wall. This use of foley makes the films seem more realistic for the viewer when watching the film as it makes the sounds you would expect to hear a lot clearer. In the case of 10 Things I Hate About You it emphasises how vigorously Kat rips the poster off the wall.
Shot Reverse Shot: In the opening scene of "10 Things I Hate About You" a shot reverse shot is used when we see Kat pull up to the traffic lights in her car next to a group of other girls in a second car. The used of the shot reverse shot is to show a relationship between characters. In the case of the opening scene of 10 Things i Hate About You the shot reverse shot is used to show a negative relationship between Kat and the girls in the car next to her.The reason for the bad relationship is because of the contrasting lifestyles in which they all live. Ranging from the style of music in which they listen to, to the fact that the girls are all together in a friend group and Kat is all alone in her own car. This is all used to show the audience how different Kat is from all the normal typical teenage girls in America because if you look at the group of girls in the the other car you will see that they have been costumed and scripted to be what the audience would think a stereotypical teenage girl would be. If you then look at kat you will see she is the complete opposite of everything that they are.
Quick Cuts: In the opening scene of "10 Things I Hate About You" we see quick cuts come into play when we first see Kat pull up at the traffic lights. The quick cuts can connote a loss of control as they are not as calm as slow cuts as it overall speeds the scene up. This could suggest to the audience that Kat is a rebel with no control over her life and as a result of this it could make the audience sympathise for her as she has no control over her life. Also it could make the audience want to be her as she is a rebel so could be considered 'cool'. Either way it makes the audience closer to the film which results in it being more enjoyable for them.
Soundtrack
Diminuendo/ Crescendo: In the opening scene of "10 Things I Hate About You" we see a Diminuendo of the 'typical' teenage girls score as Kat drives up next to them at the traffic lights in her car. At the same time as the diminuendo we see a crescendo of Kat's music which is a much different genre (punk rock) to the 'typical' teenage girls music (pop). This shows to the audience that she is important as her music out plays all the other score in the scene.
Score: In the opening scene of "10 Things I Hate About You" we see the use of score, this shows to the audience how different Kat is from the typical teenage girl. We know this as at the very start of the scene we see there is a group of girls who are, like I said earlier, listening to pop score which is what the audience would expect that typical teenage girls listen to, then, as Kat pulls up next to them in her car they score fades into a much more punky/rock genre which pushes her away from the stereotypical image of which the audience think a teenage girl should be like.
Ambient Sound: In the opening scene of "10 Things I Hate About You" we see the use of ambient sound as a way to create the right atmosphere for the scene to help the audience understand. In the case of "10 Things I Hate About You" the use of ambient sound is used to create the busy school environment. This is done with lots of conversation and shouting s the school scene comes into shot. This can also help the audience relate to the film as they too may go to a school which is always really busy. By relating to the film the audience will find it more enjoyable.