Mise en Scene
High Key Lighting: I see high key lighting in the opening scene of Mean Girls, i believe this is to keep an upbeat, happy atmosphere to make the audience relaxed and comfortable when watching. They don't want to put their audience off as their target audience is probably the niche group of girls aged 10 - 16 who are expecting to see a light-hearted rom-com.
Casual Costumes: In the opening scene of Mean Girls we see Cady in a jacket and jumper which are dark colours and don't suit each other. It is very unconventional for a teenager to have a bad fashion sense, if the outfit was trying to make a statement then that would be more conventional however there does not seem to be any clear theme to her outfit. She just lacks influences from peers her own age. Although i believe the awkward fashion sense is to show Kady isolation to normal teens when living in Africa so in our opening scene we should use outfits that a normal teenager would wear.
Props: In the opening scene of Mean Girls we see a little girl in large 'geeky' glasses and braces competing in a spelling bee to show the audience that she is 'nerdy'. whilst we see this, Cady narrates over the top describing all the stereotypical features of a Home schooled child. The props in the opening are used to show what kind of person people think Cady is ( a nerd) while she speak to the audience trying to tell them that she isn't like that.
Mean Girls Opening scene
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Camerawork
Mid-Shots: In the opening scene of Mean Girls we see a Mid shot of Cady. This is so that the audience can get a good look at her so and get to know her as they know what she looks like and can associate themselves with the main character of the film the audience are watching.
Two Shot: In the opening scene of Mean Girls we also see a two shot involving Cady and her Mum, this is to show a relationship between the two of them. It shows how close the two of the are and how difficult it will be for the two of them when Cady goes to a public school for the first time. This sparks emotion in the audience and makes them feel more connected and involved with the film.
Establishing Shot: In the opening scene of Mean Girls we see an establishing shot of Cady's family house. It looks like a typical, normal house in a rural area which the majority of the Mean Girls target audience will be able to relate to, helping them to connect and get involved. It will remind them of their own home and therefore think that they are in Mean Girls as one of the characters, in a sense, making them more inclined to carry on watching through till the end.
Soundtrack
Score: In the opening scene of Mean Girls the is score present throughout. The use of score helps to set the mood of the scene to help the audience understand what the scene is going to be like. In the case of the opening scene of Mean Girls, the score can be described as having Major Key. This tells the audience that it is going to be a happy, relaxed, non stressful scene. It tells them that they don't need to worry about anything bad happening in the scene
Ambient Sound: In the opening scene of Mean Girls we hear chickens clucking in the background this makes the film seem more realistic to the audience. It sets the scene for the audience and in the case of Mean Girls they use the chickens clucking to tell the audience that the scene is on a farm.
Voiceover: In the opening scene of Mean Girls there is a voiceover of Cady's voice throughout the scene. This is one of the few times in film where the character speaks directly to the audience. It builds a connection between Cady and the audience and makes the audience much more involved in the film. As a result of this, the film automatically becomes more enjoyable for the audience as they feel closer to the film and the characters.
Editing
Quick Cuts: In the opening scene of Mean Girls we can see that it is almost entirely made up of quick cuts. I believe that this is to mimic to the audience all the thoughts and feelings rushing through Cady's head as she is about to have her first day of school. This helps the audience get an insight into Cady's life and therefore brings the audience closer to the film itself making it more enjoyable because they can also relate Cady's feelings to how they personally felt on their first days of school.
Foley: In the opening scene of Mean Girls we can see that Foley is used with the sound of clapping when the home-schooled girl correctly spells the word 'xylocarp' at a spelling bee. This is used to make the scene more realistic for the audience an therefore makes them more comfortable when watching because the things they are hearing are what their brain would expect to hear, there is nothing abnormal which results in the audience relaxing which can make them enjoy the film more.
Shot Reverse Shot: In the opening scene of Mean Girls we see a shot reverse shot. Usually shot reverse shots are used to show relationships between people however in the opening scene of Mean Girls the editing technique is used to show the relationship between Cady and her home. As Cady has been home schooled her whole life she must have spent most of her life in a house with the comfort of her own property around her. Now that she is finally going to a public school she wont have that anymore. The whole experience is going to be a daunting one for her and therefore the shot reverse shot of Cady and her house makes the audience sympathise for her which brings the audience closer to the film making it more enjoyable for them as they have connected with it on an emotional level.
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