What is put across within the first two minutes of this romantic comedy, how is this achieved

1. Opening Analysis:
Emma Miller & Loretta Paterson

2. • Affluence/ the upper class
• Genre (romantic comedy)
• Desirable protagonist
• Concern with appearance
• Teenage society/ Narrative surrounding young people

3. • Protagonist is portrayed as upper class
• Excessive amount of shopping bags connote wealth
and a careless attitude towards spending (use of mise-
en-scene)
• Shots are low angle and are of large locations such as
mansions with staff and their owners who look small
in comparison, which represents them as affluent
• The proxemics between her and her father are close
and her body language is assertive and confrontational
which shows she is spoilt
• The voiceover describes the protagonist as “teenage”
and she owns a large car which signifies affluence at a
young age.
• Long shots show that father as larger than the maid
(someone of lower status) and therefore connotes
higher class

4. • Medium shots and long shots with both genders which
signifies the relationship between boys and girls as a
common theme as both genders are present in each
shot. The use of close ups and these gestures are
suggestive (e.g. feeding has a connotation of intimacy,
also cherries have sexual connotations) and therefore
represents the protagonist as desirable.
• Diegetic laugh sound creates an upbeat, fun
atmosphere, this along with the large use of extras
connotes that the protagonist has a large number of
friends and is popular therefore signifying that the
protagonist is desirable.
• There is use of fast cutting rhythm over the suggestive
shots , this signifies that the protagonist’s promiscuity is
not a large side of her personality and represents this as
an underlying sexual tone rather than a main theme.

5. • The shots signify that the protagonist is pre-occupied
with her looks, she is shot from a low angle to force the
audience to look up at her, therefore connoting that she
thinks highly of herself. She also uses props such as a
hairbrush to show that she pays a lot of attention to her
appearance and is therefore represented as vain.
• The close up of the computer shows “MIS-MATCH!” is
use of hyperbole and is an over reaction to her clothes
not matching. This suggests that her appearance is a
large concern for the protagonist.
• There is a fast cutting rhythm on shots of the
protagonist with her possessions, to signify that she
spends large amounts of money on looking good.
Because she is shot from a low angle she is represented
as confident

6. • There is a fast cutting rhythm within the first two
minutes, this conveys an upbeat tone which is
commonly found in romantic comedy.
• The mise-en-scene consists of many bright colours
which are found in romantic comedies to a happy and
upbeat theme.
• The lighting is hey-key even within the dimly lit room,
this links to the tone being bright and uplifting. This
tone corresponds with a positive tone also which is
found in romantic comedies
• The music is fast pace and pop/rock this music is often
found in romantic comedies and further represents
the idea of an upbeat lifestyle, which is also a common
theme within romantic comedies

7. • A narrative surrounding youth is immediately
conveyed as the first shot is of four young girls in a
car, therefore the narrative is focused around youth,
especially female youth.
• The song also signifies that the narrative of the film is
based around youth because the song states, “we’re
the kids in America” therefore trying to relate to all
American youth
• The voiceover introduces the protagonist as a “teenage
girl” this causes the audience to immediately associate
the protagonist as teenage and to represent that the
narrative will surround around the youthful
protagonist and her teenage friends.