The opening sequence of Mean Girls uses various cinematic techniques to establish it as a film targeting teenage audiences. Non-diegetic music and shots of stars create a dreamlike atmosphere and sense of escapism. The tempo of the music increases to build intrigue in viewers. Font choices and colors used for the title represent the film as fun, youthful and appealing to both female and male teens. Various shots are used to depict the main character Cady as innocent and inferior to others, identifying her as the archetypal outsider character teens can relate to. These formal elements provide information to attract and engage teenage viewers.

1. The opening sequence to mean girls begins with the camera
panning down slowly onto the clouds to connote a dreamy
atmosphere, as stars and clouds connote dreams. Nondiegetic classical music fades in to represent the conventions
of fantasy that may be used in the narrative. The nondiegetic classical soundtrack and the shooting stars in the sky
connote that the narrative will have a narrative that will offer
the teenage target audience escapism from their everyday
lives (uses and gratification theory)
The stars are shown swirling around whilst the camera pans out,
revealing the film institution that the film is distributed by. The nondiegetic soundtrack continues to play here however the tempo
increases here, which increases the pace. This creates an enigma for
the teenage target audience (Barthes enigma code) and leaves them
wondering what will occur next in the narrative. The fact that the
mountains appear in the clouds connotes a dystopia, representing
that the narrative will be of the fantasy and chick flick genre. The
font appears slowly, and neatly which represents that the narrative
will mostly be joyful, meaning there will be an equilibrium (Todorov’s
equilibrium) The typography is white which connotes purity, this
along with this fancy font, which connotes femininity, represents that
it is aimed at a female teenage target audience. This is because
purity is stereotypically associated with how females should be. This
gives the female teenage target audience the information (uses and
gratification theory) that they will be able to identify with the female
characters (uses and gratification theory).

2. A non-diegetic soundtrack is used of up-beat pop
music to represent that it is aimed at a teenage target
audience, this is because teenagers are stereotypically
associated with liking pop music. The distribution
company is repeated here, however this time in blue
bold font which connotes youth and represents that it
is aimed at both sexes, as blue is a unisex colour.
This would attract a teenage target audience as it
grabs their attention through the blue standing out
against the black background. This would offer a
teenage target audience the information (uses and
gratification theory) that this film is fun and youthful.
A sound bridge is used onto this scene, the
continuation of the same soundtrack connotes
that the whole film will have a narrative that
will appeal to a teenage target audience. The
same font is used to represent to the audience
that Lorne Michaels is the producer of this film.
The fact that the font is in yellow here connotes
that this producers film is youthful and that it
appeal to a teenage target audience. The
presence of the colour yellow connotes that the
narrative will be full of excitement and will offer
the teenage target audience entertainment
(uses and gratification theory).

3. Non- diegetic classical music is used in the
background, this is juxtaposed by the youthful
connotations the bold green font give of. Binary
oppositions can be identified here as the classical
music which is stereotypically what adults listen to, is
a juxtaposition of the youthful font used to represent
the protagonist, Lindsay Lohan. The classical music
used, connotes that it also appeals to an adult
audience, this may be because they may be able to
identify with the stereotypical characters as their
child may be similar to one of them (uses and
gratification theory). A teenage target audience may
be attracted to watch this film as they may be a fan of
Lindsay Lohan’s and may see her as a star (Dyers star
theory). They may therefore be attracted to watch the
film so that they can identify with her character (uses
and gratification theory).
The rule of thirds has been used as the we
can identify the film title has been placed in
the center to ensure the teenage target
audience do not miss it. The white colour of
the word ‘’MEAN’’ is a binary opposition as
white connotes purity. The word ‘’girls’’ is in
a dark pink which represents to the teenage
target audience that something bad may
occur in the film and creates an enigma
(Barthes enigma code)for the teenage
target audience. This will offer the teenage
target audience escapism(uses and
gratification theory).

4. A low angle shot of Cadys parents has
been used here to connote that they are
superior in comparison to them and to
represent that her parents still see her as
a child. A teenage target audience would
find this entertaining (uses and
gratification theory) as they know Cady is
sixteen. This represents that the parents
characters are prop characters, who are
stereotypically found in chick flick films.
Non- diegetic angelic music is used to
connote that her parents are godlike
which also adds the comedic genre. This
will offer the teenage target audience
entertainment (uses and gratification
theory).
The camera pans up and transitions to an
over the shoulder shot where we are able
to see a high angle shot used on Cady, this
along with her innocent facial expression
connotes that she is inferior in
comparison to her parents. This offers the
teenage target audience the information
(uses and gratification theory) that she is
the geeky character in the narrative,
which is an example of prop 8 stock
characters.

5. Stereotypical prop 8 stock characters can be identified here, as the parents are represented as
being the hero’s whereas Cady is represented as the damsel in distress. This is also a
representation of binary oppositions as Cady is the weak one, whereas her parents are the
powerful ones. The fact that the father character is taking a picture of Cady on her first day at
school adds humor to the film and offers entertainment to the teenage target audience (uses
and gratification theory).
A high angle shot is used on Cady to show that
she is weak and innocent in comparison to all
the other characters, this would attract a
teenage target audience as some of them will
be able to identify with her unpopular status at
the school (uses and gratification theory).