Short FIlm: Genre Research

The genre that I would like to use in my short film is Teen Drama because I have a lot of resources to use for a film of this genre and would be able to come up with a lot of great ideas. Being a teenager, I know a lot of drama and common problems for a teenager. Teen Drama is a large genre because teenage years are an age for drama. Here are a some examples of Teen Drama films:

Juno (2007)

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Thirteen (2003)

Wassup Rockers (2005)

Kids (1995)

Films of this genre often have a protagonist main character with a flaw or issue that makes the character interesting or appealing to the audience. Throughout the story, they face rising actions and overcome their issue during the climax. Common issues in teen dramas are fitting in, drugs, abuse, relationship, teen pregnancy and sex just to name a few. The teenagers are usually stereotyped as nerds, punks, outcasts, jocks or cheerleaders in teen dramas. Also, most of these films have happy endings by solving their issue and or learning a lesson. The acting in these films are usually exaggerated about how teenagers act. They never really are portrayed exactly, but that is the filmic touch on the genre. The settings of these films often vary but common places are schools and big cities. These films do not usually have a complex cinematography and the film really neutral angles. Teenage Drama films usually have a score consisting of music for a teenage crowd. Music that is appealing to teenagers and young adults possibly, which is usually radio played music for the films that can afford to use those songs. The logline for my upcoming short film will be this:

Teenage boy suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, finds way to cope with his issue.

IB Film Oral Assessment - Psycho (1960)

For my IB Oral on a five minute extract from Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), I feel I deserved a 17. I really felt I could have done so much better on this assessment. The parts I struggled on were really finding a deeper, analytical interpretation of my extract. At the time I chose my extract, I did not realize how hard it would be to analyze the deeper meaning behind the scene. I had a lot of trouble trying to find real good information to bring into my oral. It also was really hard to figure out where to start because this is the first time that I have ever done an assessment like this. At some point I choked up and had a lot of pauses to think. After awhile, I felt that I starting just rambling, which is exactly what I did not want to do. I was nervous and probably should have better prepared for this. Next time I will do a better preplan and practice what i'm going to say more than I did.

Film Language and Representation

17:55 - 23:15
This exterior scene is from when Marion Crane exchanges her car and $700 for a different car at California Charlie’s used car dealership. Marion seems to be panicked, anxious and suspicious to the car salesman. The police officer who had stopped Marion earlier in the film followed her to the car dealership. California Charlie was able to tell right off the back that Marion was up to no good from her quick and panicky body language. Throughout this scene, the camera stays at neutral angle but makes quick cuts time to time when the scene starts to get more intense. The quick cutting is to create suspense among the audience and have them wanting to guess what is next. Suspense is increased when dramatic music is played with the quick cuts, which occurs often in this scene specifically. 

Ex. 1

Ex. 2

The first shot is a wide shot of Marion that cuts to a close up of eyeline matches to a California license plate (Ex. 1) and then to her Arizona license plate in the car dealership. She slowly paces past cars in the lot and looking at the license plates on them. After, she purchases a newspaper (Ex. 2) which is a foreshadow to a later event. California Charlie comes up to her and says, “the first customers of the day are always trouble.”

This dialogue is relevant because of it’s double meaning pertaining to Marion’s situation. As Marion and California Charlie negotiate for the car, the camera cuts quickly back and forth to Marion and the police officer. Because of these quick cuts and the fast paced music, the scene seems more intense and creates a build up. California Charlie is suspicious of her behavior and feels pressured by her to make a quick sale. Throughout the scene he continuously catches her looking at the police officer. From Marion’s dialogue, she seems anxious and nervous. She talks quickly, often stutters and cuts off the car salesman in some cases.

Ex. 3

When she makes her mind up to buy the car, she goes to the restroom to get her $700 in cash out in private. In the bathroom, there is a close up with her hands counting out the money for the car. Within the frame is her hands, her purse, and the newspaper she purchased. These are relevant because later on in the film, she goes into her room privately to hide the rest of her money inside of the newspaper. As Charlie walks her over to the bathroom, he looks at her with a confused look and back at the police officer (Ex. 3). This adds to his curious body language to Charlie about his suspicion for why Marion is acting like this. She comes out of the bathroom and Charlie comes straight forward with her about how she is acting apprehensive about the selling her car. Marion continues to rush him and reassures Charlie that nothing is wrong.

Ex. 4

Together they walk into the garage to finalize the exchange and the police officer pulls into the lot (Ex. 4). The scene intensifies more because the audience wonders what the police officer will do next. After, there is a wide shot of Marion walking out of the garage and notices the police officer with Charlie, the police officer and Marion in the frame. She seems to be spooked and gets in the car quickly and tries to speed off. All of a sudden, a voice yells, “Hey!” The shot pans to left and the police officer nor Charlie can be seen in the frame. The audience likely assumes that it is the police officer, but it happens to be the car mechanic with her bags she left in her other car (Ex. 5). Then Marion drives off, leaving the police officer, California Charlie and the Mechanic in confusion.

Ex. 5