Moodboard

The mood-board represents our target audience, consisting mostly of girls in their late teens. We took the pictures from their interests and preferences, and it links to how we want to portray teen life within our opening. As common in teen romance dramas, there is an outcast character, who never quite fits in or feels like they belong, and conventionally that character finds their way throughout the duration of the film. This is why we have chosen both happy and sad images for our mood-board to represent our target audiences expectations of the genre. For example, the image of the girl hugging her knees with the word "freak" written across it signifies how out-of-place teenagers can feel, and the struggle to find themselves and fit in. The image of the bird in a cage portrays how they can feel as if there is no escape, and feel trapped. These elements of a teen romance drama make the protagonists more relatable for the target audience. On the other hand, the images like the couple in the centre present the happy ending, and finding love - which is common in teen romance dramas, and of course, the romance element within the relationship as they are in close proximity to one another and appear loving and intimate. There are images of lipstick and nail varnish, relating to the typical teenage girl who would be most likely to be interested in a teen romance drama, as well as a recurring theme of pinks, whites and pastel colours to show the softness and delicacy of femininity, as teen romance dramas are mostly aimed at females. We have also included props like a camera, vinyl and books, to represent the teenage girls who challenge stereotypes, and would find an educated, interesting, developed protagonist more relatable as opposed to a stereotypical teenager.

Focus Goup

We held a focus group in our free time to get responses on what the target audience expect from a Teen Romance Drama. It consisted of 5 teenage girls, ranging from ages 16 to 18, as our target audience is mainly adolescent girls, as the genre is more mature.

We played two openings from different teen romance drama films. We had originally planned to show one that had a female protagonist and no voice-over (The Last Song) and one with a male protagonist and a voice-over (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) but due to technical difficulties, we were unable to access the one from 'The Last Song' so we had to make do with the opening for 'The Art of Getting By' instead.

[The Perks of Being a Wallflower Opening Here]

[The Art of Getting By Opening Here]

^Our Focus Group (Video) 

Questions:
1) Which clip did you prefer? Why?
2) Do you think that a voice-over is effective?
3) Which background music do you think gives the right impression and sets the scene better?
4) Which character was more relatable?
5) From the two openings, could you easily predict the rest of the story?
6) Which extract made you more intruiged to carry on watching? Why?
7) What could be improved?

We asked these kinds of questions because we wanted to find out what the target audience's preferences were, and what they did/did not want to see in a teen romance drama opening. I found this really helpful as we found that they do not want the credits to be too long, and that they prefer a voice-over as it creates a connection between the audience and the character.

Research Summary: Teen Romance-Drama Film Openings

CREATION OF ENIGMA:
Establishing location (busy scene): This contrasts to the protagonist, and emphasizes their importance in the story after being shown after a huge city, or busy scene. It also shows normality and contrasts to the outcast, who is out of the norm and does not quite fit in.
Voice-over: We often hear the voice of the character before you see the character, allowing the audience to judge the character on what they say and not what they look like. It also establishes a connection between the audience and the protagonist, as they empathize with that character, developing an emotional attachment and becoming more invested and intrigued with the film.

INTRODUCTION TO CHARACTERS:
Reflection: We are often met with the character's reflection before their actual selves, reflecting how they do not want to share their real selves first, and are insecure and unhappy.
Arc/Zoom: The arc movement connotes how the story revolves around them and draws the audiences attention to them so they become familiar with the protagonist. A zoom out from focus on the character to their surroundings shows how in a big space, the story is about this one character, emphasizing their importance.
Protagonist introduced first: This gives the impression that the story is their story and that the audience will follow them through it, being on their side the entire way.

SETTING UP PLOT:
Voice-over: As well as introducing the protagonist, the voice-over often sets up the plot and acts as a guide to indicate where the story will go. For example, the protagonist can mention a changing factor in their lives (e.g. In 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' the protagonist states that he is starting high school) and that introduces the start of the story.

PACE AND RHYTHM:
Editing: It is common for the city scenes and opening scenes to have fast-paced editing, connoting liveliness and what is the 'norm' which then leads on to create a contrast to the protagonist, where the editing becomes slow-paced and relaxed.
Camera: The camera also focuses on the protagonist, often staying on them throughout the voice over and never looking away or drawing attention away from them. As it is constant, the pace is slower.

MOOD AND TONE:

Non-diegetic music: It is common in the opening to have moderately upbeat music, connoting normality and setting the scene effectively. Sometimes the music appears daydreamy, like the character is in a world of their own, and hints at what it is like to be inside their minds.
Voice-over: The voice-over is often monotone, or has a slight unhappy, miserable tone to it, making it appear as if the characters are insecure and bored, and that leaves it open for the plot to unravel and for things to improve. They often talk quite slowly, showing how they are a bit shy and reserved.

Research: Looking at 'The Art of Getting By' opening

CREATION OF ENIGMA:
As with the other openings I looked at, the location was established before the characters were introduced, creating enigma as to who the characters will be, and what the story will be. The contrast again emphasizes the dramatic difference between the busy, city life and the outcast. Low angle shots show the difference between the one character among the massive city, and emphasizes how this character's story matters among the thousands of lives in the city.

INTRODUCTION TO CHARACTERS:
A voice-over introduces George, the protagonist, and he walks across the street, showing him as part of the big city, but not quite blending in. The voice-over consists of statistics which gives the impression that he is intelligent, but it all seems skeptical, which implies that he does not agree with school life and education, and that may be why he is an outcast, as he has to go to school but hates it. A tracking movement follows, drawing attention to him, establishing that he is important, and the audience automatically become interested in his story.

SETTING UP PLOT:
The skeptical mood of the voice-over implies that somewhere along the plot, his mind will be changed. There are several shots of a female character, anchoring what he is saying in the voice-over, which suggests that she may be the romantic interest in the story, or that she will be the one to change his mind. They are never shown in close proximity to one another, giving the impression that they are distant, and will become closer throughout the film. It could also connote how she is 'out-of-his-league' as she has friends, and is possibly popular, and he is lonely and outcast, but they will help each other somehow.

PACE AND RHYTHM:
Like the other openings, it starts with fast editing of something busy, in this case, the city. The pace slows as the voice-over begins and the protagonist is introduced, contrasting between the vibrant, busy, large city to this one character, alone. This creates emphasis on the character and the audience knows that he is important.

MOOD AND TONE:
The high-key lighting reflects positivity, but it contrasts to the black clothes of the protagonist, and the skeptical voice-over, but as it leads on to the girl, there is an opportunity for positivity and the mood lightens.

Research: Looking at 'The First Time' opening

CREATION OF ENIGMA:

Enigma is created at the start of 'The First Time' as a party atmosphere is established but the audience does not know whose party it is and what relevance it has to the plot. It establishes a teen environment, and audiences are given an idea of what to expect from the film, but we are not yet introduced to the main characters.
The first thing we see of a character is a close up on his hands and facial features, not quite revealing his full identity. This makes the audience wonder who this character is and what importance he is to the story.

INTRODUCTION TO CHARACTERS:
A medium long shot revels the main character on his own outside the party. It goes from close ups of his face and hands, to longer shots, showing his body and surroundings. When the camera is closer to the character, it feels as if the audience is invading their personal space, and allows a connection with that character as we become familiar with them. The girl is introduced as she comes out of the party and sees the boy talking to himself, and they begin to talk to one another. The diegetic dialogue informs the audience that they are both in high school; the girl is a junior, the guy is a senior. We do not know as much about the female character than we do about the male character, which gives a sense of 'boy meets girl' in the narrative as opposed to two characters meeting a finding each other, so the audience empathizes with the male character.

SETTING UP PLOT:
This automatically helps set up the plot as we know that it is the male character's story, and that the plot will involve a development in their relationship, and it will branch out to others in their close circle, where we will perhaps learn more about them as characters, ans their friends and family. As the guy is shown to be preparing a speech, we can infer that he will try to get the girl he is preparing a speech for. However, due to common storylines in the genre, we can guess that he will end up falling for the girl he meets outside the party.

PACE AND RHYTHM:
The editing between the party scene and the guy alone is fast-paced and often shows quick glances to give the impression that the party is eventful and lively, and everything happens in a blur (possibly due to the effects of alcohol). It slows as we are  introduced to the male character more, and when he meets the girl. This connotes normality as they begin a casual conversation, contrasting to the lively, party atmosphere which emphasizes how they are like outcasts.

MOOD AND TONE:

The party scene is accompanied by upbeat, pop-rock music which sounds youthful and connotes liveliness  and fun, which sets a happier mood, contrasting to the mood created by the main characters. The overall mood and tone we receive from the male characters is that he is unhappy, as the diegetic dialogue gives the impression that he is unhappy and a bit miserable, through a lower and slower tone. As for the female character, she seems less miserable, but a little sarcastic as she has that sort of tone through her dialogue. 

Research: Looking at the 'Stuck In Love' opening

CREATION OF ENIGMA:
At first we see a tilt movement down a chalkboard in a school, accompanied by opening credits. This establishes a school location but we are not yet introduced to the protagonist, creating enigma as to who the film will revolve around. Eventually, there is a slow introduction to 3 different characters, accompanied by voice-overs and on-screen text which highlights what they are saying. The fact that three different characters are introduced in the same way allows the audience to establish a connection between them, but we do not yet know what that connection is. They are different characters of different ages, in different locations and situations with different personalities but they are connected somehow.

INTRODUCTION TO CHARACTERS:
The first character we are introduced to is a teenage boy sitting in a classroom, along with the voice-over and on-screen text "I remember it hurt... looking at her hurt" which shows that he is troubled and suffers from unrequited love. Between the editing of him and his female classmate, we can establish that he is in love with her. This gives the impression that he is an outcast, as he is central in the framing, and all focus is on him and the girl he wants but cannot have. This appeals to audiences as many can relate to this situation. The on-screen text gives the impression that he is in some sort of daydream and is shown in a font that represents handwriting, suggesting that he is a writer.
Next, an older, college girl is introduced through her dialogue, but still with on-screen text, this time in a simple, computer font. Through diegetic dialogue (e.g. "I'm always waiting for whatever is next") it is implied that she is intelligent. The location of a bar hangout suggests that she is outgoing.
Finally, a middle-aged man is introduced, spying on his ex-wife, also with on-screen text in an old-fashioned typewriter font, suggesting that he is older. We do not yet know what connects all three characters.

SETTING UP PLOT:
The unrequited love between the teenage boy and the girl he likes is established, and sets up the plot to be a story or developed relationship between the two of them. As for the college girl, she seems sceptical about love and romance, so it can be predicted that another character will come along to change her mind about it. The middle-aged man spying on his ex-wife, triggers a story between the to of them and whether they will reunite or that he will have to come to terms with the fact that he has moved on.

PACE AND RHYTHM:
The non-diegetic music and voice-overs are slow when introducing the characters, accompanied by slow edits and less frequent change in camera shots. This contrasts to when the family join together and the editing speeds up and happier music is played, connoting sense of normality and adding emphasis onto the binary opposites of outcast vs. normality presented.

MOOD AND TONE:
The non-diegetic music as the teenage boy is shown in his class is slow, and gives a more romantic mood to the situation, as opposed to making him appear pathetic, as we are meant to empathise with this character. This contrasts to the more upbeat, everyday music played as the teenage boy and the middle-aged man (now established as father and son) make thanksgiving dinner.



Research: Looking at 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' opening

CREATION OF ENIGMA:

At first we see a mini-montage of tracking movements of the city streets at night-time, accompanied by moderately upbeat music, connoting normality and establishing an equilibrium. The sound of the typewriter leaves the audience wondering who is typing and why. A voice-over opens the story, creating enigma as we do not know who is speaking. It is implied that it is the protagonist, using first person narrative, which allows a connection to the character as it seems as if he is letting the audience in. The dialogue in the voice-over such as "...she said you listen" and "please don't try to figure out who i am" gives the impression that he does not want to be known just yet, and appears reserved and insecure. It also creates enigma as we do not know who the "she" he refers to is.

INTRODUCTION TO CHARACTERS:
Before we see the protagonist (Charlie), we are shown a medium shot of his reflection in his bedroom window as he writes in his diary, accompanied by the voice-over, which established a connection between the audience and this character as we know what is in his head. By showing the reflection suggests that he does not want people to know the real him, and just a representation of himself or a front that he puts on, reflecting how insecure he feels and represents him as an outcast. In addition, the way he talks in the voice-over gives the impression that he is shy and reserved, and a bit awkward.

SETTING UP PLOT:
Again, the voice-over is the anchorage to the plot, and allows the audience to understand where the story begins. For example, the voice-over states "... tomorrow is my first day of high school, and I really need to turn things around" which establishes that he is a 'freshman' and that he wants a fresh start, suggesting there is something in his past that he wants to forget. We, as an audience, then know that the story will lead on to his attempts at 'turning things around' in his new school.

PACE AND RHYTHM:
The non-diegetic music fits the tracking movement of the city streets at night-time, like the audience is in the vehicle, reflecting the start of a journey. In the voiceover the protagonist talks slowly, which suggests that he is shy and reserved.

MOOD AND TONE:
The relatively tuneful non-diegetic music connotes a sense of normality, and sounds light but a little out-dated. The tone of the voice-over contrasts to this as the protagonist sounds monotone and not particularly happy with his current situation. However in what he says "I need to turn things around" implies a sense of optimism and creates the hope that his situation will improve throughout the film.

Research: Survey

We compiled some brief questions for a survey that was to be filled out by people. We wanted to find the demographics of the audience and what they like/ do not like about the teen romance-drama genre. We will also interview people and put together a focus group so we can get some more in-depth answers to more open questions that are specific to the genre.

 Here is a link to the survey:
Survey

We used surveymonkey to collect and analyse the responses:

Examples of Teen Romance/ Dramas (Coming-Of-Age)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower:

   An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world.

Now is Good:

A girl dying of leukemia compiles a list of things she'd like to do before passing away. Topping the list is her desire to lose her virginity.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist:

High school student Nick meets college-bound Norah when she asks him to be her boyfriend for five minutes.

Stuck In Love:

An acclaimed writer, his ex-wife, and their teenaged children come to terms with the complexities of love in all its forms over the course of one tumultuous year.

Restless:

The story of a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII.

The First Time:

A story centered on two high schoolers: Dave, who until now has pined for a girl he can't have, and Aubrey, a creative type who's dating a guy who doesn't quite understand her.

Submarine:

15-year-old Oliver Tate has two objectives: To lose his virginity before his next birthday, and to extinguish the flame between his mother and an ex-lover who has resurfaced in her life.

It's Kind of a Funny Story:

A clinically depressed teenager gets a new start after he checks himself into an adult psychiatric ward.

Sources: YouTube and IMDb

Genre Research: Teen Romance Drama

STOCK CHARACTERS:

• family/ parents
• friends
• teachers
• classmates
• bullies
• troubled teenagers (girl/boy)
• broken, unhappy
• therapists/counsellors

STOCK SETTINGS:

• school/ place of education
• home
• streets
• outside
• parks
• shopping centres
• cafes/ restaurants

STOCK THEMES:

• love
• romance
• lust
• hurt
• betrayal
• destruction
• rebelliousness

PLOT:

• rebellious teens
• love story - kindred spirits
• finding a place where they belong
• standing up to family/bullies

ICONOGRAPHY:

• Props: school essentials, rucksack, mobile phone, make up, computer, laptop, iPod, drugs, trainers etc ...
• ordinary appearance, do not stand out visually but are left out (outcast), contrast
• youthful clothing

NARRATIVE:

• two separate characters find each other
• one character (outcast) meets another - protagonist's perspective

Introduction

We explored what things we should include in our research and how to gather the information, for example in things like interviews, questionnaires and focus groups.
Here is where we noted down our ideas:

We also had to mindmap our chosen genre, which in our case is a 'Teen Romance Drama', and find out the stock characters, settings and themes, as well as the common plot and narrative. Here is my mindmap: