A Level Media Studies - Teen Films

Codes are the rules. Conventions are features that you expect to see.

Codes and conventions of the teen film genre vary depending on the cultural contest of the film, but they can include proms, alcohol, illegal substances, high school, parties and all-night raves, losing one’s virginity, relationships, social groups and cliques and American pop-culture. Apart from the characters there are many other codes and conventions of teen film. These films are often set in or around High School as this allows for many different social cliques to be shown. This is different in hybrid teen films, but for the classic romantic comedy teen films this is almost always the case.

Teen films include typical stereotypes which can be immediately associated with teens. It includes things which appeal to and are familiar to the teen audience. It varies depending on whether the film is a hybrid of two genres.

Representation Stereotyping

The classic codes and conventions of teen film come from American film where one of the most widely used conventions are the stereotypes and social groups. The wide range of stereotypes most commonly used include: the jock, the princess, the geek, the rebel, the misfit or the outcast, the average girl/boy, the new girl/boy.

Propps Characters

Vladimir Propp suggested in 1928 that in any story there are only ever a limited number of character types, each of which have their own purpose in the narrative. Sometimes you have to be flexible as some characters may fulfill two functions e.g. the Heroine could also be the Helper.

o         o   The HERO/Protagonist, who is the character who seeks something.

o   The VILLAIN/Antagonist, who opposes or blocks the hero’s quest.

o   The DONOR, who provides an object which has some magic property.

o   The DISPATCHER, who sends the hero on his way by providing a message.

o   The FALSE HERO, who disrupts the hero’s hope of reward by pressing false claims.

o   The HELPER, who aids the hero.

o   The PRINCESS, who acts as reward for the hero and as object of the villain’s scheming.

o   Her father, who acts to reward the hero for his efforts.

As well as the classic teen film, which is similar to a romantic comedy, there are hybrid genres which include: teen sci-fi, teen horror, teen drama, teen comedy, teen musicals, comedy, horror/slasher, sci-fi fantasy, sports, action adventure, karate kid, spider man, national lampoon, scary movie, coming of age films, comic book or super heroes, super natural, teen werewolf, teen witch films, romantic teen films, time travel, British teen films, Harry Potter series.

Polarity

­French film critic Robert Benayoun once described the ‘normal qualities of youth as naiveté, idealism, humour, hatred of tradition, erotomania (abnormally strong sexual desire), and a sense of injustice’.

This description points to the two poles of the genre: at the one end, the craziness characterized by free-for-all fun, sex, drugs and rock n roll; at the other end, the equally important innocence uncomplicated contact with another human being, and the unformed impossible dream of a better world tomorrow.

Liminality

­The stories of most teenpics are about what theorists call ‘the liminal experience’, the is that intense suspended moment between yesterday and tomorrow, between childhood and adulthood, between being a nobody and a somebody, when everything is in question, and anything is possible. Importantly, for a teenager, the liminal experience does not feel like a passing phase; it is a complete and significant moment.

Evolution

Content analysis of teen movies from the 1950’s through to the present revels continuity in characteristics, but there has been change in the specific detail of storylines, paralleling the movement from more conservative to less conservative censorship.

An example of this is the increasing obviousness of erotomania in the action and dialogue of the movie. Of course, the language used may also reflect this change, as will the fashions.

The teen movies also acts as a vehicle for transmitting other forms of popular culture, such as fashion, art, music, and leisure pursuits and there are constantly in update mode.

American Pie is not still relevant to modern teen experience as so much has changed and moved on since its release. Technology has had such an influence on our lives that there is no need for us to go to a library anymore, and our beliefs and opinions on the matters at hand have swayed to become more open. Nowadays, we explore deeper topics which were once taboo and offensive to audiences.