What types of genre are there? - Teen

Generic Conventions

Conventions of teen films can vary depending on the context of the film. i.e. in American teen films ethnic minorities and gay/lesbians are often left out. Usually teen films will include proms or school dances, alcohol and experimenting with substances, high school, parties, sex, social division, angst and conflict with parents and siblings and popular culture. The most widely used convention is social groups and they stereotypes that arise from them. The include: the jock/cheerleader, the popular (diva), geeks, misfits rebels and outcasts, the loner, the clown and the stoner. Apart from the characters there are many other codes and conventions of a teen film, especially romantic comedy teen films. They are often set around high-schools to allow for the inclusion of many social groups

Example: 10 things I hate about you

How does this film conform or challenge the generic conventions of its genre?

Social Cliques - The first car we see has four girls riding in it. Each of the girls seem to be dressed similarly and copying each other's dancing, which indicates that they wish to impress each other and be the same people. When the second car pulls up beside them, they look disgusted, this suggests that they are the popular group as they are not inclusive of the passenger in the second car and instead reject her. The passenger in the second car is by herself, suggesting that she has few friends and prefers her own company, which deems her the 'Loner' character. Immediately the audience are introduced to the divisions between social groups which sets the theme of the film out immediately.

Angst and conflict - The character who is by herself for the duration of her introduction appears angry and frustrated with her surrounding. She deliberately blares her music out of her car window to overpower the music of the popular group and rips down posters as she marches into school. These actions introduce her as a key character and show the audience what she is like and who/what she will be battling with throughout the film (popularity).

Popular culture -  One Week by Barenaked Ladies is playing from the popular girls' car, this song would have been popular at the time when the film is set (90's) this once again reflects the idea that the popular people are eager to conform to society's expectations of them. This is overpowered by the sound of Bad Reputation by Joan Jett coming from the car next to it. This reflects the different genre's of music that were popular at the time and the new wave of feminism that was emerging in the form of female punk-rock and also gives the impression that the protagonist is different to her peers in terms of ideology, as a female teen movie protagonist would usually be.

Setting - Though the film begins on the road, the cars then drive into the parking lot of an american high school. The next shot is a pan shot of the school courtyard which includes many of the different high school cliques, which is typical of the genre.