.Since my film is of the romantic comedy (or ‘Chick Flick’) genre, it can be compared to several films. For example, ‘Mean Girls’, ‘A Cinderella Story’, ‘Wild Child’, ‘The Prince & Me’, ‘The Sisterhood of the travelling pants’ and etc. The thing similar in all these films is that they have been made to please the female audience, that is, they include everything that a female would be interested in. Hence, the codes and conventions that are followed in the chick flick genre are:
a) The Mis-en-sene used in the film will depict everything as very fresh, bubbly and girly. Every object in the film will be very cute, pretty and glamorous. For example, when showing a girl’s bedroom, the room must have brightly painted walls, with stuffed animals lying here and there, fur carpets, pictures hanging on the walls, etc. Such similarities can be seen in my film “Drama Queens” and the hit film “Mean Girls”.
(Drama Queens)
The Props used in chick flicks will also represent the tastes and interest of the female audience. Such props can include objects that are used by girls on a day-to-day basis (to help the audience relate to the characters in the film) or objects that are desired by the audience (to make them take more interest in the characters). Such props can include photographs, magazines, cell phones, make-up, etc. 
(Mean Girls)
(Mean Girls)
(Drama Queens)
(Mean Girls)
(Sisterhood of the travelling pants)
(Aquamarine)
(The Perfect man)
(Drama Queens)
d) The Plot will revolve around the problems that the protagonist faces. The story will be fun and light-hearted, and often having a touch of humour. Sometimes the plot revolves around how the teenager uses lies to fit in with the 'popular' crowd, where they start to lose their sense of self, pretending to be something they're not.(similar to the plot in my film and in the film “Camp Rock”)
The plot will talk about ordinary problems that any teenager faces, for example, being socially accepted, finding their true sense of self, rebellion against parents, learning to grow up, discovering first love, getting the urge to break rules, etc. In the end, the protagonist overcome their fears, faces their problems and will learn to do the right thing. Good will always overcome bad, and the film will always have a happy ending.
(“Camp Rock”)
(Drama Queens)
f) The Title of my film has also been made according the female audience. Once again, depicting the image of fun, bubbly, and bright youth, but, being very girly at the same time (as the colour pink and loopy handwriting is always associated with females).
The title of my film also appears on top of a moving image, similar to most chick flicks like “Bride Wars” and “Wild Child”.
g) The editing used in chick flicks is usually very fast in the beginning, and then very mid-tempo throughout. A lot of parallel editing is often used in chick flicks, especially when showing comparison between two characters. My film uses parallel editing to show the comparison between Hani and Sarah, the rich girl and the poor girl. Such is also similar in the film “The Devil wears Prada”, in which a comparison between fashionable girls and the unglamorous girl is made. The editing is also very tight and precise in chick flicks, hardly ever needing the use of flashbacks or jump cut editing.
h) The use of Culture is a big part of my film. Since the character of Hani is shown as belonging to a conservative family, the behavior and actions of the family will be different compared to Sarah’s family, which is rich, elite and modern. Conservative families are shown as being somewhat religious; therefore, Hani’s clothing will show a touch of tradition and culture. Since she cannot afford her own car, she uses public transport like Rickshaws, which can not be seen in the West. The element of mixing two cultures is similar to that of the film “Bend it like Bekham” in which Indian culture mixes with the British culture.
(Drama Queens)
a) The Mis-en-sene used in the film will depict everything as very fresh, bubbly and girly. Every object in the film will be very cute, pretty and glamorous. For example, when showing a girl’s bedroom, the room must have brightly painted walls, with stuffed animals lying here and there, fur carpets, pictures hanging on the walls, etc. Such similarities can be seen in my film “Drama Queens” and the hit film “Mean Girls”.
(Mean Girls)
(Drama Queens)
(Drama Queens)
(A Cinderella Story)
An excessive use of Colours like pink and red will be clearly visible, as these are the colours mostly preferred by young girls. These colours can be seen in any part of the film, be it rooms, clothes or accessories. The kind of clothes worn by the characters will always be very trendy and up-to-date with all the latest fashion trends. The clothes may also usually be pink.
(Drama Queens)
If the main characters in the film are two (or more) friends, shots of their photographs together will always be used, to show the relationship between the friends. This is done to make the characters more believable and to make the audience relate to them.
(Bride Wars)
(Drama Queens)
When showing characters of different groups or characteristics, the objects they use play a huge role in adding a realistic touch to the story. The rich girl will be shown as having a bigger house than the not-so wealthy girl; the smart girl will be shown as less fashionable compared to the Prom Queen, and etc. In my film, the case is the same.
b) The Characters shown in the film will always be young girls, mostly teenagers. This is so because the target audience of the chick flick genre is the teenaged age group of the female audience. The characters can only be relatable to the female audience if they are female as well. Therefore, the characters will have stories that the audience will enjoy. Usually, the characters go to school and have all female friends. The relationship between these friends is given a lot of attention, showing scenes, in which the friends do each other’s make-overs, go shopping together and discuss each other’s problems, as any ordinary group of friends would. Such is similar in my film, when showing the relationship between Hani and Sarah.
(Drama Queens)
c) The Actions and Activities of the characters in the film are very similar to the actions and activities taking place in the everyday routines of ordinary girls. The characters are made very real-to-life, showing them doing things like brushing their hair, doing make-up, dressing up, etc. Since it is not an action or drama film, the events taking place in the story do not include bold and dramatic scenes. The actions taking place will be very light-hearted and easy to watch, creating a happy mood.
(Drama Queens)
(The Devil Wears Prada)
(Drama Queens)
(Sisterhood of the travelling pants)
d) The Plot will revolve around the problems that the protagonist faces. The story will be fun and light-hearted, and often having a touch of humour. Sometimes the plot revolves around how the teenager uses lies to fit in with the 'popular' crowd, where they start to lose their sense of self, pretending to be something they're not.(similar to the plot in my film and in the film “Camp Rock”)
The plot will talk about ordinary problems that any teenager faces, for example, being socially accepted, finding their true sense of self, rebellion against parents, learning to grow up, discovering first love, getting the urge to break rules, etc. In the end, the protagonist overcome their fears, faces their problems and will learn to do the right thing. Good will always overcome bad, and the film will always have a happy ending.
e) As the film is centered on female characters, the Music used in the film will also usually include female vocals. Other than that, the background music is very cheerful, fast-paced and fun, mostly using the pop-rock genre of music as that is preferred by the majority of teenagers. Such music is used to create a sense of youth and excitement, also creating a fresh and bubbly atmosphere. It would be the kind of music that the audience would want to listen to regularly. The tune “Going Gone” that is used in my film (composed by Gary Philips at freeplaymusic.com) is an upbeat, happy, light and modern tune with pop influences using the instruments: guitar, base and drums, having a med-fast tempo. Similar music has been used in films like “The Perfect Man” and “Raise your voice”; including songs by the pop star Hilary Duff.
f) The Title of my film has also been made according the female audience. Once again, depicting the image of fun, bubbly, and bright youth, but, being very girly at the same time (as the colour pink and loopy handwriting is always associated with females).
The title of my film also appears on top of a moving image, similar to most chick flicks like “Bride Wars” and “Wild Child”.
g) The editing used in chick flicks is usually very fast in the beginning, and then very mid-tempo throughout. A lot of parallel editing is often used in chick flicks, especially when showing comparison between two characters. My film uses parallel editing to show the comparison between Hani and Sarah, the rich girl and the poor girl. Such is also similar in the film “The Devil wears Prada”, in which a comparison between fashionable girls and the unglamorous girl is made. The editing is also very tight and precise in chick flicks, hardly ever needing the use of flashbacks or jump cut editing.
(Drama Queens)
(The Devil wears Prada)
(Bend it like Bekham)
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