Blog Post- Analyzing Technical Elements of Film

 Analyzing Technical Elements of Film- Mean Girls (2004)

For Blog Post #6, I have chosen to analyze the camera shots, angles, movements, sound, and composition of the movie, Mean Girls (2004).

Scene 1: Cady’s First Day of School (00:03:00)

• In the very first scene of the movie, the protagonist, Cady Heron, enters her new high school, North Shore High School, after having been homeschooled in Africa for her entire life. In this scene where Cady walks into the high school for the first time, a wide shot is used to show the chaos of the crowded high school hallway. This shot shows Cady as small and lonely among the large crowd of students, which is meant to portray Cady's feelings of overwhelm, discomfort, and nervousness about being in a brand-new environment. The diegetic sound of lockers loudly being slammed and students talking to each other are also meant to show how Cady feels intimidated by her new high school. Then, the camera switches to a close-up shot of Cady's face, and so the viewer can clearly see the nervous expression on Cady's face up close and personal, showing how scared Cady is about being a new student at North Shore High School, especially considering this is her first time ever attending a high school.

Scene 2: Meeting the Plastics (00:25:30)

• When Cady is introduced to the Plastics, Regina George, Gretchen Weiners, and Karen Smith, the camera works to show how the Plastics are popular, mean, and have a significant amount of influence and domination over the rest of the school, especially Regina George, the ringleader of the clique. When Regina talks for the first time, the camera uses a low shot of her, and the impact of this choice of camera shot is making Regina seem bigger and more powerful. On the other hand, when Cady is interacting with them, the camera is showing her at a bit of a higher angle, which is meant to make Cady seem smaller, weaker, shier, and more vulnerable than the Plastics. In this scene, Regina is also shown in slow motion as she sashays down the hallway, and the camera zooms in on her (zoom shot) as the students make room for her, so Regina is essentially in the middle of the hallway. This is meant to show Regina has a "Queen Bee" status at her high school, and that she is very much entitled, as she believes herself to be superior to her fellow schoolmates. This shot causes the audience to feel both admiration and intimidation towards Regina, showing the personality of Regina's character.

Scene 3: The Cafeteria Map Scene (00:30:00)

• The Cafeteria Map Scene is meant to show all the different cliques that exist within North Shore High School, which helps the audience get to know the diverse atmosphere of the high school and all the unique social groups that exist inside of it. A zoom shot is used on each clique, from the "Cool Asians" to the "JV Jocks", to show how many different types of students exist within the same high school and show the reader how each student interacts within their own cliques. The pan camera movement is used, as the camera quickly pans across the cafeteria, skipping from group to group, which provides the scene with a hectic, quick-paced, and rushed feeling, which also shows how quickly Cady was made to experience various social interactions at her new school, and how overwhelmed she feels. In this scene, an aerial shot is used to look down on the cafeteria, showing each group as if they are different lands on a map. The aerial shot is used to help the audience understand how the school is divided into several different cliques, and how they interact with and feel towards one another (for example, Janis and Damian hating the Plastics due to Regina George spreading false rumors about Janis being a lesbian when they were in eighth grade and therefore ruining Janis's reputation).

Scene 4: "You Can't Sit with Us!" (01:07:00)

• During the iconic and famous "You can't sit with us!" scene, the Rule of Thirds is used when Gretchen is shown standing and shouting at Regina. The camera places Gretchen slightly off-center, which highlights her emotional outburst towards Regina. The background and surrounding environment fill the other two-thirds of the frame, showing Gretchen and her spat with Regina while still showing the crowded cafeteria around her. This use of composition shows Regina losing some of her power and authority, as Gretchen fears her less, which is shown by Gretchen defying Regina's rule.

Scene 5: Regina's Fit in the Hallway (01:11:00)

• In the scene where Regina discovers that Cady has been secretly sabotaging her and confronts her in the hall, extreme-close up shots are shown of Regina's face as she screams at Cady. This camera shot is meant to highlight this argument and show Regina's absolute outrage at what Cady has done to her. It's also interesting to note that the rest of the hallway is silent, other than Regina's screaming, which makes Regina's anger feel even more intense.