Totally Maisy - Genre Conventions

Characters

The characters in a teen comedy will be teens themselves and are often exaggerated sterotypes such as “dumb blondes” and “geeks”. Teen dramas often focus on social groups and usually split characters into these groups however the shows main characters are often based on a group made up of misfits from other social groups.

Costume

Costumes in a teen drama are quite modern as they are usually set in the present day however each character will have their own individual style and this will reflect the kind of character that they are.

Locations

Teen dramas are often set in a secondary school or college as this is where most of teen life takes place and it is also a convenient and practical location to film in. Characters homes are often used in teen dramas to help the audience understand what kind of person the character is whether they be rich or poor, modern or traditional.

Themes

Teen dramas deal with a lot of teen problems and often show teenagers coming of age, first loves, rebellion, conflict with parents, teen angst, and alienation. They also deal with controversial issues such as underage sex, eating disorders and mental health issues to highlight these issue to young people.

Structure

Often in teen dramas the main character gives some narration whether it be to introduce the characters or help the audience understand what they are feeling and empathize with them. Flash backs, flash forwards and daydreams are often used to show what has happened to a character, what could happen or what they want to happen. This adds a fun comical element to the show and allows the audience to see things they would not be able to see or know about the character. Graphics are often used to modernize and make the piece appealing to a younger audience. Teen dramas are kept up to date by including things teenagers do such as texting and using social networking sites and also emphasizing the language they use.

Music

Music is used in teen dramas to help an audience understand how they should be feeling at certain times. Usually it is modern music used so that the audience can also relate to the music and feel closer to the program as they share the same tastes in music.

Lighting

Lighting in a teen drama is often light and bright as they are usually light hearted and comical and so this is reflected in the lighting.

Camera Work and Editing

Panning and split screens are often used to fit as much in 1 shot as possible and keep the show modern and fast paced. Close ups are used so that the audience can really see how the character is feeling and point of view shots are used to put the audience in a specific characters shoes and therefor feel empathy for the character and their situation. Handheld shots are often used in teen dramas to emphasis how hectic a school can be with teens shoving and rushing around everywhere.