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.