Clueless - Trailer & Opening scene

• MID shots


  • Exaggerate characters' lavish lifestyles (e.g. Cher's designer clothes)
• First mid shot of Cher during class presentation


  Zooms in on her & jumps to close-ups of other students' facial expressions
• Close-up of Cher's facial reaction


  When Christian compliments her
• Camera pans to Cher's legs


  Suggests sexual energy/tension (teen genre)
• Last shot "There goes your social life" - sexual innuendo, teen genre, leaves audience wanting more
• Editing


  • First shots are slow cuts that gradually get snappier with music, keeps audience on edge
• Editing


  • Spinning transitions between shots, energetic feel (teen genre enthusiasm, youthfulness)
• Editing


  • Credits pop up at regular intervals in colourful, youthful font representing immature personas of characters
• Editing


  • Shots are informative & humorous, creates enigma & pace, audience engaged
• Sound


  Rock & pop music in trailer, reflects characters' identities and moods
• Music changes type

  Shifts mood, personal, non-diegetic
• Music stops at important & funny moments


  Audience pays attention
• Sound


  • Car screeching sound effect (non-diegetic), comedy, significant moment
• Mise-en-scene

  • Separates characters' wealth & personality (e.g. clothes, cars, houses, hobbies)
• Mise-en-scene


  • Teachers/parents wear formal dress, represents their authority over teens & aren't interested in labels
• Mise-en-scene


  • Most teens in school wear expensive designer casual wear, reflects Beverly Hills High School (rich)
• Costume conveys characters' personas, e.g. Cher wears bright strong patterns
• Lighting is high key
• Mobile phones used, reflects teen genre
• Film's opening scene begins with "Kids In America" by The Muffs, genre appropriate song relatable to characters & target audience
• Film's opening scene


  • Punk rock guitar riff kicks in as title swipes across the screen in bold fluorescent colours, reflects time period of 1990s
• Film's opening scene


  • Montage of American teen lifestyle - partying, shopping, introduced through dynamic effect along with fast paced cuts, indicates characters' lives are a cycle of never-ending fun & excitement
• Film's opening scene


  • Unsteady camera shots, reflects stereotypical American teen crazy lifestyle, driving car at reckless speed, are free
• Film's opening scene

  • Fast transitions sweep across groups of teens, youth, jovial & stereotypical cliques in high school
• Unclear about protagonist until next scene, introduced to Cher's morning routine using Apple Mac to pick outfit
• Cher's appearance is stereotypically feminine
• Cher's father is introduced


  Music stops, he's scary & argumentative
• When Josh (love interest) is mentioned


  Creates enigma
• Cher's dad is extremely wealthy, she gets paid $500 an hour to fight with people
• Cher's friend drives recklessly in a Jeep, crashes into a plant, wrong side of road, drives through stop sign
• Cher's friend picks up someone dressed in designer, big house, wealthy
• School has stereotypical cliques, slang used e.g. "Whatever" with a W sound