Eighth Grade Analysis
Today I decided to analyze the title sequence for Eighth Grade (2018). The movie was directed by Bo Burnham and follows Kayla (portrayed by Elsie Fisher) as she goes through her last week as an eighth grader. In the title sequence, I noticed a fantastic use of mise-en-scéne. The setting in the beginning is a pre-teen’s bedroom, distinguished by decor such as pink walls and bedding, posters, string lights on the walls, and encouraging sticky notes plastered around a mirror. Kayla uses various props, such as her cell phone, a laptop that’s playing a makeup tutorial, and makeup, to show she is just the average teenage girl getting ready for school. Her costuming also indicates this; she is wearing a yellow shirt, blue backpack, and a choker. As for cinematography, there were lots of tracking shots of Kayla walking to school and in the hallway. There was an impressive push-out shot towards the end of the sequence; it starts with a woman in a video and pans around the room until it finally lands on Kayla. I especially enjoyed the montage editing that was used; I also liked the crosscutting between Kayla walking in the hallway to various kids doing stereotypical middle school things (sniffing markers, putting in rubber bands that go on braces, and stacking markers). The whole clip sets the adolescent/middle school mood for the rest of the movie. The opening really isn’t that comedic; the only comedic part is the crosscutting between Kayla and the stereotypical middle school activities. This employs dry humor because the intended audience is older than Kayla’s age, so they can now laugh at the stereotypes of those years that they probably experienced themselves.
The opening of Eighth Grade is a really good example of a coming-of-age opening, but doesn’t employ enough comedic elements for me. I hope to include more comedy in my title sequence, however this may change when I begin scripting.
Mean Girls Analysis
I also analyzed Mean Girls (2004). The movie was directed by Mark Waters and is about how a girl named Cady (portrayed by Lindsay Lohan) adjusts to life at her new high school. Here are some things that I noticed throughout the sequence:
- The first shot is a low angle two shot of Cady’s parents. They are giving her instructions on what to do with her lunch money and asking if she remembers her phone number. We get the impression the are speaking to a small child.
- There is an over-the-shoulder shot from the point of view of her parents, and Cady pops out from between their shoulders. Center framing is used. It is clear she is not a child, so it is funny that she is being treated as one.
- Cady’s dad uses a camera to take Cady’s picture with her mom. There is a freeze-frame and a camera click when the picture is taken; Cady’s mom looks like she is about to cry. A close-up shot is used. This is a stereotype of how mom’s behave on their child’s first day of school, but it’s ironic that she is behaving in this way when Cady is clearly a teenager.
- We hear another camera click and then there is another freeze-frame, implying that another photo was taken. Cady’s mom is bawling and hugging her, while Cady looks scared (in a comedic way). A close up is used again.
- Narration: “I know what you’re thinking; homeschool kids are freaks.”
- After Cady says this, it cuts to various clips of supposedly “home-schooled” children doing weird things (spelling an impossible word at a spelling bee and saying something that is clearly incorrect about guns and religion). The costuming of these “home-schooled” children makes them look odd as well; the spelling bee girl is wearing thick glasses and pigtails, and the religion boys are dressed like farmers. A country sound motif is used when the boys are onscreen, most likely to insult their intelligence.
- Various freeze-frames of Cady in Africa with her family while she narrates; this is a quick way to get background information on the characters to the viewers. This is a flashback.
- After the flashback, Cady is at school and about to go inside.
This is a very busy film opening; the use of freeze-frames and narration makes the title sequence packed with information. I like the fast start, however I am concerned that if I start my title sequence with this much going on I will lose sight of what I actually need to accomplish.
Sources
- Eighth Grade Title Sequence
- I own the Mean Girls DVD, but it can be rented here: Mean Girls Movie
A Lot To Learn 