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Conventions Checklist

Conventions are established rules or shared understandings used in media products.


COMING OF AGE CONVENTIONS


SETTING



  • high school

  • transportation

  • teenager's bedroom

  • isolated urban area

  • family home

  • cafe / diner


CHARACTERS



  • the 'outcast' - seen on the periphery of things at the beginning of the film, undergo a transformation and become more involved within society toward the end

  • the 'problem' teenager - frequently breaking rules, rebels against something / someone. Undergo a transformation to become more reformed

  • the 'dumb blonde' - provides humour, finds consolation to their own problems

  • the controlling parent - may be the cause of conflict


ICONOGRAPHY



  • mobile phones / computers - signifies the development of modern day technology

  • band posters - teenage lifestyle / stereotype to have posters

  • school bags / books - emphasises youth and teenage years


SOUND



  • nostalgia - depending on the year the song was made, it may evoke a sense of nostalgia for the audience

  • voiceover - convey inner thoughts of protagonist, making it more personal

  • school bells - feeling of being in school


NARRATIVE



  • relationship breaking down

  • story fragmented with flashbacks

  • realistic storyline

  • protagonist facing struggles and difficulties

  • identity crisis

  • teens rebelling

  • drug use

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