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