Easy A

 Easy A is a teen comedy starring Emma Stone as intelligent teen Olive Pendergast who has a troubling and tarnished reputation. The film is set out in the quiet Californian town of Ojai which is the perfect setting to contrast with the craziness of Olive's reputation - as Olive decides to give what her audience is making her out to be, therefore she embroids a scarlet A to corsets. The film takes direct inspiration from the Nathaniel Hawthorne novel The Scarlet Letter, it was featured within certain scenes of the film - the original not the film adaptation as it is comically referenced throughout by Olive. Rumours are the main focus of the film mostly false rumours made up by her peers, including long term enemy Marianne Bryant who is strictly religious and believes that Olive should be expelled for her 'dirty skank' reputation - shown when rumours escalate to a mob of students (ran by Marianne) picketing for Olive to be expelled. Intertextuality has a huge role in this film with references to The Scarlet Letter & The Breakfast Club, there is a love story involved between Olive and her long term crush 'Woodchuck' Todd - she soon mends broken relationships and remends her reputation with a series of webcam filmed confessionals throughout the film.   

 

  The use of high key lighting is used throughout the film with certain scenes where Olives life spirals out of control are filmed in low key lighting to reflect Olives emotions, but it also makes the audience pity her. The setting of the school is easily identified by the audience as the location has generic school items like desks and lockers - this would relate to the target audience of teenagers as it is a teen comedy. In the beginning of the film a panning shot is used to pan down from the credits to the actual setting to set the scene, establishing shots are used immeadiately after to again show the audience the setting - closely followed by close ups of the school sign to allow the audience to see where the location is and to confirm that it is a school. When the group of girls bump into Olive the camera tracks down to her, you have a clear idea in your head who the main protagonist is of the film. Close ups of Olives face are used when Rhiannon and Olive are talking and focus pull is used to make the foreground (Olive) more important than the background of Rhiannon. The camera track paper that is blown in the wind to Mr Griffith which then the camera pans up to him - the use of high angle shots make him have authority and Olive seem weaker due to her position. Over the shoulder shots are used to make the audience have an involvement within the shot - as a lot of the film is shot using a webcam, close ups of Olive are predominantly shown, the use of the strong eye contact establishes a relationship between Olive and the audience. Non diegetic music is played at the start of the film - its upbeat to make the audience have a positive vibe about the film, voice overs are used when Olive is talking over a scene to give an autobiographical sense about the film.