Donnie Darko

From watching the Donnie Darko clip it has a typical convention of a teen film as it is set in a school. We know this from the use of mise en scene as there are pupils dressed in school uniforms. At the beginning of the clip the students arrive at school in a school bus. The teachers are also dressed in formal clothing and are holding books and folders.
The school uniform is worn in various ways to show the different types of characters for example the scene at 0.27 three boys are dressed appropriately
 for school by having their top shirt button done up and carrying a school bag whereas another boy is shown with his shirt untucked and is slouching while walking portraying him as the careless stereotype. This is effective as it is showing the different types of characters at the school.

The setting of the hallway showing the locker where the students are preparing their books and at the end of the scene when the teacher is shown writing on the board and the students are getting ready for the lesson.


For camera and editing different shots are used to emphasis the different characters. At 0.55 a close up shot used on the boy as he is sniffing drugs, and tracking is used when he is walking through the corridor and is throwing nasty looks at the other students and teachers.

Tracking and mid shot is used on a particular teacher compared to the other teachers, she has a longer screen time compared to the others. This may suggest that she has a more dominant role in the film. The camera captures a close up of her throwing a weird glance at the group of girls dancing this my indicate she may be in conflict between students.


There many different characters in the first scene of the clip. One of the characters we are introduced is the perfect girl she is seen as a bit of a vain character as she is seen looking at the mirror and doesn't communicate with other students. There is the criminal who is very careless while he takes drugs at school in the open, he seems not to be bothered and care about school as he is not dressed smart and is slouching while walking.