Analysis of She's The Man

             The opening to the film begins with sudden vibrant and slightly rebellious music, suggesting an adolescent target audience. The studios' names are shown firstly on a patterned background that has a modern aspect as it continues to move and does this at a quick pace. The other company names are shown and the edited unique pattern is added on in layers creating the sense of a typical fun rom-com. As the drum in the music sounds, the image has been edited on the beat to appear like an eruption, revealing the establishing shot behind this. The shot is of a man on a what appears to be a water jet ski as there are jump cuts showing him doing tricks in the water as flashes of the red/orange colour seen previously flashes. The background then changes again to the unique style from before, however in this shot is a female character who is also viewed in jump cuts running with a football and finally her name appears- identifying her as the main character. 

The editing shows an outlined version of the next shot and then dissolves to see the true picture behind it which creates a smooth transition from the titles to actual footage. There is then one of the first very long shots which gives the audience an insight into the location, which is clearly on a beach with the mise-en-scene of umbrellas, sunbeds and beach balls. There are quick cuts back to the orange colour-schemed with continued flashes which are never of a still picture. This disrupts the verisimilitude of the shots which may be to surprise the audience in trying to maintain their attention because they are a younger demographic. There is a low angle shot as the football falls from the clear, blue sky and so the audience is able to identify that the film is about 'soccer', however as the ball falls the main female character runs with the ball in the rugged background appearance and the title name is shown suggesting the film to be about female empowerment. There are continual jump cuts of people playing football as other names are shown over a coloured shape. The camera mainly follows the main female character who is represented in a feminine way by wearing a bikini top and small shorts, however she appears to go against the stereotype of a typical girl as she wears her hair up which may suggest her practicality and she has a sweat band which depicts her more sporty side (as well as the fact that she is playing football). Jump cuts are used with tilted frame angles to convey the fun and gives as sense of showing the images like a scrapbook. As the music reaches its climax the girl scores a goal, and the shots fluctuate from different angles of her running with the ball. There are many girls in one shot where they are celebrating the goal however there is a reaction shot of a group of males around the same age, laughing and clearly mocking the girls playing football. Many more shots are shown with the editing of the background adapting around them and there is a shot of the main female character kissing what we can assume to be her boyfriend- therefore the editing may be to single out characters framing them to show importance with the shot freezing for a short time. As the representation of the opening is formed the audience is slightly wider than other rom-coms I have analysed. This is because even though we can identify the main character to be a girl and from the title, the subject appears to be about football and so more sporty girls may find the film appealing as well as some males (also shown by using mainly gender neutral colours). The comedy is shown through the fun competition between the people playing football and how as the girl scores another goal the males take a stance of them appearing to be bowing to her, suggesting the comic aspects. The very fast editing continually makes the eyes aware and have to quickly focus to keep up with the opening which also lures consumers in. Towards the end of the sequence the music repeats the same line as the shots quicken as the camera tracks the players moving with the ball and then there is a very long shot of the female character kicking the ball towards a lifeguard ring which frames the shot and then the final shot with the director's name is of the male character catching the football.