Directors Case Study: John Hughes

For this task I researched a director, famous for coming-of-age films. I chose John Hughes as he is possible the most famous coming-of-age film director and has been very influential in the film industry. To show this research I used Voki.



John Hughes was born in 1950 and is 75 year old, famous for making coming-of-age films. Born in Michigan, Hughes said that he didn't have many friends growing up and he was a 'kind of quiet' kid. Growing up he didn't have many massive influences film wise, but was hugely influenced by music mainly John Lennon and Bob Dylan. This interest in music  may be the reason behind why his films have such iconic soundtracks. Having characters sing songs like Birthday and Twist and Shout (originally by The Top Notes, but famously covered by The Beatles,) A lot of the songs her used in his films have become very popular subsequent to the release of the films, (Don't You Forget About Me, by Simple Minds and Oh Yeah by Yello.)

John Hughes went to the University of Arizona but soon dropped out and started selling jokes to well-established performers and then went on to work for multiple advertising agencies, where he got filming and editing experience.

His first credited work was for writing the screenplay for Class Reunion. Which was a disastrous attempt to copy the success of Animal House. His directing depute was with the film Sixteen Candles, staring Molly Ringwald and was a huge success. It was first in a line of popular films directed by Hughes that are set in high schools, engaging his target audience as most of his films are coming-of-age therefore directed at teenagers.

The Narratives of his films usually include teenagers in high schools, and they question/challenge stereotypes. His films are very good at characterisation as the characters are usually very clearly from different stereotypes therefore have very distinctive personality (he uses these to make a point not as a shorthand.)

Many of his films are set around Chicago, which is where he lived for a period of time. This may help him when picking locations for his films as he may be able to use areas where he actually spent time in, thus, being more realistic.

The ending of his films tend to end with a still image, creating a memorable mise-en-scene to mark the moment. For example the ending of The Breakfast Club ends with the iconic fist bump.


Learning comment

From this piece of research I have learnt about the different techniques directors use to make their films unique and memorable to them. When making my own opening sequence I know that, narrative wise, it is best to use locations that I know to make the narrative more believable for the target audience. I also know that the best coming-of-age films tend to challenge social norms, this will appeal to the target audience as teenagers are fed up of being treated like 'kids' and want something to make them think.

Conventions of an Opening Sequence for a Coming-of-age Film

I used a video to present my analysis of the mise-en-scene for the opening sequence of Juno.

I also looked at other peoples work to compare the differences of an opening sequence depending on the target audience.

The first one I looked at was by Megan Bennett,

I then looked at Ella Henley's

Learning Comment

From this piece of research I have learnt  simple things in the mise-en-scene, such as lighting, colour and camera angles, are key in setting the tone for the rest of the film. This research also helped me decide what type of opening sequence I would like to create, I believe that an opening sequence should go straight into the narrative to engage the target audience, I also believe that using a song helps make the sequence more memorable. 

History of Coming of Age Films

For my second task, I looked at the history of coming of age films. To present my research I used a timeline.

Learning Comment

A lot of the most popular Coming of Age films were made in the 80's. Most of these films target audiences are 13-19 years old as they can relate to the problems the protagonists are going through although an older audience can also enjoy the films as they can make them feel reminiscent of their teenage years. (So the majority of Coming of age films are targeted at the demographic E.)

When making my own opening sequence I will make sure to use a teenage protagonist as the target audience will already feel like they can relate to them. I also found out that the most famous films in this genre, don't focus around romantic relationships, and are more about the protagonist having someone to lean on, (e.g. a Mother, Father, friend) as people usually get bored of romance stories.

Famous Opening Sequences

For the first task, I had to research 10 famous opening sequences. In these photographs below you can see the sequences I have analysed as well as the videos of the sequences.

Learning Comment:

In this task I learnt about the codes and conventions of an opening sequence. I know that the lighting, typography and content all set the tone for the rest of the film. I have found that a main convention of opening sequences is that the majority of the sound is non-diegetic, such as music, which helps set the tone for the rest of the film.
A lot of films also will have credits at the start of the film, (depending on the target audience, e.g. a film directed at a younger audience is likely to have fewer credits to hold their attention,) meaning the audience will be forced to read this information. However, big budget films are more likely to have fewer credits given, as the audience is likely to get the information from other sources.

When I come to making my own opening sequence I know that the typography on screen must reflect the genre of the film. I also believe that the more the sequence gives away about the narrative and the more fast paced it is, the better the response is from the audience.
My favourite opening sequence is Nowhere Boy, as it basically goes straight into the narrative of the film, it is fast paced and energetic as well as introducing all of the characters and what part they play in the plot.