Researching Media Texts - 1

 Hi blog! For my research, I am going to make 3 discussion posts analyzing one full length film that is a strong example of the coming of age genre, and a short film of that same genre. We already decided that our major theme is going to be personal growth even through hard times, specifically the hardships that come with being a high schooler.

Perks of Being a Wallflower is the definition of a coming of age film, especially highlighting the teenage difficulties of feeling like you belong and making a reliable group of friends. Although our film will likely not take place at school like The Perks of Being a Wallflower does, we still take inspiration from the aspects related to friendship and how impactful it can be on a teenagers life in a point that feels really unstable. This film also does an amazing job at developing characters, which is the basis of all all coming of age films. We only plan on having one character in our short film so that we can do our best to focus on establishing every aspect of them. 

The way that perks of being a wallflower tells Charlie's story using techniques of nonlinear storytelling is something that our group especially wants to take inspiration from. The way that this film showcases the teenage experience without making it cheesy or cringy was very admirable. The coming of age genre as a whole is difficult to do in a way that connects with audiences besides the one that is highlighted in the production itself. However, The Perks of Being a Wallflower does so by relating childhood problems to adult ones and how that trauma can bond people. 

As for the first short film that we are taking inspiration from, "Why can't we just be ghosts" is one that leaves you somewhat confused until the end. I would classify this as a coming of age comedy, but it definitely highlights the difficult aspects of being a teenager that we mentioned earlier. Vicky recommended for me and Renn to watch this for inspiration because she saw it when she attended the All American Film Festival, since it won a lot of awards for how spectacular it was, and I have to agree. It beautifully flows with fantastic pacing and just the right amount of humor. 

What I especially took from this production was the way that they presented dynamics between characters without one of them even having to speak. This just shows how well thought out the script was, for essentially one character to carry the entire dialogue on their own. We will possibly need to reference this, as we want to keep the audience engaged with potentially only one leading character, which is a tall task for a coming of age film that relies heavily on how relationships shape a person.

Citations:

8FLiX. (2020). The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Official Trailer (2012) | Lionsgate [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube

All American High School Film Festival. (2025). Why can’t we just be ghosts? – Directed by Patrick Jang [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSbcHcjcYQA