“Do You Wash Your Sneakers?” by 水泳男 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 
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Summary
SNEAKERELLA is a modern retelling of the classic story of Cinderella.
Film Analysis
| Film Title | SNEAKERELLA |
| Year | 2022 |
| Director | Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum |
| Country | United States |
| Genre | Musical/Comedy |
| If you could work on this film (change it), what would you change and why? | I would use less autotune for the actors singing, their other music (outside of the film) is fine without it. I would also use more practical effects; the CGI is horrendous, and most of the movie is filmed using a green screen (it was filmed during COVID shutdowns). |
Film information can be found at imdb.com
As you view films, consider how the cuts, camera angles, shots, and movement work to create particular meanings. Think about how they establish space, privilege certain characters, suggest relationships, and emphasize themes. In addition to shot distances, angles, editing, and camera movement, note details of the narrative, setting, characters, lighting, props, costume, tone, and sound.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Who is the protagonist?
El. - Who is the antagonist?
Stacy and Zelly, El’s step-brothers. - What is the conflict?
Trey, El’s step-father is going to sell El’s late mother’s sneaker store. El wants to become a professional sneaker designer to be able to afford to keep the store afloat and work for the King brand. His step-brothers want to use this opportunity to convince their father to take them all back to New Jersey and will do anything to stop El from reaching his goals. - What is the theme, or central, unifying concept?
Don’t lie. - How is the story told? (Linear, non-linear, with flashbacks, flash-forwards, or regular intervals)
The story is told linearly with flashbacks. - What “happens” in the plot? (Brief description)
El is a stock boy at his step-father’s sneaker store. He goes to a sneaker drop and meets Kira King, the daughter of Darius King, an influential sneaker C.E.O. Kira wants El to work as a professional designer for the King brand and tries to get him to meet her father. Experience matters a lot to him, so El lies to her and says that he has a lot of professional experience. Stacy and Zelly tell King that El is just a stock boy, and has no professional experience, and he tells El to leave and never talk to his daughter again. El goes to Sneakercon with some new sneakers made for Kira, and engages in a rap battle with King and then they become partners. - How does the film influence particular reactions on the part of viewers (sound, editing, characterization, camera movement, etc.)? Why does the film encourage such reactions?
Well, it uses catchy music to get the viewers pumped up. It does this to keep the viewers engaged. - Is the setting realistic or stylized? What atmosphere does the setting suggest? Do particular objects or settings serve symbolic functions?
It’s mostly realistic. - How are the characters costumed and made up? What does their clothing or makeup reveal about their social standing, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or age? How do costumes and makeup convey character?
Normally the characters are dressed pretty casually. But when El and Sami go to the charity gala disguised as important people they are dressed very nicely. - How does the lighting design shape our perception of character, space, or mood?
During the song, In Your Shoes, the scenes of El in modern-day are set at night and the flashbacks are clearly set in the daytime. The contrast is used to differentiate the settings. - How do camera angles and camera movements shape our view of characters or spaces? What do you see cinematically?
- What is the music’s purpose in the film? How does it direct our attention within the image? How does it shape our interpretation of the image? What stands out about the music?
The film is a musical. It does a good job of moving the plot forward using the songs. - How might industrial, social, and economic factors have influenced the film? Describe how this film influences or connects to a culture?
It’s a very cultured film. It focused on the main character’s neighborhood a lot. - Give an example of what a film critic had to say about this film. Use credible sources and cite sources. Example: “The Shawshank Redemption Movie Review (1994) | Roger Ebert.” All Content. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2015.
- Select one scene no longer than 5 minutes that represents well the whole film and shows relevant cinematic elements. Write a one-sentence description of the scene and record the time of the scene. Example: from 1:05:00 to 1:10:00. Explain why you chose this scene.
- In the selected scene: write a sentence for each of the elements below to justify why this scene best represents the film—
- Screenwriting—
The screenwriting behind this scene is represented in the lyrics of the song. - Sound Design—
- Camera Movements/Angles—
- Light Setup—
- Soundtrack/Score—
- Screenwriting—
- What’s the socio-cultural context of this film?
This worksheet was developed with ideas from many IB Film teachers, and thus should remain in the Creative Commons.