I have chosen to look at the teenagers in the drama Skins and see how Teenagers are represented. I have chosen to look at two different episodes of Skins in order to analyse the different approaches throughout the series towards teenagers. I have chosen to look at Tony is Episode 1 Series 1 and Jal in Episode 3 Series 1.
Tony Episode 1 Series 1:
Tony is one of the main characters in Skins and can be seen as being portrayed differently to the other characters. Tony is quite an unusual character, especially when comparing him to any of the other characters. Unlike the other characters, Tony is quite submissive and mature. I use the term mature lightly as none of the characters are mature in a social sense.
The character Tony is young-adult male who is around the age of 17. He is portrayed throughout the episode and series for that matter as being the leader of the group. He is presented as being the boy that everyone wants to be. He has the looks the girls the social ability and this is further seen through the character of Sid who continuously waits in Tony’s shadow only ever to be regularly disappointed.
The setting used in this episode can be seen as representing teenagers in that they are everyday hangouts for youngsters. For example, in this episode there are settings such as cafes, school grounds, buses and domestic settings.
In the show Tony is involved in storylines associated with sex and virginity all of which is linked throughout the series. The makers of Skins look to be presenting the common day teenager as being somewhat reckless and mistrusted. However, many would disagree and point to the fact that this embodiment of a teenager is over exaggerated and fails to depict real life society.
Even though Tony is presented as being a bad boy like type of character, his costume points to the opposite. His costume is quite casual and smart, contracting from the other characters and his own persona. This contrasts to the belief that the common day teenager is quite scruffy and ill-dressed. However, it does add to the fact that Skins is quite misleading in its approach towards the portrayal of teenagers.
Jal Episode 3 Series 1:
Jal’s character in Skins is not regularly seen but is a striking contrast to the other characters in the programme. In episode 3 series 1, Jal is the main character and she is portrayed as being quite an unusual character as she is mature and intelligent unlike her piers. Unlike, the other character she’s cares for others feelings and chooses to focus more on her music career rather than live a life devoted to parties.
The character Jal is young-adult female around the age of 17. She is portrayed throughout the series as being the outcast of the group due to her beliefs and values. He is presented as being the girl that every working teenager wants to be. She has intellect, talent and looks. She is also very independent.
The settings that Jal appears in further connote that she is a teenager unlike those represented throughout Skins. She is regularly, if not always in a domestic setting which could connote that she is mature and defiant against the outside world of partying and orgies.
In this episode Jal is involved in storylines associated with violence and sadness. Fore example, she is attacked in this episode yet she later goes on to feel sadness for Sid as he is under threat of attack. This is representational of the common day teenager whose are regularly associated with violence on the streets. Skins try to depict this; however I feel they have chosen the wrong the character in order to do so.
Jal is presented as the mature and smart character in Skins and this is further seen through her costume which is casual and smart. When she attends her music competition she is dressed in a smart brown dress which she constantly says is green. This could connote that she is looking for the bright side to life.
In both episodes a lot of slang is used. Bad language is the norm in the characters language and is adapted throughout the series. The language is used is also quite colloquial in order to further portray teenagers in society. The non-diegetic sound in both episodes consists of rock music that is played in scenes throughout the series. This adds extra effect to the image portrayed in particular scene in the programme.
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A detailed reflection on the episodes that you have viewed. You have thought about aspects of mise-en-scene and what this indicates about the characters.In addition you have thought about sounds, particularly dialogue. This is really important for this unit. I am impressed that you have thought about the values of the characters and how this reflects society.
ReplyDeleteTips:
*check your SPG. 'piers' is spelt 'peers'.
*think about the settings that characters are deen in and what this may also indicate about their character. This is something to think about, you do not have to update your response.
Well done :)