Binary opposition: Every narrative is propelled forward by conflicting themes such as good vs evil.
In the case of
Skins, the binary opposites could be:
-teenagers vs police
-teenagers vs adults
-teenagers vs parents
Setting: Factory is a reminder that it is an urban setting and that it is a bit grim. The skatepark is seen as their hang out and they are sat comfortably there. Could be a place where they escape from adults. The graffiti could be seen as either art or vandalism, depending on the perspective of the viewer. To them, it is their stamp on the place, but to officials it would be classed as vandalism. It's the middle of the day and they are sat drinking so it would seem they have no where else to go. Sky is captured through the low angle and suggests they are children and there could still be hope.
Cook is sat in the middle and emphasises his status as the other two boys are turned towards him. He seems casual and just drinking his beer. The low angle gives them power and creates a sense of 'we are here' this is our place. The composition of the shot is important as they are bang in the middle. Also, a long shot was used to establish them in their world.
When it first came out, it was something that had never been done before. The producers recruited some young people to help them write the scripts for the first episode. When the railer came out there was a huge outrage in the media, on Facebook, someone even organised a Skins party.
Dismemberment - focusing in on parts of the girls body as she is undressing, with focus on her crotch and her underwear.
Through the eye line match it is clear she knows he is watching and it could be suggested she enjoys it. He checks his watch as if to say he knows what time she gets dressed every morning and that this is a regular routine for him.
Audience positioning - The audience are positioned to side with the youngsters. Despite the fact that the children are behaving in a reprehensible way, the audience still like them and feel sympathetic towards them, party because of the humor, and partly because of the incompetence of the parents as role models.
Impotent - when a man cannot make love/have kids. Father is impotent as he has no power over Tony who has made him look like a fool.
Questions
'Analyse opening sequence of Skins, looking particularly at Tony's representation'
1. What can you deduce about the setting (and specifically the house) from the mise-en scene?
From the long shot of the girl walking home on the street, it becomes clear that the family are middle class, seen through the houses on their road. From the way the girl is dressed, it is evident she has been out all night in very provocative clothing. This therefore encourages the male gaze. From all the make up she is wearing, she looks older then she probably is, and due to it being smudged, it shows she has had a wild night out. This is confirmed when she is seen sneaking back into the family home after a night out and changing into a school uniform, which highlights she is very young and that this behavior is wrong for a girl of her age. Tony's bedroom is unusually clean for that of a teenage boy which could suggest he is a bit of a control freak. His duvet covers in particular are shocking as they are of a naked man and women which is shown within the first few seconds of the first episode! Not only does this show his interest in sex, but it is also another way of annoying his parents and showing they do not have much of a say in what he does.
The backwards tracking shot reveals him in his environment and positions the audience to side with him as he is the first character to appear on screen, showing the narrative will most likely revolve around him. The scene of Tony in the bathroom reading 'Nausea' shows that, although he is participating in rebellious behavior, he has an education and is probably at sixth form, again reinforcing the idea that they are a middle class family. Then, the mother is shown in the kitchen, another reflection of them being middle class. This supports the traditional housewife role, presenting her as a caring mother making the children breakfast before school.
The father is represented as a parent that has no control over his children. This is explicitly seen through the low angle shot in the kitchen where he is standing over Tony. Usually, this would signify that he has the power, and if we had not watched the first few minutes we would have thought this. However, we know that the son has the power as he is winding up the father and making him look like a fool. In other words, the father is made to look impotent. Moreover, the music Tony plays as a distraction for Effy undermines the fathers authority, as Tony has engineered a chain of events to 1. allow the sister to sneak back in and 2. purposely wind up his father. An example of this is when there is a mid shot of the door, which highlights the anticipation of the fathers arrival as Tony is waiting for him to burst in and react to the loud music being played.
2. What do you think Tony's representation is? Think about camera shots and his behavior. Are stereotypes or/and counter-types used?
Tony is represented as a confident, masculine young man which can be seen through the shot of him standing in front of the window lifting weights in his boxer shorts. There is then a shot of him checking his watch before standing boldly in by the window watching a female neighbour change. We get the sense that this a regular routine as he knows what time she will be dressing. Later on, there is a scene of him brushing his teeth outside the house and the woman standing across the road looking at him. This proposed situation would be ideal for teenage boys, who would love the playful attention of an older woman. We know she is aware that he watches her change as she turns her head and their is an eye-line match between the two characters.
Tony's behavior is cheeky and adds a sense of humor to the show as he continually annoys his father. There is a particular shot where he exchanges eye contact with his sister which shows a knowing moment between the two siblings.
A counter - type is used in the form of Tony's room being exceptionally tidy and organised for a teenage boy of his age. This is contrasted with his friend's room that is later shown and would stereotypically fit the image of what a teenagers room would look like. He is also presented as clever as he is seen reading philosophy books.
The family is portrayed as a normal middle class family, comfortable in their house. They also have a large kitchen where they eat breakfast together, again emphasising their class. However, the behavior of the father and the lack of teamwork between the parents, to control the children, exposes them to in fact be a dysfunctional family.
3. What is the genre? How does Tony's representation fit in to the genre?
The genre of Skins is a teenage drama/comedy. Tony fits into the genre as he seem to be an interesting protagonist as he is a typical teenage boy, although he is clever which counterpoints his rebellious ways.
5. We start with the shot of Tony in bed with the camera in a close up of him - why use this shot? Then we see him in his under pants - why?
The significance of using this shot is that the audience are automatically positioned with Tony as he is the first character introduced. This shot then develops and we see him lying in bed. The importance of this is that it shows him in his environment. As we are literally in his face, we are brought closer to him as we are there when he wakes up. Tony's duvet cover in itself shows the type of character he is and immediately, we like him.
The purpose of including a shot of him in his underpants shows that he is a confident character, happy with the way he is and not caring that he showing himself off. This then creates an attractive character that female audience members will favour and thus, want to watch the rest of the series. Finally, this also shows him as a very masculine and possibly mischievous character.
6. Discuss the mise-en-scene, particularly of his bedroom. Does it tell us anything about Tony's lifestyle?
The obvious piece of mise-en-scene is the duet cover, presumably brought for him by a friend or girlfriend. This shows his interest in sex and reveals more about his character. The weights show him taking pride in his appearance which evokes a sense of him being vain or arrogant. The stereo system that he plays to distract the father is important as it becomes known that he does this every morning. Not only does this imply he gets a sense of enjoyment out of annoying his father, but it becomes obvious that Effy is out every night which is surprising considering her age.
8. Do the binary oppositions reinforce others' representations?
The mother is immediately presented as a typical housewife as we are first introduced to her as she is cooking in the kitchen. She comes across as relaxed in response to the children s behavior and does not stick up with the dad when he is rowing with Tony. From this, we get the gist that her and her husband are not a team when it comes to arguing with the kids, as she does not get involved and dish out any punishments for Tony's behavior. It seems this is a regular occurance in their house. This then highlights the fact that the father cannot control his own children and looks a bit useless. This reinforces the idea that the children cannot be controlled by their parents, on a larger scale, teenagers in general.
