SkinsSeries 2 – Episode 5‘Chris’

Setting

The clip is set mainly around college, in the Head of College’s office, and in the Head of Career’s office, and also outside by a

lake.It is mostly set in college because the drama is based on a group of teenagers, and their life, and a large portion of their life is taken up by school/college, so it fits

in well.

Themes

The main theme of the clip is college life, as Chris gets expelled from college, and also work life, as he learns what it is like in the

working world.It also features peer pressure. Chris says Jal

says no too much, he says ‘you say no to pills, to parties, to me putting my hand on

your gooch’ which shows, so he peers pressures her to start saying yes, as long

as he stops saying ‘Fuck It’.

Icons

The main icons are the changes of clothes Chris wears when he is in the Careers office, this is because each clothing item he wears clearly shows the job that he has tried to do, for example a fast food restaurant, part of a child protection agency and a barman at a pub.

Narrative

Chris talks to the Head of his college and finds out he is being expelled for a series of offenses. He then speaks to Jal, in which they both decide to

change their attitude towards things, with her saying ‘Yes’ more, and Chris stop having a ‘Fuck it’ approach to things. Chris then talks to Josie, the

Head of Careers, where he talks about wanting a job, then moaning

about what jobs he has done.

Characters

Chris Miles Lower middle class/working

class, Caucasian male aged 17.

He is seen as a bit of a party animal, very outgoing and is lazy at school, quite stupid, and spends all his time drinking and taking drugs, with a ‘Fuck It’ approach to life.

Characters

Jal FazerJal is an upper class as her

family is rich, mixed race female who is also 17.

Jal is usually quite a reserved character, but is also very musically talented, and intelligent, the complete opposite of her boyfriend Chris Miles.

Characters

Head of CollegeThe Head of College is a

caucasian, middle class woman, probably in her mid 40’s to 50’s.

She is a very stern character, being a Headteacher, and seems to be very uncompromising as she expells Chris without him being able to defend himself.

Characters

Josie (Head of Careers)

Josie is a caucasian female aged around mid-20s, who is probably middle class.

From the clip she is shown to be quite eccentric, due to her clothing, her office and the way she talks, but also seems to be quite lively and bubbly too.

Textual Analysis

The majority of the camera angles are close up face shots, showing how closely the focus on the characters they are trying to portray individually, and not on a whole.

Music is used between the CCTV clips and sticking cigarette papers on eachothers forehead, just as a bit of background music when there is not as much talking.

In the careers office, it has been edited so all of Chris’ lines lead on to eachother, however he is wearing different clothes from the different jobs he has tried.

Mise En Scene - Costumes

Chris wears typical ‘teenage’ clothes such as a hoodie and a slogan t-shirt, but

quite bright colours, showing eccentricity.

Jal is also wearing not matching clothes, but this could also be due to teenagers

attitudes towards clothing, wearing whatever they want to.

Mise En Scene - Costumes

The Head of College is wearing very formal and smart clothes, not only because she has to dress smart because of her job, but also to show authority and status.

Josie, the Head of Careers wears quite mix-match clothing, but this is because she is quite an eccentric and outgoing character.

Mise En Scene - Lights

The lighting in the clip is mainly through natural lighting outdoors, and just normal room lighting, except the use of multi-coloured fairy lights in the Josie’s office.

Mise En Scene - Actors

Chris Miles – Joe Dempsie

Jal Fazer – Larissa Wilson

Josie (Head of Careers) – Josie Long

All the actors are not very well known, especially when this was first made, however Joe Dempsie went on to feature in This Is England ‘86.

Mise En Scene – Make-Up

There is no special make-up as they try to create a very normal, day-to-day scene, without the use of any special make-up or effects.

Mise En Scene - Props

The main props in this clip are in Josie’s office, with the use of fairy lights, toys, biscuits, and juice laid out in her office, it shows her personality more, of being eccentric, but also slightly childish or immature.