How is Youth Represented in the Opening Sequence of Skins?


In the opening sequence of skins each character as teenagers are represented in many different contrasting ways, Teenageness is a significant ‘in-between’ period, and teen drama deals with the stuff of adolescent anxiety: friendship, love, sex. Skins deals with most of these problems: relationship; the demands of studying; peer group pressure and so on.
When the scene first starts off, we see an extreme close-up shot of the main character (Tony) face in his bed. Even before his alarm goes off, he is already awake. This could indicate a personality perspective, like him being organised, or him planning what he will do later on as he looks like he is thinking.
When the camera zooms out from a close-up to a high angle long shot we get a view of that his bed is already neat even though he is still in it. This could indicate the state of mind and personal traits that he has. His duvet cover is of a man and woman printed on naked. From this we know that this show will entertain us with adult/teenager nature. This also signifies the concept of typical teenage boys mind. This also signifies the concept of this teenage boy’s mind of maybe sex. We soon find out his interests on sex soon on.
Tony’s alarm had gone off after he was already awake. He was probably awake before his alarm had gone off because of the fact that he was planning his day in his head before he got up but keeps everything to a timed schedule. When he gets out of his bed he starts his work out. There is non-diegetic music being played that fits in when he’s doing his work out. Tony gives us the impression that he is proud of his body as when he is in his mirror he gives a masculine pose and strengthens his arm. When he does this the shots are
An alarm beep seems to have gone off from his watch, so he goes to his window to look across the street to see a women coming out of the shower to get dressed. Tony stares at this woman like he is under her spell because down below on the street we see his sister Effie walking home from what we presume a night out on the town. When she tries to get her brothers attention she has to wait a bit before he actually notices her. This indicates that this is routine for both of them as Effie doesn’t seem too bothered about the fact that her brother is admiring a naked thirty year old women. Again it certifies that his is there morning routine when Tony turns on his stereo full volume and his Dad comes raging in swearing, shouting and stating ‘every fuckin morning’. Although helping his sister sneak in Tony seems to get a kick out of messing with his father as he has a smirk on his face and mocks his Dad by saying it’s broken. He again annoys his Dad by spending along time in the bathroom, locking the door then climbing out of the window to go to the downstairs kitchen. In comparison to his father Tony doesn’t retaliate to swearing or shouting he simply silent annoys him without being caught. We see that this father and son are completely different from one another. Tony takes pride in his body, while his father is out of shape, like I stated before their way of dealing with subtle conflict is different.
Tony’s character may first appear as a typical teenage boy for the first few seconds of this opening sequence but he seems a very intellectual, articulate and organised teenager. At the start of the scene when he is in his room there is a high angle long shot of how tidy his room is compared to his sister. Effie’s room is quite typical for a teenage girl. Her curtains are drawn so it is quite a dark atmosphere. There are clothes on her bed in a messy way. Either to make it look likes a dummy shape of her or to prepare her quickly for school after a night out. Tony’s clothes are folded in his draw neatly to show how organised and precise he is. Is interests are before his time. The posters on his bedroom wall are of old European films such as ‘blow up’ and ‘8 and a half’. The book he reads in the bathroom is called ‘Nousea’ which again is a European book.
As well as Tony being in control of his dad he also seems to be in control of his friends. As he’s walking out of his house he phones four of his friends but one doesn’t answer. When Tony first tried to reach his first friend we see his phone ringing on a plate from a close up, but then we see a long shot of how untidy his room is compared to Tony’s. He calls one of his friends who also might seem intellectual like him. It is a girl who is playing the clarinet. She seems to stand up to Tony because she complains to him about calling her and she hangs up when he asks her not to. So here she is in control. Tony also calls his girlfriend who he calls ‘nips’. She doesn’t seem to like this but he thinks it is funny. ‘Nips’ doesn’t stand up to Tony as the other girl does. When Tony asks her to have sex with his friend Sid she is reluctant but in the end agrees. When he rang her ‘nips’ was getting ready. She seems to take care in getting ready and in her looks. Unlike Effie who rushed in the morning and took of her make up roughly with a cloth.
When Tony rings his friends he is talking in a rush like he has everything planned out and wants to get it done today. The reason why he calls everyone is to get his friend to lose his virginity and he wants ‘nips’ to help him out the most.
In this scene quite a lot of slang is used. Swearing and bad language is perpetuated indefinitely throughout, and the use of cockney and colloquial is very common. But to some surprise it is mostly used by the Dad. It is a use of comic role reversal. The youths represented represents each character differently as each teenager in society today acts and is different.