Monday 5 December 2011

'Skins' - Sound Example: How is Age Represented?

The dialogue between the father and the son shows a reversal in audience expectations. We see the father shouting and swearing at the teenager, which is normally something we would expect to hear from the teenager. The father's aggressive reaction to the diegetic rock music plays to the stereotype that teenagers play loud music and are inconsiderate to older people. His reaction also plays to the stereotype that teenagers frustrate their parents.

Diegetic sound is also used of the digital alarm clock ringing at the start of the sequence. The audience notice that the protagonist is already awake before the alarm actually rings, which suggests that he is troubled and cannot sleep. This conforms stereotypes of teenagers as this age group does usually have their own troubles at this stage in their life.

Once the alarm clock rings, repetitive, non-diegetic sound is communicated to the audience as diegetic sound as the music fits in with the protagonist's routine because of the beat. Therefore, stereotypes of teenagers are challenged because teenagers are usually stereotyped as being unorganised and not having a particular routine.

The music then bridges over to the next scene of the protagonist's sister walking up the street where magnified sound is used as the audience hear the sound of her heels. This suggests that she is trying to be an adult by wearing heels and conforms stereotypes of teenagers as they are stereotyped as wanting to try to act older than their actal age.