Analysing the Mise En Scene in the "Monarch of the Glen"clip; How does it construct the representation of age?

What is mise en scene?

Mise En Scene contains the following aspects:

• location/setting
• costume 
• make-up
• lighting 
• props 
• blocking 
• body language 

When looking at the mise en scene in the clip you are able to see how it can have an effect the representation of age. 

Location/Setting

The location of the first part of the clip is in a spacious field and this suggests that the characters like to be in a quite area with hardly any distractions. People who would prefer this type of location would seem to be in the older category of age. When part of the scene was set in an office you was able to see the office was for people who enjoyed an big quite room that was make out of wood and which had detailed designs engraved into the wood. From the design of the office you was able to see that the office was quite dated. From the office being dated you are able to seen that the office if for adults. When the setting was in the young girls room you could tell that this room was for a young girl as it was decorated with pink a decoration and girly things.

Costume

From the type of clothing you are able to distinguish what age range they are in. As you are able to see the younger characters are dressed more smart casual. You are able to see that the middle age characters are dressed in clothing that are suitable for doing hard labour work and as they are doing hard labour work it suggests that they are of an older age. For the older range of characters they are dress more smartly and this also suggest their importance and class. For example the elder lady is dressed more classy as she is wearing more sophisticated clothing, this implies that she is in an upper class. And when analysing the clothing of the headmaster you are able to see that he is in an older category as he is wearing a tweed blazer with a v-neck jumper and shirt and tie; from this you are able to see that he is stereotypically dressed as a teacher and that his fashion sense is dated.

Make up 

For the young girl her make-up is quite natural as she is a young girl so they want to show that she is not wearing any make-up, where as the older lady make-up is simple yet natural so this suggests that she is older as young adults would wear make-up that is more noticeable and less natural. When looking at the older men that are the workers you are able to see that they are dirty looking and a typical working man of the middle age range would look dirty and scruffy. The headmaster's make-up involved him having a grey beard so this shows the audience that he is of an older age.

Lighting 

The lighting that is used during the clip has been natural lighting as the locations of the scenes have not been in studios so it makes the atmosphere of the locations seem more dull. As the atmosphere of the location is dull if makes the audience feel that the characters that live in these locations have to be older as stereotypically older adults can be boring.

Props

Some of the props used can suggest that the age of the characters; the older men are using tools which young adults would not know how to handle and be aware of how to use the tools, this shows the age as they would have be experienced and have the strength to use the tools. The brandy in the office suggest that the office would only allow adults to enter the room and the people that are allowed to enter the room must be of an age where they are responsible and to be able to be trusted enough to be around alcohol. And the alcohol is in a decanter so this also showed the wealth of the character as the brandy was not in a bottle yet in a separate container. In the girls room there was a teddy bear, girly magazines and decorated mirror with pictures this suggests that the young girl is young by the props that are used in her room as they are the types of things a young girl would have in her room.

Blocking

In this clip you are able to seen blocking in the beginning where the young girl keeps her distance from the young male adult it shows that she is younger as she is waiting to be told what to do so this is shows that she is of a younger age to the young male adult as she is willing to obey his instructions. And blocking was used when one of the men is watching the young girl starting the car; he is keeping his distance to show that he is observing her to make sure she knows what she is doing. as he is observing her from a distance you are able to see that he is older than the young girl. Again you can see blocking when the older lady is observing the young male adult telling off the young girl, from the old lady just observing and not getting involved it shows her maturity so this suggests that she is of an older age.

Body language 

You are able to the young girls age when she is unaware of her resources and is uncertain how to drive; this suggests that she is younger as she does not know how to drive. Also when she sees the head master she acts cowardly was she is aware that she is going to get caught so this show that she has done something wrong and she is trying to hide. As she has done something wrong it shows her immaturity. After she has seen the headmaster the men seem to acted shocked and angry toward the girl as they are angry the audience are able to see that the two men are older that than the young girl. When the young male adult tells the young girl off the young girl shows her and runs away in a childish manor. And the young male adult is represented as a dominant figure. Toward the end of the clip the old lady's body language seems worried and that she has maternal feeling toward the young girl. This type of body language suggests that she if in an older age range.