How does the Skins promo trailer create representation of young people?

The Skins promo trailer shows young people in many different and at times slightly outrageous ways. The clip begins with someone in a large bear costume jumping on a bed. The editing in the clip is very fast and includes over fifty different clip changes. The clips include many different types of activities including riding around on a tricycle, throwing foam, dancing, frequently removing clothes and doing unsavoury things to each other. The soundtrack – The Gossip, Standing in the way of Control – fits in well to the clips as it is fast paced and reflects the pace of the clip.

The first half of the clip shows teenagers as very happy, hyper and energetic having fun ‘getting off’ with each other. This represents teenagers as very upbeat because of the rampant dancing and running around having fun. It also shows teenagers as being very promiscuous as nearly every other shot includes teenagers

removing clothes or making-out.

Up until around 46 seconds through everything is happy and all the teenagers are having fun, drug taking, NOS inhaling, dancing and laughing is shown, representing teenagers as

people who frequently take drugs and think it’s really cool.

Through the second half of the promo the characters at the party start showing signs of illness. It begins to show the nasty side of dugs and alcohol which balances out the video and shows that not everything at a teenage party is hunky dory. People begin to start throwing up and acting out and getting into fights. This shows that

bad side of alcohol and represents the effects it has on teenagers. This represents teenagers as the kinds of people who are affected by alcohol and react in the same way as the people in the promo. This still shows one particular reaction to everything happening at the party. It also represents teenagers as very rowdy when they get drunk or high. This shows two different sides to teenagers when they have been partying.

The Mise-en-scene of the party is very fast paced and the only work I can think to describe it is ‘mental’. Everything is happening all at the same time and all jumbled together. The camera shots are mostly close ups and mid-shots as they capture all the different

characters close up, then the mid shots and wide shots show what is going on at the party. The main themes of the promo are sex, drugs, alcohol and then at the end a little bit of violence and arguments.

Overall this promo represents young people in a very promiscuous way because of all the different people kissing other people and making their way round the party kissing as they go. It also represents teenagers as typically taking loads of drugs and drinking lots, then throwing up everywhere and getting into arguments as they are all drunk or high. They music and editing in the promo shows young people as very energetic and upbeat as they are all dancing and jumping and having fun the whole time showing that if you stick a bunch of young people in a house with drugs, alcohol and foam they will be happy as Larry.