Analysis of Mise-en-scene in Sket

In this blog post I will be analysing the mise-en-scene of the film Sket. The film Sket is written and directed by Nirpal Bhogal and was released in October 2011. It was rumoured to have a budget of about $1 million according to IMDB.  

Production Design - Costume 

This screen grab, taken from 47:29, represents the costume in this film. Denoted in the shot is 5 female characters all wearing a similar costume. You can see hoodies, tracksuit bottoms, big leather jacket, jeans and trainers. Also the girl on the far right is sitting on the rail while the rest of the girls are leaning against it or standing on the stairs. Additionally, the area they're standing in doesn't look very clean, the titles look very yellow and grimy. The costume connotes the BSR genre as the main characters are wearing hoodies and tracksuits which are common of present BSR films. The fact that the girl on the far right is slightly above the rest, it connotes how she's the main person in this group of people. It represents her as being dominant than the rest. 

Location

This screen grab is taken from 47:41. It represents the location of this film well as denoted is an alleyway with lots of graffiti and event posters. Alleyways usually have dark connotations as bad things tend to happen in them, in this film, the girls walk through the alleyway to go and beat a man up, so this connotation in this sense is correct. The graffiti connotes the type of area they live in, it's not very pure and white, it's a wall that has been plastered with paint, tags and event posters. This location is a typical BSR location as many of the films are filmed in locations that are estates or run down areas, so graffiti and alleyways are a typical thing to be seen. The colours of the graffiti are quite dark, they're not bright and all happy, they're mainly dark blues and and grey, connoting that the BSR genre is dark. 

Actors 

Adelayo Adedayo

The screen grab above, taken from 49:00, shows the character Kerry, played by Adelayo Adedayo. This actress isn't very famous, but she has done many projects which I have seen. Such as the recent film, Gone Too Far and she also stars in a TV series called Some Girls. Both of these are typical BSR texts. Gone Too Far explores an immigrant coming to England and trying to fit in with his brother, while Some Girls follows a typical British girl group of friends that are in school. Adelayo Adedayo isn't in hollywood movies, which represents the type of actors that are in BSR films. They're not actors that are very well known for big movies, most of them are first time actors as they want the scenes to be realistic and natural. Some Girls (2012) and Gone Too Far (2013) were both made after the release of Sket (2011), so Adelayo Adedayo, wasn't even very well known in British cinema when she starred in this film. 

Lighting 

In this shot, taken from 23:32, denoted is a group of people in a dimly light alleyway. The only light is from the few street lamps and you can denote a couple of buildings in the background. The lighting is natural as the light there (apart from the street lamps) is naturally occurring. The lighting helps connote the meaning of what is about to happen. The shot is mainly dark, and the dark is often connoted with danger. From the shot you can see that the woman looks like she's about to be in danger. Also the light is mainly on the woman in the middle, connoting that she is the positive character (protagonist) in this shot, while the man on the right and the woman in the foreground are not as brightly lit, connoting they may be the antagonists. 

Colour

This is a shot taken from 31:09, which shows the typical colour palate of BSR. Denoted is slight colour of blue and white across the whole shot. Blues are mainly used for colour design in BSR as it connotes the sadness and coldness of the genre. Denoted in the shot is a woman that has been beaten up in a hospital bed, with her little sister sitting beside her. The blue and white overtones of this shot, connote the little sisters sadness. Also the colours make the shot look even more clinical and blues and whites are the typical colours you would see in a hospital. 

Era 

In this gif, taken from another clip, at 6:07 - 6:12, represents the era of this film. Denoted in this gif is people at a 'rave'. From the clip you can see the era, as 'rave's are very common in the present now than they were a couple of decades ago. Also the artists performing are wearing snapbacks and hoodies while rapping, which is also popular now. Click Here to listen to song that plays in the background of this gif. The fact the director used this song in the background connotes the era as this type of genre - Grime, was very popular in 2011 - the year the film was made and set in. Also grime is a typical genre of music, most people live in that live in an estate and are teenagers, so it also represents the film's characters.