Mise-en-scene
The above still is from the drama series 'Youngers,' in which three South London teenagers set out to make it big in the music industry. In terms of what can actually be seen from the still though, one of the things that can be immediately commented on is the actors in it. With all three of them looking like your typical (London) teenagers with one donning a hoodie and another a particularly colourful jacket, apparel synonymous with the juveniles of nowadays, the setting is also essentially established as being in a more urban area; the city. From a prop standpoint, one of the key ones is the piano being held by the actor in the centre. This of course relates to this idea of their road towards success in the region of music. However, their facial expressions in the photo don't suggest that this road is going to be necessarily smooth by any means and actually, they look disappointed and downhearted of course suggesting that it'll be a struggle to get to where they want to. It could also be noted that top lighting is used in the still as a way of rather than making the actors look more 'glamorous,' showcasing their frustration with whatever may have happened in the previous scene instead.
Boyz N The Hood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BadSZDpvq-s
Captain America: The First Avenger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9HCqnBcm8M
The mise-en-scene of each of the three film clips is vastly different to each other. Although they share some common factors such as all of them being set predominantly in the USA and in the past with 'Straight Outta Compton' being set during the 80S, 'Boyz N The Hood' also in the 80s/90s and Captain America going as far as the 1940s, what's shown to viewers is drastically different. In 'Straight Outta Compton' for example, the scene is set in a studio in which the atmosphere is one of rebellion and also high levels of energy against the police. They're also almost all wearing snapback caps fitting in with the setting with one of them reading: 'Compton.' Other props in the video also include the devices in the studio and the book Ice Cube hands to Eazy-E filled with the lyrics of the song they would go on to record. However this is quite different from the environment in 'Boyz N The Hood' which although being set around the same time and nation, is in an entirely different place. Being set in an African-American ghetto as oppose to a recording studio, the atmosphere in this clip is to some extent sombre revealing as to what the ghetto actually holds in its entirety when looked at from another point of view. In terms of the actors there, Laurence Fishburne acts as a almost a father figure (to some extent alluded to in his clothing) to the the two other youngers individuals in the video as he informs them on the process of gentrification. His mood reinforces the seriousness of what he's discussing and the severity of circumstances where they're living. However the deepest contrast is shown in Captain America with it being set in a military training boot camp.
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