Use of mise-en-scene to represent age in Monarch of The Glen

The extract opens with a shot of middle-aged and older men working on a farm Scotland. They are all wearing working clothes (such as thick coats and hats), carrying tools of labour and loading things onto the back of a  truck which gives the impression that it is a very adult environment. The next shot shows two younger characters, both dressed in more casual clothes. The girl, who's name is Amy and is the youngest character at 16, is wearing a light coloured shirt and blue jeans which contrasts with the darker, duller colours of the older characters. This could possibly be to set her apart from them. The boy, who is a few years older, is wearing a grey hooded jumper which makes him fit in more with the older characters but his clothes are still casual to show his youth

Amy is asked to drive a truck by Paul, the man she is working for, to which she obliges. But once in the driver's seat, her body language looks confused and unsure about what exactly she needs to do. This reflects her youth because most young people would be confused about how to drive. After eventually starting the car and beginning to drive, she soon crashes straight into a another car. The driver of the other car, an older man, emerges from his vehicle and seems to know who Amy is as he shouts at her. He is dressed formally in a tweed jacket and a v-neck jumper which are clothes associated with older men. Three other characters run over to Amy to see if she is alright. As they do this, she positions herself behind Paul, hiding from the older man. This is the behaviour similar to a young child hiding behind her parent

The next scene shows Paul and the older man, who has now been revealed to be Amy's headmaster, walk into a study. The study is very old fashioned looking, with wooden panelling on the walls and many books. Paul also pours the headmaster a glass of brandy from a decanter which is a drink associated with older people. After finding out that Amy hasn't sat any exams, Paul angrily approaches Amy and starts telling her off. He points his finger at her which is a gesture that adults usually do to young children. After realising that she isn't going to get her way, she flings her arms down childishly and storms off which represents her immaturity.

After a montage sequence of the men working, we see Amy's room. Her bed is covered with magazines (a prop associated with teenagers) and she leaves two notes written in pink squiggly handwriting, one of them next to a teddy bear. All of these things mentioned connote youth.