Mise-En-Scene

I decided to comment on the mise-en-scene of the TV show All American and selected season one episode one.  All American is about Spencer James, a rising high school football player and A student at South Crenshaw High, who is recruited by coach Billy Baker to join his football team in Beverly Hills. Spencer's mother, Grace, and his best friend, Coop, convince him to take this opportunity. He is then forced to move in with Coach Billy's family in order to protect his transfer permit to Beverly. Furthermore, Jordan, Billy's son and starting quarterback, isn't to thrilled to be sharing his father's attention or team spotlight. Meanwhile Spencer struggles to find his footing and ends up making an unlikely friend being Jordan's sister, Oliva, who struggles with her own problems. I decided to do the first 25 minutes of the episode because in this TV show setting, lighting, costume and staging are key to the story of the show. 

The setting and staging of All American switches back and forth between Beverly Hills and Crenshaw, which are polar opposites. Beverley Hills is a rich luxurious place where the upper-class people live and are in a safe neighborhood that provides their kids with the best education. The homes are newly structured and built with colors that create a sense of happiness and stability. Meanwhile, Crenshaw is a poor neighborhood, a black community, where the majority are poor and involved in rival gangs. So wondering the streets alone isn't always the best or safest option; there is murder in the streets and violence from the gangs. The school isn't the safest and the education isn't the best due to its location. 

Lighting plays a major role in the episode because there is a lot of contrast between light and dark. Beverly Hills is always the setting during the day to show how lively and safe the neighborhood, the light brings out the best in the neighborhood and shows its beauty. On the contrary, Crenshaw is mostly filmed at night to show the dark alleys, streets and park; along with this and the dark alleys portray a sense of danger, maybe violence, and a not so safe environment. The lighting in All American plays a major role because it helps us see the two different lifestyles and how Spencer's transfer to Beverly Hills was a major one because there was a significant change in the way he lived. In the episode Spencer's mom even mentions and states that Beverly is a much better school for him with a safer (learning) environment. 

Costumes have another huge impact on the show All American because in order to distinguish the difference between the people from Beverly Hills and Crenshaw the producers use their costumes and attire to help them demonstrate the difference between rich and poor. The people of Crenshaw have a more informal attire and most dress like if they are from the "hood" or "ghetto"; additionally, a majority of them can't afford luxurious pricy clothes like those in Beverly. So, when Spencer transfers to Beverly you can see the change in his attire and characters costume because he in order to fit in he had to adjust his style. The people in Crenshaw are more poor and don't have enough money to buy accessories like expensive purses, hats, hair accessories, and so on; this can be seen through the characters costumes in All American because they are contrasted and their differences are highlights making it another major role in the show.