Ella Davey – ‘Job Street’ ESSAY 1
In the first few seconds of ‘Job Street’ we are introduced to a range of hidden meanings and codes just from the techniques in the set of titles. For example the titles are soft focus transcending into sharp focus creating a sense of uncertainty for the audience and an enigma. Alongside the use of focus, jitter is used to make the audience feel on edge and uncomfortable this technique is often used in horror movies. It could be seen that the set of titles reflect each characters life and how they don’t have a certain position in life for example, a stable job and home. Instead similar to the titles they are fading in and out of life, drifting from one place to the next. The effect jitter is used to represent the constant emotion of being on edge and scared of being caught. This fear is also represented within the sound used in the first few seconds of the clip. Firstly to set the scene we hear a peculiar, eerie backing track, which adds to the emotion reflected in the set titles. Shortly after, an extreme close up of a soft focus blurred clock is shown to the audience, the ticking and the visual connotes a countdown signifying to the audience that an dramatic event is about to happen in the near future. The soft focus of the clock represents time passing by until the sharp focus and the high pitch alarm clock sound brings them back into reality and literally wakes the character up.
The mechanical process of the first few seconds of ‘Job Street’ is a simple process however very effective, a black background is used and white cut out letters is laid on top of it. In order to create the jitter effect they have used a rostrum taking various frames and slightly moving the letters every time until eventually when put all together it creates the effect of jitter enhancing nervousness and creating emotion for the audience. Overall on average 25 frames are needed per second. In order to create the mechanical process of pull focus they have just twisted the camera lens from left to right this gradual change of focus automatically changes the mood of the story. Overall when evaluating the first few seconds of ‘Job Street’ I believe the makers have achieved what they intended to, which is to engage with the viewer and making them feel emotions such as fear, distress just from the effects of the titles and the sound track.
Broken mirrors are also myth logically linked to bad luck and the seven years bad luck superstition this creates the effect on the audience that