1. Hannah Holden
Analysing ‘Job Street’
Essay 1
In the beginning title sequence, the text has a jittery effect with a looming shadow. The shadow is
black which matches the backdrop colour with the block capital writing in all white. The text reminds
the audience of a type write style similar to that of a police written statement. The text encodes this
therefore a reference to a higher authority within society. It also creates an element of anonymity
within the opening titles which will lead through to the whole piece as the audience is in constant
suspense. This is due to the fact that the narrative has only small amounts of dialogue and as the
viewer we must make the assumptions as to what is going on by signs and camera shooting. This
part alone is successful regarding the underlying problem of immigration and shows the hidden
people within our society.
Within the title sequence a changing shot of a clock is used in time with the buzz track. The clock
comes into view after the first type write screen appears but the focus is blurry and a jump focus is
used. The next shot of the clock is a close up and is in focus to watch the clock reach the ‘hour’ and
indication and insight that people are about to wake up. When each of the three protagonists
awake, the camera focus is immediately blurry which reflects the movement in which you wake up
and your vision is askew. This is also the exact same shooting as the clock sequence which occurs
immediately beforehand. The blurriness of the camera focus further enhances the suspense and
mysterious style of the whole piece which has been present right from the start by stopping the
audience from seeing exactly what is going on in the frame.
The section whereby all three immigrants travel to wait to be picked up by an employer is a key
section to understanding the narrative. It follows on from previous parts whereby the three
characters morning routine is shown in direct succession and always sequentially concerning each
male to suggest that all events are occurring simultaneously. The first character we see is Morad as
he travels on public transport to his destination. The camera shoots him from above using a fade
from the street to him all moving at a constant. This helps to bring the focus towards him as the
camera stops following the outside of the vehicle and frames him from above. This then jumps
straight to the second man who appears to be cycling. Although we cannot see the handlebars, it is
implied by the way in which the camera follows him in a close up from below as the background
appears to move. This would most probably have been shot with the camera attached to the bike
facing up at him in order to capture him centrally to gain our full attention. Again a jump effect is
used to show the Afro French immigrant who is walking through an open area, possibly a park and
the camera captures him directly from the side. The camera follows his movement in a close up
presenting the side of his face and then finally ending behind him before a fade to black is used to
enter into the next scene. I feel that the usage of camera angles has been done purposely to portray
how we are seeing all three of their lives from every angle possible as the truth about exploitation
and the dreadful consequences unfold. There is a brief moment at 01:37 where we are looking over
the Afro French man’s shoulder up and out at a wide view of houses. This shot enhances the setting
of the scene and indicates the destination he will be arriving at yet is also has an ironic sign that he
who lives in a dreary box room with his pregnant partner is looking out to residence which he cannot
afford. This shot represents two ends of a social spectrum with him indicating the poorer side and
the surroundings indicating wealth.

2. Hannah Holden
The sequence which travels towards the right along the wall starting at 01:39 is an effective
movement of the camera which takes the audience into the scene. Its movement is at a constant
speed yet with quick fades firstly as an obstacle of people come in the way of the lens and secondly
when we are faced with the blank wall. The camera shots change from long shot to close up. The
long shot captures the backdrop of the brick wall as well as the road and two people standing by the
wall. These two people are irrelevant to the narrative but key to the understanding of the theme
whereby many immigrants await to be taken off to their secretive daily jobs; hence the shot is long
and does not draw attention to them. As the camera moves sideways it comes to an obstacle of
people close up yet only captures the lower part of their bodies again not to draw attention to them.
This allows a transition into a closer shooting of the wall, now at a medium shot. It moves past one
man standing alone for a brief moment wearing shabby clothing and looking generally scruffy. The
usage of unimportant background characters could have been used to highlight the idea that many
people are in similar situations to the three protagonists and adds to the feel of ‘job street’ being a
reality drama piece. Although we do not know that all the characters we see are immigrants, we
assume this due to their unhygienic appearance and ragged look which implies they possibly come
from a poorer background. The camera still moving at a constant uses a gradual fade when it
reaches the blank wall into another section of blank wall which next becomes a close up on one of
the main characters in the narrative. All three stand together and one by one the characters are
revealed to us going about their everyday business. The fact that all three stand together against the
wall creates an element of their stories interlinking. Their relaxed nature towards each other as they
share a hot drink implies that the routine is a common occurrence. The idea that all three people we
are considering the lives of are known to each other highlights that the immigrants of society are
standing together and supporting each other. However the fact that no dialogue occurs in this short
section and the bad weather, helps to convey the melancholy mood.
At 02:25, there is a brief moment in which the character Morad looks directly into the camera lens
an effect set by the director to include the audience and to add an element of guilt. The look is
accusing to the viewer and is a paradox to the way in which we look upon these cases in everyday
life and are ignorant to them. The briefness of the look itself not even being a second long
emphasizes the idea of how the public ignore these cases on a daily basis and on some levels helps
to indicate that the piece is demonstrating stories that could be happening in reality due to the
engagement with the real world; the audience. The way in which this section is filmed appears to be
a camera attached to the outside of the car. I assume this due to the framing of the shot (close up on
Morad’s face) and the following through of this shot. This concept of filming plays an important role
in understanding the narrative as it allows us as an audience to feel a part of the narrative itself by
being so close to the character. The idea that Morad is looking out from the car, the transport he is
being driven in to reach his placement of work represents the idea that he is trapped in a place
where wealth prevails; the car and its owner assuming the high position and the controller of the
poor people of society therefore Morad.

3. Hannah Holden
Analysing ‘Job Street’
Essay 2
The short film ‘Job Street’ captures a narrative concerning immigrants in our everyday society as well
as exploited labour. Within this narrative concerning three protagonists there are three separate
stories. The way that all three stories convey people in similar conditions helps to show the focus of
the narrative yet we are urged to watch due to the personal aspect linked to each character. Each
story unravels in its own way with different outcomes but directly concerns one theme by displaying
each character’s vulnerability throughout.
To construct an overall effective film which reveals the lives of an immigrant in the UK, technical and
editorial effects are used which help to generalise each characters situation and to uncover
similarities between their lives. An example of this would be the sequence between 00:53 to 01:05
whereby the multiple narratives is shown with all three characters at home looking into a mirror.
Notice that the shot of each captures each character from the back yet also their front in the mirror.
This is a representation of how their body is captive in the real world however they see themselves
in another; the mirror. The mirror itself is an object that allows you to see yourself but not always as
others see you, a metaphorical meaning for these ordinary people, seen by society as a cause for
concern.
In this section the transition between the multiple narratives is cleverly executed as the first
character Morad looks into the mirror before leaning down to the wash basin. As the head comes up
from the sink the shot changes to the second man’s story, at home getting ready for the day. The
next transition is a jump to the afro French man who is looking into a broken mirror which itself is
jagged and dirty. This creates a distorted image of him suggestive that his life shows a parallel to the
mirror itself; uneven and the reflection unclear. The sequential pattern is used when we see male 1
then male two and after male 3 all going about their morning routine of getting ready for the day
ahead.
The plot of each story within the narrative explores the exploitation of immigration and with this
each story ends in a dire consequence. Although this is not factual and not all immigrants come to
dire consequences through their working in foreign countries, the downfall of each character helps
to enhance the idea of exploitation on an extreme scale and emphasizes the overall melancholy
mood of the piece.
In the whole piece it seems that although we are watching the plot unfolding concerning immigrants
in the UK, we are also posed with the idea of social status concerning wealth within society. At many
points during the film this is challenged and it is noticeable that all three characters although all
seem to be living in a kind of poverty, range from concerning to extreme. The representation of this
is repetitively drawn upon as we continuously watch the everyday routines of each character
happening almost simultaneously. The first character Morad, from what we can gather lives in a flat
yet the second man lives in a caravan and the Afro French man lives in a small filthy room. The
mirror section from 00:53 to 00:1.05 is crucial for revealing this point as it sequentially moves
through the different stages of poverty from Morad in his flat to the Afro French man in severe
poverty. The surroundings inside all three residences also portray this point.
The mirror section itself is a key part, which encodes mythology of the object e.g. how looking into a
mirror shows the viewer what they want to see and not what other people see. Also the idea that

4. Hannah Holden
the Afro French man is looking into a broken shard encodes the myth of seven years bad luck from
breaking a mirror implying that his life is a constant string of bad luck.
The section explored in essay 1 whereby characters stand by the brick wall waiting for work and
share a hot drink has a parallel to the stereo-typical ways of prostitution whereby women wait on
the streets alone or in groups to be picked up by a paying customer. The mode of work itself is
relatively demeaning and implies to the audience that the immigrants are vulnerable and being
taken advantage of by our society.