National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Clerks was written and directed by Kevin Smith and released in 1994 through Miramax Films after its celebrated debut at the Sundance Film Festival. Shot on a budget of roughly twenty-seven thousand dollars, the black-and-white film became a defining work of American independent cinema, capturing the ennui of working-class young adulthood with sharp, unconversational dialogue and an unvarnished aesthetic that influenced a generation of filmmakers.

This cell, titled Jay and Silent Bob, presents three consecutive frames from the film's exterior sequences, depicting Jay and Silent Bob stationed outside what appears to be the Quick Stop. The tight angle and minimal movement between frames reflect the unhurried, stationary presence these two characters maintain throughout the film, making this a quietly representative piece of the production.