Jaws Shot Analysis

William Weathersbee

Intro to Film

Professor Mcclain

10/20/15

                                  Jaws Shot Analysis 

    The movie, “Jaws”, directed by Steven Spielberg, is a thriller about a great white shark wreaking havoc on a small island, inevitably terrorizing the community. Jaws was a success in the box office because of the many cinematic techniques Spielberg incorporated. For example, Spielberg uses the camera to create suspense in the film, utilizing several different camera angles. Spielberg integrated establishing shots, displaying the chaotic atmosphere of the beach goers reacting to discovering a great white shark. The close imagery emphasizes the distress on the characters’ faces; this technique aids in presenting detail, as well as highlighting the importance of the scene. There are also moments of ambient sounds, during shots of the beach and ocean, setting a calm, relaxed mood for the audience. The film also includes non diegetic music when the shark appears, in efforts of building suspense. There was close ups on Chief Brody mostly to signify the importance of his character. Spielberg also places us in the shark’s perspective by showing us underwater POV shots of the beach goers in the water,to show us how they are clueless prey for the shark.