This summary analyzes shots from the film Jaws. It describes shots of a boy coming out of the sea with no lifeguards, Sheriff Brody looking worried on the beach while families enjoy themselves, and a lone woman appearing vulnerable in an extreme long shot. Later shots show children playing in the sea, exacerbating the threat of a shark attack, and a deflated yellow lilo covered in blood in the aftermath of a shark attack. The document analyzes how these shots use camera techniques like point of view shots, close ups, and long shots to build tension and unease about the threat of a shark attack.

1. *

2. * As the shot of the beach opens, it is a tracking
shot of a boy coming out of the sea. As we
follow him, in the background, no lifeguards
can be seen. This could be foreshadowing the
shark attack later on. Or possibly to help make
the audience unconsciously aware that there is
very little that can be done in this situation if
there is a shark attack, as there is no one
around who knows what to do.

3. * Here, we can see sheriff Brody in the
foreground in a medium close up, with a long
shot of the beach in the background. This
emphasizes the contrasting emotions of Brody,
who appears quite concerned and anxious, with
his happy environment of families enjoying the
sea-side.

4. * In this extreme long shot, the woman who is
centre framed appears vulnerable and isolated
because of the lack of people surrounding her.
* Although the sea does appear quite calm,
which relaxes the audience as nothing is
happening yet. This is backed up by the lack of
music, suggesting that there is nothing to
worry about.

5. * The serene shot is suddenly disturbed by the
dog jumping into the water. This long shot is
designed to bring a sense of unease to the
audience as the loud noises could attract the
shark. Spielberg has taken advantage of the
diegetic sounds of this shot and focused on the
splashing noises that the dog is making.

6. * Here there are cuts mimicking vertical wipes as
people walk in front of Brody’s view and the camera
gets closer (from a medium wide -> medium ->
medium close up).
* This could be used to show the passage of time, and
possibly to lure the audience into a false sense of
security.
* The closer we get, the shallower the depth of field
becomes. This helps to enhance the idea of Brody’s
segregation from the rest of the beach, enjoying
themselves. It aids in keeping the focus on him
alone.

7. * Now we have cut to Brody’s Point Of View. The POV
shot shows us what the character is looking at, and
in this case, he can see the woman from earlier,
who is again, alone. This has been done deliberately
to show to the audience that Brody is worried about
those who are far away from the beach, this woman
in particular.
* As Brody this POV shot appears to show us that
Brody is worried about the safety of this woman, we
begin to wonder what will happen to her and fear
for her safety.

8. * In this shot, a man comes to talk to Brody, but we are immediately
made aware that his attention is elsewhere. This makes the audience
also not worry about what this man is saying, and focus on Brody.
* The over the shoulder shot has been used to emphasise Brody’s
obscured view, which makes him and the viewer worried that the
person shown in the POV shot will come to harm.
* The POV shot is used to show us Brody’s lack of attention to the man
talking to him. If he was paying attention, the eye line of the man
opposite would be directly down the camera. However it is on the
woman shown alone in the distance.
* The extreme long shot of the woman in the distance highlights the
physical distance that Brody is, and possibly the idea that even if
something was to happen, he couldn’t do anything about it.

9. * We then come to shots of children running into the
sea to play. This section consists of lots of medium
close ups and quick cuts. This has been done to
exaggerate the action of the scene, and also to
bring us back to the idea that sharks are attracted
to sound and movement, and these children are
making a lot of noise and splashing around.
* The use of diegetic sound is again shown here, as
the sound is dominated by the splashing, shouting
and screaming of the children.

10. * There is then a cut to this wide shot of the sea
and mid shot of a boy calling for his dog. The
sea is shown again in this manner to emphasise
its vastness and its potential.

11. * This long shot of the deflated lilo has been
placed in the centre to emphasize that the
boy’s death is at the centre of attention, and
can’t be covered up like before.
* The yellow may have been used to represent
happiness, but it is deflated, which could
represent the loss of happiness and life. Also
the blood red contrasts well on the yellow.