The document provides a detailed shot-by-shot analysis of a beach scene from the film Jaws. The first two shots establish the beach location and introduce characters, a mother and child, raising tension given the film's focus on shark attacks. Subsequent shots show the sheriff appearing concerned, no lifeguards on duty building more suspense, and children in the background unnoticed by distracted adults. Music and camerawork generate panic as the viewer realizes an attack on the boy playing with an inflatable tube is imminent. The final shot reveals the deflated and bloodied tube on the shore, symbolizing the child's death in a dramatic tonal shift from happiness to terror.

1. The first two shots are establishing shots; this
introduces the viewers to the location and
characters in the scene. From this image we
can identify that a beach will be the main
location which raises concerns for the viewers.
We know that the film is about sharks attacking
people near beaches so this shot raises
questions about whether a similar attack will
happen in this scene. The first shot also
introduces a child and a mother, this also adds
tension as we begin to make a connection that
the attack may happen on the child in the
scene. This puts the viewer on the edge of their
seat as they realise that a similar attack may be
on the horizon. The third shot is also
important, this shows the sheriff’s face for the
first time in this scene and it is obviously one of
concern. We now understand how serious the
character is about the shark problem, his
serious expression is a complete contrast to
the happy faces of the background characters.
We can also see this through the clothes choice
of the character. Everyone in the background is
wearing bright or no clothes but the sheriff’s
dark top suggest the seriousness of the
character as well as darkness and danger is on
the horizon. We can also see that there are no
lifeguards on duty in the third shot which
makes us wonder why, this builds up more
suspense and tension. This is done on purpose
by Spielberg in order to create more suspense.
The fourth shot shows someone trying to block
the sheriff’s view and get in his way, this shot
does ultimately show a point of view camera
and also shows that the sheriff is not listening
to the other man, the shot also shows the
vastness of the sea and how vulnerable the
character in the water really is. The fifth shot
shows the sheriff being distracted by the
woman, this means he does not see the
children getting up to go in the water. The
position of the camera here is important, it
makes the viewer direct their attention to the
kids in the background and not so much on the
sheriff. . The children are towards the centre of
the shot so are obviously the main focus here.
The next shot shows the another man talking
to the sheriff, we see the man in very clear

2. detail compared to the shallow focus of the sea
behind, this suggests that the sheriff is now
more focused on the man and is not as
bothered about the sea. The next shot is of a
man calling his dog who has obviously been
lost in the water. The sea is seen as big and
empty, this adds a sense of vulnerability to the
action. Spielberg has focused on this section of
water unlike the section with the children
playing to create a further sense of tension and
sadness. The next shot after this shows the
wood the dog was playing with floating in the
water so we believe the dog is dead, this
creates more tension as we worry a similar
human attack is looming. The next shot is again
a point of view camera, this alongside the non-
diegetic sounds creates panic for the viewer,
the camera zooms into the boy playing on the
inflatable and we know an attack is about to
happen. The music increases in loudness and
tempo so we know an attack is about to
happen. The final shot of the scene shows the
child’s inflatable washed up and destroyed on
the shore. This symbolises the child is dead as
the inflatable is. The life has been sucked out
the inflatable as has the life of the child. The
red blood and the yellow inflatable also has
links. The yellow shows off the blood more
prominently and also shows off the contrasted
images. Yellow is a happy colour and red
symbolises danger, this therefore shows how
the scene has changed from a happy moment
to one of terror.