Opening Sequence Link
As the production companies appear scuba diving sounds can be heard, this means that already the audience have a brief idea of where the majority of the film is going to be set. The feature that makes this opening sequence so effective is the soundtrack. This trademark soundtrack can suddenly be heard as the first credit appears. The two low base notes in the soundtrack build incredible dramatic tension as an underwater, point of view shot fades in with the opening credits. The soundtrack became so well-known because it is so effective; it gradually gets louder and louder creating an interesting and dramatic texture. The soundtrack manages to manifest a dark, tension building atmosphere which introduces the horror style genre to the audience. Later on in the film the audience discover that this is the non-diegetic signal that the shark is coming to attack. As "JAWS" appears in the middle of the screen, the next layer and the most important part of the theme tune can be heard; the horns. The sound eventually becomes so loud that the audience are mislead into expecting a visual scene of horror to appear. This was obviously the desired reaction as the scene suddenly changes.
An easy-going, teenage atmosphere appears as the audience can hear a campfire burning, guitar playing and young people laughing, drinking and having a good time. This is done to almost make the audience forget the horror genre that was introduced so that when the horror scene appears, the audience will be even more shocked and scared.
Our focus then turns to a young, and obviously drunken, boy; he notices that a beautiful girl with long blonde hair has her eye on him. He approaches her and sits by her which again misleads the audience as they get a small glimpse of romance. For the audience, romance then turns into excitement as the girl gets up and starts running. As the boy follows, the atmosphere changes again; the campfire no longer provides light to the scene which creates suspense. The wooden fence that they are running across looks like teeth.... meaning the horror is back and the tension is yet again building. She dives into the sea and swims around, in a scene that was darker than the last, meaning that the less the audience can see, the more tension is created. The horror soundtrack appears as we have another point of view shot. This is when the audience realise that the character's point of view we are seeing is Jaws himself. The soundtrack builds and builds until the girl is finally pulled down. Screams of horror shock and scare the audience as she is thrown around in the water. The scene then jumps to the drunken sleeping boy on the shore where only relaxing sounds of the waves can be heard, creating an interesting contrast between the two scenes. She is suddenly taken under, the audience are left stunned as the girl can no longer be seen or heard.
An easy-going, teenage atmosphere appears as the audience can hear a campfire burning, guitar playing and young people laughing, drinking and having a good time. This is done to almost make the audience forget the horror genre that was introduced so that when the horror scene appears, the audience will be even more shocked and scared.
Our focus then turns to a young, and obviously drunken, boy; he notices that a beautiful girl with long blonde hair has her eye on him. He approaches her and sits by her which again misleads the audience as they get a small glimpse of romance. For the audience, romance then turns into excitement as the girl gets up and starts running. As the boy follows, the atmosphere changes again; the campfire no longer provides light to the scene which creates suspense. The wooden fence that they are running across looks like teeth.... meaning the horror is back and the tension is yet again building. She dives into the sea and swims around, in a scene that was darker than the last, meaning that the less the audience can see, the more tension is created. The horror soundtrack appears as we have another point of view shot. This is when the audience realise that the character's point of view we are seeing is Jaws himself. The soundtrack builds and builds until the girl is finally pulled down. Screams of horror shock and scare the audience as she is thrown around in the water. The scene then jumps to the drunken sleeping boy on the shore where only relaxing sounds of the waves can be heard, creating an interesting contrast between the two scenes. She is suddenly taken under, the audience are left stunned as the girl can no longer be seen or heard.
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