http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niEzNDdZQVk&feature=player_embedded
Jaws teaser trailer
The main thing I have to appreciate about the film jaws is the fact that it was released in 1975 so you cannot make a direct comparison between jaws and recent horrors or thriller films. This is because the technology was not as good as it is now and they relied on robotic sharks and not CGI like in deep blue sea. However this film was a pioneer for others, being original in its concept. The film uses horror conventions perfectly such as playing on the idea of a killer shark and isolation. It also received many awards and was directed by Steven Spielberg.
The teaser trailer for the film is also very dated and in my opinion doesn’t do the film the justice it deserves. The style back then was to produce trailers that are quite over the top and cheesy, instead of being more subtle like some modern trailers.
The trailer opens with a medium shot which is from a low angle. It establishes the setting and gives you an indication of the scenario. The shot is also a point of view shot as you are viewing the scene from the perspective of the shark and although the audience does not know this they can assume so through the use of the music and the camera also does a slow zoom. You can also assume this because the shot is directly facing a woman from below as if the woman is the pray and the shark is the predator. The shot cuts by a set of teeth coming from the top and bottom of the frame and closing to the centre of the image, leaving a black screen. This cut alone is as important as the shots as they reveal for the first time to the audience that you are viewing from the monsters perspective and the female in the scene is in danger. She is isolated and is also in unfamiliar territory (in the sea.) You could also argue that the shark although not as intelligent has the advantage of being able to swim under water and view its prey without being seen. This creates a sense of danger and suspense as the victim has no idea of what could happen to them. Teeth also have a connotation of being used to eat and therefore kill. Also it is made more terrifying because the evil character is a shark and obviously has no morals making it uncontrollable. Even the authorities are powerless against a shark and this makes the female more venerable and the scene tenser.
After the jaws close on the shot it leaves the screen pitch black and immediately writing appears on the screen. The font is white in capital letters and reads “WHEN THE WATER IS WARMER.” This gives you an indication of it being summer so many people will be swimming in the water and this result in further danger for the characters. Also it is not a correct sentence and you think there must be something following it which creates suspense.
The shot cuts to a low angle/ mid shot/ point of view shot again but this time of a different subject. It is of somebody on a Lillo, but you can only see a silhouette of them. The camera slowly zooms in but not steadily as if the shark is approaching the victim, ready to attack. The shot cuts to a black screen by the set of teeth closing to the middle like In the first cut. The same font appears on the screen that reads “WHEN THE BEACHES OPEN THIS SUMMER.” This gives you the impression that people are going to flock to the beaches and there is a danger in the water.
The next shot opens in the same way again where you are viewing the scene from a low angle and from the shark’s perspective. The camera goes towards the unsuspecting victims and this time there are 3 swimming in the water. As the shark approaches one of the victims and gets closer the shot then cuts. This is an anticlimax as you are expecting to see a set of jaws close on the screen which would indicate a kill. Instead of this happening the shot cuts and I think this is to give you a sense of unpredictability as you cannot always tell what will happen next.
The next shot starts of a as medium shot again from the sharks perspective and a male character shoots in front of the screen facing away from the camera. This shows us how he has no idea of what danger he is in which creates tension for the audience. The shark swims by this male and approaches a female before cutting again.
After this the shot is almost repeated where the shark swims through a crowd in the water who are obviously unsuspecting if its presence. The teeth do not close down however as the trailer is now trying to raise suspense and not make the scene predictable and boring. This shot then cuts after a short time where the shark has swam through a crowd.
The shot then cuts to a very low angle shot which is again must be from the shark’s perspective. The shot goes in slow motion as you see a group of swimmers from underneath kicking their legs to stay afloat. Writing then appears on the screen that reads “you will be taken.” This is now giving you a final ending to the sentence which gives you a sense of relief but also you are unsatisfied as you do not know what the last part could be. Three dots appear and then the word “by” appears and this indicates that the trailer is about to tell you what the creature could be called and also the name of the film. A set of teeth close on the screen leaving darkness.
The words jaws are then revealed through the use of some low level CGI. The font is unique to all the others used in the trailer and is a lot bigger which gives you the impression that it is the name of the film. The font then changes to the colour red. This has the connotation of blood and danger which suggests that jaws is a dangerous shark who feats on human blood. Another font appears underneath which reads “coming at you” this is also in red so gives the same connotations. This is then covered by another sentence which reads “the sensational best seller now a movie.” This is great advertising for both the book and the film because it will make people want to read the book having seen the trailer and make people who have read the book want to see the film.
One thing which I haven’t spoken about which the trailer executes very well is the use of music. Throughout the trailer the theme tune plays which is a low pitch, base sound that doesn’t change at all in the trailer. It stops playing when the teeth close down on the screen leaving a black screen with writing. But it starts again where a new shot is revealed. This music is very simple but also very original. It has a way of building tension all on its own and is very recognisable as the jaws music to this day. The music stops playing at the end when the title of the feature “JAWS” is revealed. After this there are sounds of birds tweeting and waves on the shore almost used ironically because really jaws is a menacing character but this also gives you another suggestion of a beach location.
In conclusion I still believe firmly that although the conventions of the horror genre are executed well the teaser trailer does not do the film justice. It is repetitive and very corny which is unlike the film itself. Some of this is to do with the fact that today we expect much more expensive glorified trailers that tell us more about the film and also because they may have only just started making the film. However the trailer really uses music to its advantage and gives me simple ways of scaring an audience so I have learned a lot from the trailer itself.
