Camera Techniques Used in Jaws

Camera Techniques Used in Jaws

• Water Level Filming
• Definition: 
• This technique allows the viewer to see what was happening from above as well as the danger beneath the water
• Usage in Jaws:
• The technique allowed the viewer to see what was happening above the water as well as the approaching danger beneath.

When the shark is eating the bait happening above, the camera used water-level shot to present this scene. 

• Dolly In, Zoom Out
• Definition
• A dolly is a platform on which the camera is affixed during film production.
• Usage in Jaws:
• When Police Chief Martin Brody (played by Roy Schneider) sees swimmers panicking in the water and fears a shark attack, the camera produces a disorienting effect using the rapid "dolly in, zoom out" technique. The operator moves the camera along a track towards the character while simultaneously zooming the camera lens backwards, creating a feeling of dizziness. 

When Chief Martin Brody sees swimmers panicking in water and fears a shark attack, the camera produces a disorienting effect by using the dolly in, zoom out shot. 

• Point of View
• Definition
• Point of View Shot is a short film scene that shows what a character (the subject) is looking at (represented through the camera).
• Usage in Jaws
• Some of the shark attack scenes used point of view shot where the audience effectively sees through the eyes of the shark. The forward movement of the camera suggests the movement of the shark through the ocean

When the girl is swimming in the water, the shark is tailing her from behind. This is also one of the point of view shots in the movie.