Opening Scene conventions - Jaws

Jaws -

The movie Jaws, directed by Spielberg, is renowned for being a revolutionary film of its era. The opening shots begin under murky water, giving viewers a perspective a shark would have, gradually building the intense music to a climax to only cut to a peaceful campfire. A girl then proceeds to sprint towards the sea. The scene takes place during the night time under the moonlight creating ambiance. The director is creating suspense for the audience since the audience is aware of the shark about to strike however the character on screen is oblivious to her fate that awaits. As these characters are not significant to the narrative, no traits are really introduced, what the sequence focuses on is establishing genre, creating enigma and introducing the film's location. Typical of opening sequences, we are also shown production company logos and titles including the names of significant cast and crew and the name of the film itself.