The document provides a teaching scheme for analyzing how the director of Jaws builds suspense and scares the audience. It includes an introduction, descriptions of key scenes and attacks, questions for analysis, and frameworks for examining the use of music, camera techniques, and how tension is built throughout the plot.
The document provides a teaching scheme for analyzing how the director of Jaws builds suspense and scares the audience. It includes an introduction, descriptions of key scenes and attacks, questions for analysis, and frameworks for examining the use of music, camera techniques, and how tension is built throughout the plot.
The document provides a teaching scheme for analyzing how the director of Jaws builds suspense and scares the audience. It includes an introduction, descriptions of key scenes and attacks, questions for analysis, and frameworks for examining the use of music, camera techniques, and how tension is built throughout the plot.
The document provides a teaching scheme for analyzing how the director of Jaws builds suspense and scares the audience. It includes an introduction, descriptions of key scenes and attacks, questions for analysis, and frameworks for examining the use of music, camera techniques, and how tension is built throughout the plot.
Scheme of Work Assignment title: Analyse the ways that the director builds suspense and scare the audience in the film JAWS.
Teaching sequence: The main thing to emphasise all the way through is the distinction between DESCRIPTION of the events and what is seen on the screen and ANALYSIS of the effect on the audience. This is actually quite simple in this assignment as the title focuses on how the director scares the audience. One way of maintaining this throughout the viewing of the film is to make pupils divide their pages into two columns one for description and one for analysis. It is also important to convince pupils that everything in the film is there for a reason.
1. General introduction to film terminology and techniques
You could show the film trailer to show examples of the basics - or a section of any film. Get pupils to draw the frames and label the different types of shot; e.g. close up - for facial expressions extreme close up - object fills the frame mid shot - used for two or three people talking long shot - used to establish scenery show surround high angle - camera shooting from above looking down low angle - camera shooting from below looking up pan - camera moves in an arc from a fixed point track - camera moves as if on a track following a person or object zoom - camera moves in to a close up often used to focus attention on a relevant detail or emphasise a character’s reaction.
1. The opening sequence. (emphasis Music)
Play the opening sequence with the screen covered up – ie sound only Ask pupils to write down what they think is happening. Explore the ways that the music is used to create an atmosphere and is linked closely with the shark. Show the opening sequence and first scene in full. Complete the analysis of the opening sequence grid analysing the effect on the audience.
2. The second attack (the boy on the lilo)
Watch the attack (about 6 minutes of film 12-18 minutes)
Some questions to discuss:
• What signals are there to the audience about who is going to be attacked? • Why are the lilo, the dog owner’s shirt and the boy’s lilo all yellow? • Why are the first two attacks close together at the start of the film? • Why don’t we see the shark at this stage?
Recap camera angles and technical terminology from lesson 1
1. Building tension and fear (from second attack up to 50 minutes)
After the excitement of the first two attacks the film slows down a bit. Key points to pick up in the next section are the ways that tension and fear of the shark are built up: • The way that the sympathy with Brody’s family is built up • The book of shark attacks • The destruction of the jetty • The autopsy • Catching the wrong shark • Going out on the boat at night
1. The 4th July attack (minutes 51-1hour 1 min)
Discuss why the film is set around 4th July American Independence day, public holiday lots of people on the beach. Something to build up to Watch scene No detailed analysis grid this time, focus on how this attack is the same and different from the last one in the way that it is presented. Draw table in exercise books.
How is it worse? • Loads of people on the beach • Men with guns/helicopters v tense • False alarm lets us relax makes second attack worse • Brody’s sons involved therefore we are more emotionally involved.
1. The climax of the film (1hour 8 minutes to end 1 hour 59 minutes)
As pupils are watching pause every now and then to note down how the situation builds up. • How does the director avoid showing the shark? • Why does the director avoid showing the shark?
Other useful information:
1. Jaws was given a PG certificate when it was first released in this country in 1975. However, it has these certificates in other countries and for video DVD releases: Certification: Argentina:18 / Australia:M / Finland:K-16 / France:-12 / Netherlands:16 (video release) / Norway:15 / Spain:18 / Sweden:15 / UK:12 (DVD release) / UK:A (theatrical) / UK:PG (video release) / USA:PG-13 / USA:PG (original rating) / West Germany:16
2. The original working title for JAWS was ‘Still in the Water’ (information from the Internet Movie Database)
Paragraph 1: Introduction • What the film is called • Who directed it • What it is about • Where and when it is set • Why it is set on 4th July.
Paragraph 2: Music • Describe how the shark is connected to the music in the title sequence. • Give two other example of how music or silence is used to scare the audience or build tension. E.g. Radio playing on the beach, silence after the attack.
Paragraph 3: Camera techniques
• Describe the second attack in detail and say how the camera was used to help to build tension and scare the audience.
Paragraph 4: The shark
Write about the ways that the director builds up the fear of the shark. • Music • Showing the damage it can do • Through characters’ reactions
Paragraph 5: Tension in the plot and the ending
Write about how the story is put together to build up tension and fear e.g. • First two attacks close together • Third attack on the 4th of July, Brody’s son involved • Last section of the film out at sea on a small boat (add in all your notes about how the ending of the film build tension and fear).
Paragraph 6: Finally give your view of the scariest moment in the film. Give reasons for your opinion.
