Notesale: Turn your study into money

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This sequence occurs just after the main character is told by several businessmen to not say anything
to the islanders about the earlier shark attack otherwise people may choose not to swim in the sea
which will lose them money
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By moving from this informal ‘meeting’ between the Sheriff and these
businessmen to scenes on the beach prepares the viewer for something to go wrong
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The
viewer is placed on the same side as the Sheriff as we too are worried about the other islanders as
we have seen the actual shark attack and therefore know the truth
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Tracking and panning become essential throughout the scene as it conveys meaning between the
characters and also establishes where they are in relation to one another
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This simple transition from characters allows the camera to
establish where the Sheriff is and also where the other characters are in relation to each other and
to the sea
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As the other people carry out their normal lives and
conversations on the beach we are forced to notice the silence and uneasiness of the main character
who remains in frame during their conversations
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The main character also remains isolated from others due to editing; as
the group next to him have their own discussion which the viewer can hear clearly, the main focus is
on the main character in the foreground with a medium close up on his face
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Medium shots are often used when the Sheriff is in frame to show his emotions, to build tension at
1:10 to 1:15 the shots get closer to his face which emphasises how carefully he is watching those in
the sea
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As each person walks past his
eyesight, which the viewer knows, due to shot reverse shot, is looking out at to the sea; they are

blocking his view from the islanders in the sea
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Each of these shots has a shallow focus in
order for the viewer’s eyes to be entirely focused on the Sheriff, and then the following shot of a
woman in the sea is a point of view shot in order for the viewer to understand who he is worried
about
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The camera then cuts to a small conversation
between him and another character however the Sheriff seems uninterested and very distracted as
how he peers over this other character’s shoulder in order to view a woman in the sea
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This shows the viewer how the
Sheriff is far more concerned with those in the sea rather than the banal conversation this other
character is trying to have with him
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The diegetic sound of a woman screaming then occurs which
makes the Sheriff suddenly get out of his chair and make the viewer believe that an attack is
occurring
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The viewers are positioned in the same situation as the main character as we know more than the
islanders but as much as him as we know that there is a shark in the water and how dangerous it is
for the islanders to be in the sea at that moment
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The second is that of
a screaming young woman, which then relates back to the first ever attack of a young woman,
making this appear more likely to be the real shark attack
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The camera appears very still when focused on the characters in the sea suggesting that the viewer
should be anticipating a shark attack to occur
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This then juxtaposes with the slow long clips of the woman, young boy and dog out at sea, making
these shots stand out and suggest that one of them may be the next victim yet we cannot know
who
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Furthermore the lack of music
and the style of editing helps to create a slightly more eerie tone and allows us to focus on his
movement, the sea and receive an understanding of how far he has swam from the rest of the
islanders
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The dog has had to swim a far distance in order to fetch the stick back for
its owner further emphasising how far out the young boy, Alex, has swam
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There is a clear connection between the two and her
protection over him becomes a focus as she seems concerned with how long he is spending in the
water as she discovers that his fingers ‘are beginning to prune’ which leads her to allow him only ten
more minutes in the water
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This suggests
that he will not be returning to her and will be one of the next victims of the shark
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He is the first death caused by the shark after authorities are aware of there
being a shark in the water, by having a young child victim it causes further guilt and sadness for the
main character as he has two young children
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From the scenes onwards it becomes clear to the
main character as to what his goals in his job should be and how he should have listened to his own
instincts rather than being persuaded by businessmen
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The first sound that the viewer hears is background diegetic sound from the crowd of people
enjoying their time on the beach
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The first clear conversation that the viewer encounters is from the child and mother, it
becomes clear how eager the child is to go back into the water but also how the mother is very
protective over her child’s health and wellbeing
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The shots
from 0:49 to 1:04 are reflective of the beginning shots but have become far more intense due to the

lack of background sound which sets the viewer up to expect another shark attack but perhaps this
one will have more casualties and of greater importance
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This sequence is essential within the movie to highlight the mistake made by the Sheriff and the rest
of the film contains elements whereby he is trying to make up for his death to the young boy’s
mother and forces him to face his fear of water
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