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Week 3 Day 1: Suspense — JAWS
1. Please watch this scene and provide your insights into what makes this scene great from a writing perspective.
2. Read the other writers comments and make notes of how you will build suspense into your script.
3. Rethink or create a Suspense scene for your script using your new insights and rewrite the scene.
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3 Replies
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What makes this scene great from a writing perspective:
The structured arc of the scene, from searching for the shark to attempting to harpoon it, creates a sense of progression and urgency.
The situation, attempting to catch a deadly shark, establishes a high-stakes scenario with an inherent danger.
The unexpected size of the shark forces the characters to reconsider their approach, realizing they may need a bigger boat. The need to pierce the shark with a harpoon line for tracking purposes adds a layer of complexity to the task. The suspense is skillfully drawn out by the characters’ unpreparedness for the shark’s sudden appearance, causing them to scramble and Brody’s evident worry amplifying the tension.
The visual of the massive shark, Brody’s insistence on a larger boat, and the meticulous preparation for the harpoon shot all contribute to the audience’s apprehension. The call from Mrs. Brody introduces a brief delay, and Hooper’s attempt to get a photograph adds a sense of unpredictability.
The climax of the scene comes when Quint finally shoots the shark with the harpoon and tracker. However, instead of providing immediate resolution, the payoff is deferred as the shark disappears, leaving the characters in suspense about its whereabouts. The questions raised about the shark’s fate and their next steps keep the audience engaged, moving the story forward.
The setup/payoff dynamics add another layer of intrigue, with the idea that the shark may be hunting them, creating a sense of vulnerability for the protagonists. The payoff, in this case, is not a resolution but a new set of uncertainties regarding the shark’s survival and their ability to track it.
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William Whelan – Suspense – Jaws
What I learned from doing this assignment is to add suspense to my screenplay.
Scene arc: Crew is complacent, Brodey sees shark, crew goes into shark hunt mode, Flint puts a barrel into shark, crew waits for shark to return.
Situation: Crew hunting killer shark in a boat.
Conflict: Man vs. shark,
Entertainment value: Constant suspense, action, and conflict between crew members.
Moving the story forward: hunt for the killer shark.
Setup/payoffs: Crew out hunting for killer shark, they find the shark and he is much bigger than they imagined.
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- What makes this scene great? Abrupt
switch from complacency to frenzied shark hunting mode. Constant action/suspense
of hunting the shark.- What sets up the suspense and
causes us to worry? The crew is too complacent and not prepared for a
shark of that size.- How is the suspense drawn out? The
shark is bigger than expected and will an increasing challenge to kill it.- What increases the suspense? The
increasing efforts to kill the shark and the shark’s ability to defy the
attempts to kill it.- What is the payoff in the end? They
have not been able to kill the shark and the hunt continues. - What makes this scene great? Abrupt
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What makes this scene great from a writing perspective:
The suspense created by tension and a sense of urgency of the fishermen who are attempting to search for and harpoon a shark.
Brody is dumping a bucket of fish bait into the water when the ginormous 25-foot shark lunges toward him. Brody tells Quinn, the fisherman, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
A phone call from Mrs. Brody, Brody’s talk about needing a bigger boat, and Hoopers insistence on photographing the shark add to the tension and delays them.
Brody, Quinn and Hooper watch as the shark circles the boat. Quinn gets his harpoon ready and orders the guys to get ready. Hooper nervously ties a barrel on shark but it swims away. They decide to stay out until the shark returns.
What I learned rewriting my scene is that it helps to create obstacles, uncertainty, and delays to the delivery of the outcome in a scene. The audience needs to wonder and worry about the outcome. This is what creates suspense.
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