Jania Ashlynn
Shark Week isn’t happening until this summer, but when it comes to the ever-memorable shark-infested film Jaws, we can start celebrating a bit early.
Videos by Rare
Renowned director Steven Spielberg sat down with W Magazine to discuss some of his most notable projects like Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan, and yes, Jaws.
Unexpected Success
“I never would have guessed that so many people would have gone to see Jaws. In my mind, the shark looked dumb,” Spielberg shared with the magazine. The 1975 film made $476.5 million worldwide. This shocked Spielberg, unaware that anyone would feel that enthralled with a movie whose main character is a fish.
“When I went to the first preview, in Dallas, and people were screaming and popcorn was flying at the screen, my first feeling was, ‘Oh my god! I didn’t think any of this was going to work.'”
Spielberg was only 26 when he directed Jaws. At the Oscars that following year, the movie won several awards like best film editing, best sound, and best original dramatic score. It’s also preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Film Registry. He is still completely surprised at the unexpected success of the film. “The truth is, you never ever know.”
Talent And Skill
The acclaimed director also got to chat about his first directing job on the series Night Gallery. He shared that he was out of work for a year because of the creative ways that he crafted his camera shots on the set of the show. Everything he did was completely unexpected by the network.
“I didn’t care about getting another job. I knew I would eventually work again, but I didn’t work for a year because of my clever camerawork on that show. I did jump cuts, shots through the chandelier, all kinds of great shots. I didn’t care if it cost me work; I just wanted to do what I thought was right for that show.”
