Production Designer Shares Experience Creating The Terrifying  Shark In 1975 Hit ‘Jaws’

Jaws, the 1975 thriller directed by Steven Spielberg, is still considered a cinematic landmark that redefined filmmaking. It focuses on the activities of Police Chief Martin Brody of Amity Island, marine biologist Matt Hooper, and the shark hunter Quint as they team up to stop a great white shark terrorizing their community. The commercially successful movie achieved a high level of realism, which kept the audience on the edge of their seats. All thanks to the ingenuity of the production designer tasked with the creation of the mechanical shark nicknamed” Bruce.”

Five decades after the movie’s release, Joe Alves, the production designer, recently spoke about his experience working on bringing the terrifying predator, which became the central character in the film, to life.

Joe Alves says studio executives were initially skeptical about ‘Jaws’

The shark was designed by effects artists Bob Mattey and Joe Alves. They created 3 sharks but didn’t test in salt water. They regularly had to be retrieved from the sea bed after breaking down. In frustration, Spielberg referred to the shark as “the great white turd.”

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In an interview with PEOPLE, Alves disclosed that he was initially approached to create an illustration of the shark from Peter Benchley’s novel as studio executives considered making it into a film. After presenting his drawings to them, they inquired whether the effects team could construct a functional shark. At the time, the effects company hesitated, prioritizing another project, The Hindenburg, but Spielberg, who had been brought on board as director, confidently argued that Jaws would surpass The Hindenburg, a statement that many in the room dismissed with laughter.

Joe Alves shares details about ‘Jaws’ shark production

Despite the prevailing skepticism, the designer stated that he gave the studio assurance that he would oversee the creation of the shark.

Alves explained that to tackle the daunting challenge of creating a lifelike shark for the film, he collaborated with marine biologists to design a massive 25-foot Great White, twice the size of the “perfect shark” initially suggested. He also enlisted the expertise of Bob Mattey, a mechanical effects specialist known for his work on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, to build three mechanical sharks, each with specific directional movements. 

The 89-year-old revealed that they encountered several challenges during filming, as the sharks frequently malfunctioned due to saltwater damaging their electrical systems, forcing the crew to make quick repairs mid-shoot. However, Alves noted that it was not until the film’s release, which was initially believed to be just another project, that both he and Spielberg discovered they had created a masterpiece that eventually cemented the famous director’s legendary status.