Take a Bite Out Of This: Behind the Scenes Facts About Jaws

Real Shark Footage Was Used

Photo Credit: Universal Studios

Producer Darryl Zanuck insisted that there was real shark footage used in the film. Spielberg, a perfectionist, obliged but used the footage sparingly. He hired shark experts Ron and Valerie Taylor to get underwater footage of 14-foot sharks off the coast of Australia. They hired a 4-foot 11-inch stuntman named Carl Rizzo to go inside of a small shark cage to make the sharks seem bigger than they are.

After a week of filming with no results, a shark became stuck inside the cage when Rizzo wasn’t inside. This caused the shark to panic and thrashed around in the empty cage. This was the live footage that was used in the film.