Lessons from Jaws: Leading-in an establishing shot

Another Spielberg example from Jaws. I’ve started to notice how Spielberg often doesn’t use the establishing shot as the opening shot of a scene. 

Traditionally you open with a wide shot showing (establishing) the scene, props and place of the characters in it. But Spielberg often opens on a detail, like the flashlight in the example above. In this scene Spielberg cuts from the insert of the flashlight to a close shot of the knife, the camera then moves back from the knife to end up in a typical wide establishing shot. (So there are two shots pictured here)

In other films Spielberg films I have noticed similar ways of introducing the establishing shot. Sometimes he cuts from a close to a wider shot, other times he opens on a detail and then moves back to a wide shot. Or he opens on something very close to the camera, like a hand doing something, and then this element moves back to reveal the wide shot hidden behind it. 

The great thing here is that it helps you to set the scene without sticking to the cliche build up. It also makes for a more natural flow of shots. Like the flashlight leading to the reflection of the light on the knife.