🦈Jaws @ 50 gives a how-to for your videos

In partnership with

I was asleep before the second quarter but congrats to the OKC Thunder, new NBA Champs. 

Now then. Today’s Main Thing gives you killer video marketing advice from Jaws. This timeless blockbuster did a lot with very little on the production side. So can you, with any video you create. After that breakdown, munch on our Monday Marketing News section.

Appetizer: Make your videos stand out with that cinematic look.

The Daily Newsletter for Intellectually Curious Readers

Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.

Join for free today!

The Main Thing

What a 50-year-old Big Fish Blockbuster Can Teach About Video Marketing?

Lotta talk about the 50th anniversary of Jaws. 

What’s the main thing I remember about the film the first time I watched it?

A dark scene where I could not tell what was going on. But that scene produced a ton of fear and suspense.

Something big was coming! The scene was so low quality, though. Anyone could’ve produced the same video footage with an old camcorder. 

That’s what made Jaws so special. The film draws viewers in without any having access to high-level special effects. 

The mechanical shark Steven Speilberg had was a lemon. Malfunctioned daily. Probably manufactured by Yugo.

Anyway, video marketers and creators can use the wisdom of Speilberg to improve their videos. That is, if you want your viewers to watch longer (retention), watch future videos (sequels), and be noteworthy decades later.

The Jaws Playbook for Grabbing Viewers (& Shaking Them Up)

Spielberg's 1975 flick is a masterclass in keeping people glued to their seats. The techniques he used work just as well for video content today. Here's how to make your videos way more engaging.

Hide the good stuff. Spielberg had to keep the unreliable mechanical shark hidden for most of the movie. What seemed like a disaster turned out to be brilliant. Constraints. Use them to your advantage. 

Not seeing the shark made it scarier than any rubber monster coulda been. Our brains are wired to fear what we can't see.

The lesson? Don’t have to give everything away in the first 30 seconds. Not even in the age of AI overviews.

If you're doing a product demo, show glimpses and build up to the big reveal. If you're teaching something, tease the outcome before diving into the how-to. Let people's curiosity build, so they stick around to see the payoff.

Get in Viewers’ Faces

Spielberg was genius at using the shark's point of view. Underwater shots where you're seeing through the predator's eyes. Makes you feel like you’re being dragged into the action instead of watching it happen to someone else.

Lesson. Use camera angles that put viewers in the experience. Film over your shoulder when you're working on something. Show the customer's perspective during demos. Walk people through processes as if they're right beside you. If people feel involved, they'll stay engaged.

Master the Art of Almost-Reveals

Remember the beach scenes where you think something gruesome’s about to happen? But it's just kids playing? Spielberg was constantly building tension and then releasing it with false alarms. It kept everyone on edge.

The lesson is ask questions early in your video. Make people wait for answers. Drop hints about what's coming. Use phrases like "but here's what I discovered" or "wait until you see this part." Create little moments of anticipation throughout the video, not just at the beginning. 

Use misdirection too. All warfare is based on deception. You’re battling for viewers' attention.

Let Your Camera Tell the Story

Spielberg made people look tiny against the huge ocean to emphasize how helpless they were. Then he'd cut to tight close-ups of worried faces to show the human side of fear. The framing was the storytelling.

The lesson here… Think about how your shots reinforce your message. 

If you're talking about a big problem, frame yourself small in the shot. When you're sharing something personal or important, get closer to the camera. Wide shots show scale and context. Close-ups shots create intimacy and urgency.

Create Visual Moments that Wake Viewers Up!

Jaws’ most famous shot has the camera zoom in on Chief Brody while simultaneously pulling back. It captured his “OMG" moment when he realized what was happening. It's disorienting in the best way.

You don't need fancy equipment to use this lesson. Quick zooms during key moments work great. Cut between wide shots and close-ups for emphasis. Even slowly pushing in on the camera during important points can make people pay attention.

Attack with Audio

Those two simple notes from the Jaws theme ((("dun dun"))) became more terrifying than any visual, right? The music carried half the movie's suspense.

The lesson is that great background music and sounds can guide emotions and signal transitions. Strategic silence can be just as powerful as sound (A Quiet Place, for example). Even simple audio cues help people know when to pay attention. Your phone has better audio capabilities than you think. Use ’em.

The Bottom Line

All these video creation techniques work because they tap into how human brains are wired. 

• People respond to rhythm and pacing

• We pay attention when we feel involved

• We're naturally curious about hidden things

Jaws worked because the creators understood human psychology, not because they had the best special effects.

Your videos don't need a bigger budget. Start with a better understanding of what keeps people watching. Use these techniques, and you'll see the difference in how long your audience sticks around.

Alright let's wade into Monday Marketing News below.

Please share Inbox Hacking with a fellow marketing go-getter or business owner. I appreciate you reading & sharing.

Shane McLendon - Copy Kingpin

“A person’s brain originally is like a little empty attic. You have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort he comes across. So the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out. At best, gets jumbled up with a lot of other things so that he has difficulty finding the useful stuff.” ~Sherlock Holmes