Where was Jaws Filmed? The Real Locations from the Classic Film
Let's take a look at the real places that served as the backdrop for Jaws.
Steven Spielberg's Jaws turns 50 this year, which means that this summer, even more eyeballs than usual will be on the classic animal attack film. Whether you're coming in fresh for the first time or watching it for the 50th time, it's easy to get swept away in the details of the legendary blockbuster, and it all begins with a remarkable, believable location.
So, how did the production achieve that? Where was Jaws filmed? Let's take a closer look.
RELATED: 50th Anniversary Edition of Jaws Revealed - Packed With a Boat-Load of Bonus Features (DETAILS)
Why Jaws was shot in Massachusetts
Like Peter Benchley's novel, Jaws the film is set in the fictional Long Island fishing and beach town of Amity. In searching for the perfect coastal village to play the role, production designer Joe Alves and the rest of the team looked up and down the Atlantic, even going as far south as Jamaica, because according to producer Richard D. Zanuck, the water there was crystal clear and could make for great ocean sequences.
Eventually, though, Alves and company found their way to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, where according to Zanuck, the locals were initially not all that wild about the idea of a Hollywood production moving onto their turf. Zanuck recalled having to abide by some very strict rules, including taking the famous defaced Amity Island billboard down after shooting a scene in front of it for just one day. Eventually, though, the community warmed to the idea of the film, and today Martha's Vineyard celebrates its Jaws heritage.
RELATED: Jaws Turns 50: Look Sharp as a Shark Tooth with This Universal Parks Merch
The small village of Edgartown served as a stand-in for Amity itself, with a few scenes filmed elsewhere on Martha's Vineyard to fill in the community of the film. But while many of the original buildings are still there, you won't find one of the most famous. Quint's famous fishing shack, where he talks through shark hunting with Brody and Hooper, was built specifically for the production. Due to local zoning laws, though, it was deemed to tall to be a permanent structure, and was torn down when production was complete.
According to Spielberg, though, there's one other key reason why Martha's Vineyard was the most attractive location for the shoot, and it was all about being able to shoot the ocean sequences in relatively shallow water, while still creating the isolated feel he wanted for the final shark hunt at the end.
RELATED: Everything to Know About Jaws – 50 Years Later
"It was the only place on the East Coast where I could go 12 miles out to sea and still have a sandy bottom only 30 feet below the surface of the water… where the mechanical shark could function," Spielberg recalled in the documentary A Look Inside Jaws. "So Martha's Vineyard was chosen less because it was a picturesque village… it was because of that sandy bottom 12 miles offshore. It was very important that no matter what direction my cameras turned, I didn't want to see land."
So Martha's Vineyard became Amity Island, and despite numerous issues with mechanical sharks and open ocean, Jaws became a masterpiece.
Jaws (and its three sequels) are currently available to purchase via Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
