JAWS 45th Anniversary: Conversation w/ Production Designer Joe Alves : Pop Culture Leftovers

JAWS 45th Anniversary: Conversation w/ Production Designer Joe Alves

Posted on June 5, 2020 11:55 am

JAWS 45th Anniversary: Conversation w/ Production Designer Joe Alves

June 5, 2020 11:55 am |

In this bonus episode Brian is joined by Dan West, Ryan Drost and Scott Schuette as we talk to the Production Designer from Jaws, Joe Alves.

Alves has designed three features for Steven Spielberg, The Sugarland Express, Jaws, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He designed the three mechanical sharks for Jaws, with mechanical-effects man Robert Mattey supervising their physical construction in California. Alves worked on Jaws 2 in 1978 as both production designer and as second unit director. Alves directed Jaws 3-D in 1983.

Alves started on Jaws, before a finished script, a director, or even a green light from Universal Studios. The Zanuch and Brown Company sent him the galley sheets of the yet to be published best-selling novel and asked him to do large concept sketches of the shark action in the book. Joe researched and after a long search found Robert Mattey, a retired special effects person from Disney that said he could do it. Joe was responsible for the look and action of the shark. Joe, as production designer, also designed the sets and scouted the locations finding Martha’s Vineyard ideal for the film. Joe was on the set whenever the shark was used. He also sat with Spielberg and sketched the storyboards for the third act and was the 2nd unit Director (uncredited).

Check out Joe Alves website https://joealvesmovieart.com/

Also, listen to the episode to find out how you could win a copy of Jaws on 4K.

JAWS 45th Anniversary Limited Edition is available now!
Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s cinematic masterpiece comes to 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever.
Includes over three hours of bonus content
The first ever summer blockbuster film and his first big hit
Winner of three Academy Awards including Best Original Score
The limited edition Combo Pack with lenticular packaging includes a 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital Code of the film along with a 44-page booklet with introductions, rare photos, storyboards and more from the archive.
Bonus content includes the making of JAWS, deleted scenes, outtakes from the set and much more.

Huge thanks to my co-hosts on this one: Ryan Drost from the Star Joes podcast, Dan West from Brute Force and Ignorance a Dungeons & Dragons Podcast and Scott Schuette from Tales from the Yard on the Leftover Army Podcast.