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Hi Joey, the most important development here is the advances in technology, both for control of the effects, and the development of new specialised computer based effects between 1975 and 1992.

As technology becomes more and more advanced, then there is so much that can now be done by computer technology, which is a specialised field, and is reducing the time needed, not only for creating an effect, but for recreating it time after time, and editing the images, so that even when the background may not be exactly the same two shots running, the special effects guys have more gadgets to recreate it, thus saving on time, location requirements and more importantly the costs of keeping everyone on site.

Many people think it's the advance in training etc. that's making things better in modern movies, but it is not necessarily so, it's the advances with computer aided stuff that is, after all it's now possible to make a full length movie entirely from computer graphics.

mike t.

In Jaws you get a lot of shots from the sharks point of view... underwater looking up at people splashing and kicking their legs. This was a very effective device, particularlly seeing as they couldn't create realistic shots of the shark swimming underwater (as it was a big fake rubber looking thing!), so you knew where the shark was by seeing it's point of view...created the classic scary bits by flicking between serene scenes of people swimming and then to the shark (camera) coming up beneath the swimmers. Very dramatic, perhaps even more so because u don't see the shark until the point of attack, so lots of suspense.

In JP, (my all time fave film I might add!) the scene in which the t-rex attacks the jeep with the kids in, you get a lot of camera shots from the kids point of view.. like looking out of the window from inside the car and suddenly the t-rex's head appears in camera shot, very close up, then cut to perspective of guys in the other jeep watching the attack. Also, later when the kids are eating ice-cream you see the girls terrified face from the boy's point of view so you know there's a raptor in the room before you see it.. makes it all the more scary as you really feel the boy's "oh my God what have you seen that's making you make that face" emotion. Come to think of it, the whole film uses a lot of camera shots from people's perspectives. Not many pan shots in JP and unlike Jaws, can't think of any shots from the dinos point of view.

Ooh just thought of the classic scene in Jaws when Cptn Brody is on beach watch and he's looking out to sea and spots an attack, camera focusses on his face and the background dramatically pulls backward whilst his face stays centered in shot. Iconic scene, have to mention that!

I'll keep thinking, hope this helps, I'm no media student, just huge film fan!

Just found this on the web:

Cundey likens the use of the camera in Jurassic Park to a character. The continuous movement, the choice of interesting, and sometimes extreme angles generates enormous emotional energy. It's like a tactile visual overlay, which sometimes has the audience white knuckled, gripping the arms of their seats.

"It's like they are along for the ride," says Cundey, when the characters tour Jurassic Park on a tram. Look around the theatre, and body language tells it all, as people sway with the visual twists and turns, and crane their necks peering left and right, high and low, as if they are looking for predators lurking in the shadows, or just around the next bend in the track.

"It's a signature technique with Steven," Cundey says. "He brings the audience right into a character's face, so they can see what's in his or her eyes. It's a way of developing empathy. The camera is always moving, gradually getting closer to the point of danger. It heightens the sense of drama and suspense."

From http://www.cameraguild.com/interviews/chat_cundey/...