Why one determined Jaws fan waited 20 years to create amazing shark diorama

I watched Jaws for the first time when I was a kid around 30 years ago and have been hooked on Sharks ever since. I have always wanted to make a diorama of the scene from the movie with the shark breaching onto the back of the Orca and Quint sliding down the back of the boat and into the sharks mouth but have never been able to find a model of the Orca at the correct scale. Over the years I gave up on ever finding a boat so the project was put on the back burner and forgotten about.

I have two kids who seem to have inherited my interest and love for sharks and we have just finished watching the Jaws movies together and my interest in the diorama project was reignited... this time however I have found someone through one of the Jaws groups on facebook who can 3D print the Orca for me. Finally after 20 odd years this project is on the move.

My idea for the diorama is to have a large block of clear (or stained blue) resin with full aquascape inside it. This will include Ben Gardeners boat wrecked on the sea bed (yes complete with eyeless head). Corals , Kelp , assorted small fish, rays etc etc. The Orca will be at the surface with the shark having breached the waters surface landing on the rear of the vessel, smashing it and making it tilt backwards making Quint slide down toward the sharks open mouth, machete in hand. Brody will be hanging on inside the cabin having lost his grip on Quints hand.

Hooper’s wrecked cage will be suspended halfway between the waters surface and the sea bed. Hooper will be in his diving gear and will be swimming somewhere near the sea floor. Its going to be a big diorama as you can tell by the size of the shark. The shark itself is 30cm long so by the time its on the back of the Orca you can imagine how big the overall block of resin is going to be. The shark is just a kids toy that I have given a new paint job.

I have created a page on our website dedicated to this diorama which I will post pictures of all the bits as I finish painting them. You can find it here https://www.shadowandflame.co.uk/jaws Some of the updates may not be that big, for instance the next one will be Hoopers destroyed cage. Things will start to get interesting once the two boats arrive here with me.

Words and images by Kev Lawrence

If you would like to write for The Daily Jaws, please visit our ‘work with us’ page

For all the latest Jaws, shark and shark movie news, follow The Daily Jaws on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.