Becoming Quint: John's Jaws WeMake Journey
The Jaws WeMake has quite rightly made it in to our highlights of the Jaws 2020 year in review
One of those Jaws fans who took up the acting challenge during lockdown was John Aspinall, from Liverpool, in the UK. The Daily Jaws (TDJ) caught up with him to discuss his involvement and his love of Jaws and sharks.
TDJ: You were one of over 100 people to take part, why did you decide to get involved in the Jaws WeMake?
John: As Jaws has always been my favourite film and I used to enjoy acting, I jumped at the chance to be involved in this project. The gloom of lockdown was also taking its toll so the WeMake provided some much-needed escapism.
Making the props and sets from cardboard and any other household appliances I could utilise took me back to my early teens when I used to make home-made movies with friends in my street. Back then, I enjoyed the early Hammer horror films so I made remakes of some of those- Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde was an amusing one. I had fun with camera trickery and wanted to be the next Spielberg.
TDJ: Quint was by far the most popular choice of character, why do you think that is?
John: I think that the character is fun to play and if WeMake gave us the opportunity to pretend to be Quint for a bit then why not!
For me I was reliving my childhood- I performed a few scenes from Jaws in my high school as a kid with a bunch of friends and a cardboard shark made from a cornflakes box.
TDJ: Did it mean a lot that the WeMake was introduced by Ian Shaw, son of Robert Shaw?
John: Ian Shaw introducing the WeMake was the icing on the cake. It seemed to give the WeMake integrity or a royal approval so to speak. Robert Shaw has always fascinated me since I saw him in Jaws and From Russia with Love.
Later in my teens, upon learning that he was also an accomplished writer, I read a few of his novels and also two biographies. He seemed a very complex and possibly a flawed genius in many ways.
I recall watching Ian Shaw in an obscure tv medical drama called 'Medics' alongside Tom Baker many years ago - little realising he was the son of a personal hero.
Luckily, I was able to watch his stage play, The Shark is Broken at Brighton before it was taken up to Edinburgh. It deserved the lavish praise and reviews it received - it was like watching flies in amber as you really believe you are on the Orca with those three actors as they wait for the endless takes during shooting off Massachusettes in 1974.
Ian Shaw is uncanny as Shaw and the other actors do an equally convincing job making up the trio. It is a must-see for any Jaws fans.
TDJ: Why did you decide to do the scenes that you did?
John: As a teacher, I was planning a Jaws project in my school so had also ready sourced a Quint costume to make use of. This project was unfortunately scuppered due to going into lockdown.
I had a think about what scenes I would like to film and which I could suggest using my little terraced house and back yard (not too farrrr from the carrr). Time constraints also limited my ambition - I wish I had had more time to learn how to split the screen to suggest two characters in the same shot (like Tim Vine managed to achieve).
TDJ: How long did it take to film your scenes?
John: As my long-suffering partner was roped into filming me, I only managed two takes at most. So filming didn't take long at all- the set painting was the most time-consuming part. I do wish I had had more time to rehearse and also filmed more takes.
However, I must show my appreciation to my partner, Laura as she had to put up with our house being turned into Quint's shack, the Orca and lots of props, paints and mess throughout the filming. I am lucky she didn't move out!
She did get her own back by retaking the scene where she throws the rope at my head in Quint's shack- I think she wished it was a much heavier object!
TDJ: Did it take long to learn your lines?
John: Like most of The Daily Jaws fans, I more or less know the lines of by heart. The WeMake was the only time in my life that this ability came in useful.
TDJ: In some scenes you were playing both Quint and Hooper, did that take a lot of planning?
John: Yes. It was filming these scenes that I realised how Spielberg used mostly two-shots and even three shots of the actors on the Orca. Unfortunately, I was not able to recreate this on my old iPhone. Instead, I just filmed my Quint scenes and Hooper scenes separate and the edited then together.
TDJ: Your interiors look great, how did you manage to make it look like the inside of Orca?
John: As some of the audience could probably tell, my 6 foot 1 frame was stuffed into a small, old wardrobe - it was cramped to say the least. I quickly painted some cardboard windows and cardboard red seats and hoped for the best!
TDJ: You also created some of the deck of Orca, what did you create that from?
John: Ha! I was very proud of my Orca backdrop. Fortunately, I had two large pieces of cardboard packaging which was housing our new bed. These I just painted as best I could to suggest the Orca. I would have loved to have made a more realistic looking Orca from wood. Maybe I could think about that for the next lockdown?
TDJ: In the finished film, Tim Vine was edited into many of your scenes as Chief Brody, how was it seeing that for the first time?
John: It was joy to watch as Brody was conspicuous by his absence in my scar scene. Tim Vine's scene was cut in so well, it looked as if he was in the same room as me.
You guys did a fantastic job of the editing throughout the film - it must have taken you hours!
TDJ: Outside of your scenes, did you have a favourite moment from the WeMake?
There were so many scenes I really enjoyed. Some things that stand out from memory are the family who filmed the beach scenes in their pool- very accurate shot for shot; the brody and sons table scene; Mrs Kintner sobbing; animated parts and the model/miniature effects were very clever. I found the other Quint actors spot on too.
TDJ: Were you surprised at the impact of the Jaws WeMake?
John: I was overwhelmed. It was bigger than I expected and I was pleased to have been a part of it. The idea that it was a communal piece had extra relevance during the national lockdown; it was great to be a part of something.
TDJ: Were you pleased at how it all turned out and did you watch it when it premiered?
John: After watching Jaws, my partner and I watched the premiere with a few glasses of wine, a smorgasbord and pretzels aplenty.
TDJ: What reaction did you get from friends and family?
John: My family also watched it and enjoyed the humour and ingenuity of it all. Naturally, my mother maintained that my scenes were the best- but she has to say that. Promoting the Wemake on my FB page led to many of my friends revisiting the Jaws movie over lockdown too.
TDJ: How many times have you seen it? Is it something you think you will keep on returning to?
John: I have watched it a couple of times since it premiered. It is definitely something I will return to every June 20, after I watch the original. It was such an enjoyable project to be involved in and great to see the talents and creativity of fellow fans. I was very grateful and surprised that almost all of my scenes made it in.
TDJ: Do you remember when you first saw Jaws?
John: My first memory of Jaws is my parents sitting me down to watch it when I was about 6/7 and telling me not to worry as it was not a real shark but a robot.
Upon hearing this, I expected a robot shark to look stereotypically like a robot (metal panels and have flashing lights for eyes etc).You can imagine my horror when Bruce first jumped out of the water towards the screen.
The movie had a profound effect on me as it fuelled a passion for movies, film-making, acting and also sharks. I read every book from Birkenhead Library about sharks and great whites in my childhood and knew all their names in Latin.
Sharks still fascinate me to this day- it is a life-long ambition to go cage diving with Great Whites before I shuffle off this mortal coil; I hope I realise it one day.
TDJ: Do you have a favourite character?
John: Quint is my favourite character and what a colourful, larger-than-life part for Robert Shaw to play. It was fun to play him in the WeMake - in real life,I am more like Hendricks!
TDJ: Do you have a favourite scene or moment?
John: There are so many - I won't know where to start. If I had to pick one scene it would be the Indianapolis speech scene just for Shaw's incredible acting.
TDJ: How do you feel about the sequels?
John: I have a childhood affection for the sequels. Jaws 2 I thought was a very good and watchable movie. Jaws 3D is a great story idea but suffered due to budget constraints and poor 3D effects. Joe Alves did a decent job with what he had available to him. I liken it to the Jurassic World plot. A remake of Jaws 3D wouldn't be such a bad idea - they should ask Dennis Quaid.
Jaws The Revenge was the weakest sequel in my opinion, but it is still part of the franchise and I do think it has a few merits.
TDJ: As it is Christmas, we have to ask, is Jaws the Revenge a Christmas film?
John: Well, it's no Santa Jaws!
TDJ: And talking of sequels, do you think there should be a Jaws 2 WeMake?
John: Mmmm. Also an entertaining sequel, I am not sure that Jaws 2 deserves a WeMake - though I am sure many fans will prove me wrong.
TDJ: Any other favourite Jaws or The Daily Jaws moments from this year?
John: I really enjoy the Daily Jaws items each day. Aside from the WeMake, I always enjoy discovering new/rare/unseen photos from the original production.
The renovated Bruce shark was exciting too as was your interview with Ian Shaw ahead of what should have been his play's Westend run - I had tickets to see this.
I would just like to say thank you for including me in what turned out to be an exciting and heart-felt tribute to our favourite movie.
Discover one of John's full Indianapolis speech scene here:
John was interviewed by TDJ Chief Writer Dean Newman
If you would like to write for The Daily Jaws, please visit our ‘work with us’ page.