Museum reveals Jaws poster secret from @naturalhistorymuseum

A museum curator reveals that the shark on the 'Jaws' poster is not a great white, but a mako shark. He takes the viewer into the museum's ichthyology collection to show the actual preserved specimen that inspired the artist, explains the historical context of its creation, and concludes by sharing facts about the mako shark's speed while showing a model in the museum's public hall.

Creator: @naturalhistorymuseum on TikTok

Video format

Talking Head Edit

Video outline

  1. Challenge common knowledge
  2. Reveal physical proof
  3. Tell the origin story
  4. Provide a bonus fact

Narrative framework

The Archival Reveal

Narrative framework logic

Debunking a common misconception about a culturally significant object by revealing the physical proof from an exclusive archive and then telling its hidden origin story.

Topics: Pop Culture, Science, History, Movies

Concepts: Strange but True, Behind The Scenes, Breakdown

Formats: Talking Head Edit

Elements: B-Roll Cutaway, Lower Third, Text Overlay

Account types: Brand, Personal Brand

Transcript excerpt

You know that the shark in the Jaws poster is not actually based on a great white shark? The toothy fish in question is actually based on a specimen housed here in the ichthyology collection of the American Museum of Natural History. And that specimen, not a great white. It's actually a short finned mako shark and it's still housed in our collection today. While all of our specimens here in the collection carry with them a certain scientific value, there's also a degree of artistic value and in some specific cases, pop culture value. Back in the nineteen seventies, the renowned artist, Tier Kestrel, visited the museum seeking inspiration for a film poster he was working on, Jaws. He took photos of the shark models including this one made from a short fin Mako, which eventually became the key art for the now iconic movie poster. Mako sharks might not seem as fearsome as a white shark, but they are the fastest shark in the sea. A streamlined body and smooth tooth like scales called dermal denticles help reduce drag and help it to achieve speeds of almost 60 miles per hour.

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