Hey, I’m Chris Williams (@Chris Williams), director of THE SEA BEAST, here with some of the inspiration behind my new film, which is now on Netflix!

Among my biggest film references were KING KONG, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, CLASH OF THE TITANS, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, and, of course, JAWS (and this shot in particular).

We toured the HMS Surprise in San Diego, which was used for MASTER AND COMMANDER and was influential in our design of the ship, the Inevitable. To make the ship accurate we had to add 5,000 ropes. 5,000!

Our VFX supervisor Stirling Duguid grew up on a ship and saw the ocean all through his childhood. One thing that helped make it look more real is we simulated the “underfoam” just under the surface.

We used a lot of nautical motifs in the designs of the costumes, because in this world there’s an obsession with the sea. The metal emblems nailed to the mast in Captain Crow’s cabin indicate monsters that they’ve encountered.

One of my favorite scenes is a quiet one in the shell on Monster Island. The exchange between Maisie and Jacob epitomizes their relationship—they have different points of view and drive each other crazy, but they actually care about each other.

One more thing: These [gasping screams] are courtesy of my kids. Thanks, guys! Now check out THE SEA BEAST on Netflix!