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Steven SpielbergSteven Spielberg is an American filmmaker who has directed some of the most influential blockbusters in movie history. Audiences have adored his films for generations, making him the highest-grossing filmmaker and an example of an American auteur.
Spielberg began experimenting with his father's 8 mm camera and attended the movie theater as often as possible, entranced by a wide range of films by visionaries like Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney. His theatrical breakthrough came with the 1975 adaptation of Peter Benchley's novel "Jaws," a thriller that defined the modern blockbuster and helped usher in a new era of Hollywood.
For over five decades, Spielberg has produced critically acclaimed box-office hits, including "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," and "Jurassic Park." Spielberg has also directed a number of successful and lauded historical dramas, including "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan." His body of work has changed the shape of the movie industry and movies themselves—redefining the possibilities of popular culture. Explore Steven Spielberg
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The best Steven Spielberg moviesSpielberg's impact on Hollywood is massive—so is his filmography. This list from the Guardian ranks every one of his film's from the forgettable, like "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and "Always," to his essential flicks, including the science-fiction classic "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and the first modern blockbuster, "Jaws." the GuardianSteven Spielberg and George Lucas are noted fans of Norman RockwellThe famous film directors are admirers and collectors of the American painter. Lucas, in particular, relates to Rockwell’s process, which resembles casting for a film. In 2010, the Smithsonian American Art Museum introduced a Rockwell exhibit showcasing works from Lucas’ and Spielberg’s private collections. This video from that exhibit features both directors talking about how and why they became interested in acquiring Rockwell’s work. Smithsonian American Art MuseumSteven Spielberg’s movies have a unique styleDespite their distinct genres, Spielberg films often have much in common with one another. For example, supernatural phenomena, middle-class values, and camera techniques—including long, uninterrupted shots and a dolly-zoom method called the "Spielberg Face.” The TakeSteven Spielberg purchased Oscars won by Clark Gable and Bette Davis and donated them back to the AcademySince 1951, all Oscar statuettes have been awarded with a caveat—if the recipient wants to sell their Oscar, they have to first offer it back to the Academy for the price of $1. As a result, there's now a black market for the golden knights. Some buyers are anonymous movie buffs, but some are the stars themselves. The Guardian'You shouldn't dream your film, you should make it!'- Filmmaker Steven Spielberg (1946-present) BrainyQuoteThe 31 best science fiction films everThis list refreshingly starts off with the best first—1968's "2001: A Space Odyssey," Stanley Kubrick's cerebral, futuristic icon. Coming in at 31st is Disney's "Wall-E." EW'Jaws' creators regret making sharks the monstersBoth Peter Benchley, the author of the original 1974 novel, and Steven Spielberg, the director of the blockbuster film based on it, acknowledge that the film's popularity has led to the stigmatization of the mostly harmless creatures. Popular ScienceHow Spielberg changed filmBefore "Jaws," summer was Hollywood’s off-season. Steven Spielberg’s 1975 thriller changed all that, launching the era of the summer blockbuster. From "E.T." to "Jurassic Park," Spielberg’s films redefined how stories were told, how audiences reacted, and how studios marketed. 1440Spielberg wrote ‘Poltergeist,’ and some say he directed it, tooAlthough the horror classic doesn’t credit Spielberg as a director, several people from the cast and crew suggested he was in charge of the film. The film’s credited director, Tobe Hooper, says Spielberg was merely brought on as a second director—which Spielberg has repeatedly confirmed. ColliderJohn Williams has scored 29 of Spielberg’s filmsA significant part of Spielberg’s style is how music is used. The overwhelming majority of that music is composed by John Williams. The duo first collaborated on 1974’s “The Sugarland Express.” ScreenRantEven at the height of his popularity, Spielberg felt like an outsiderBy 1992, Spielberg was already one of the most successful names in Hollywood, but he had trouble kicking the alienation he’d felt as a kid. In this interview from 1992, on the cusp of the biggest year of his career, he talks about that feeling and how it motivated him. POP VaultSpielberg improvised most of the iconic D-Day scene from 'Saving Private Ryan'Although action sequences are often tightly choreographed, one of cinema's most famous war scenes was mostly shot on the fly. Spielberg wrote seven pages (or approximately seven minutes of screen time) for the scene, though the final cut of the sequence was 25 minutes long. I Got Touched at the CinemaSpielberg worked on ‘Schindler’s List’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ at the same timeSeemingly polar opposites, two of Steven Spielberg’s most popular movies were created in the same time period. Spielberg would shoot “Schindler’s List” during the day, then work on special-effects editing for “Jurassic Park” at night. The movies won a combined 10 Oscars at the 1994 Academy Awards. The IndependentSpielberg submitted 'Schindler's List' and 'Jurassic Park' for college creditAfter dropping out at 21, Spielberg reenrolled as a student at California State University, Long Beach in 2001, and earned a paleontology credit for “Jurassic Park.” His final project for an advanced film studies course was “Schindler’s List,” which won the Academy Award for best picture nearly 10 years earlier. SlashFilmThe 'Movie Brats’ ushered in a new era of Hollywood"The Movie Brats" is a name used to describe a generation of directors who blended classic cinema with the rebellious, crowd-pleasing spirit of rock ‘n’ roll. The figures most often associated with the tag are Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Brian De Palma. MovieWebAlfred Hitchcock influenced the way Spielberg shot 'Jaws'Steven Spielberg realized the key to unlocking the terror of the shark in "Jaws" would be by obscuring it, remembering an important lesson from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” Spielberg recalled, “It’s what we don’t see that is truly frightening." Far Out MagazineMany of Spielberg's films were inspired by childhood experiencesSteven Spielberg was inspired to make “Saving Private Ryan” after seeing the toll war took on his father’s generation. Similarly, he felt called to direct “Schindler’s List” by the Holocaust survivors he met when he was only three years old. NPRSpielberg was inspired by Hitchcock, Kubrick, and other visionary directorsThe influence of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” and Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” can be seen in the cinematography and tone of Spielberg classics like “Jaws” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” BFIA young Spielberg was changed by DeMille’s ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’The first movie Steven Spielberg saw was Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Greatest Show on Earth.” The movie’s on-screen train wreck frightened yet fascinated the young Spielberg—illustrating the visceral impact movies have on their audiences. JJSmithMediaAn ‘auteur’ is another name for the chief creative mind of a film“Auteur” is French for author. In film studies, the word refers to a film director who is considered the principal creative mind, or author, behind a film. Directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Akira Kurosawa, Steven Spielberg, and Greta Gerwig are often considered auteurs. No Film School
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