Biography Of Steven Spielberg, And His Artistic Style

Steven Spielberg is a film director that has brought some of the most brilliant and memorable films to your family movie nights ranging from many different themes and genres. Chances are if you could think of your all-time favorite movies, one of Spielberg’s creations will be near the top of that list. Born in Cincinnati Ohio in 1946, Spielberg’s father was an electrical engineer and his mother owned a few restaurants and played the piano. At a young age he enjoyed photography and earned a merit badge in boy scouts by making a short film. Spielberg had applied and been rejected from USC film school in his teenage years, he was accepted to Cal state Long Beach and carried on an unpaid internship at universal studios. After composing a short film called Amblin, he scored a 7 year directing contract. From there he made history, his most famous films include “E. T”, “Jaws” and “Jurassic Park”. It was not always an easy journey for Spielberg, in fact with a few of his films he found himself over budget an close to bankruptcy. Through the use of individual style and techniques Spielberg was able to express his artistic signature throughout his films, making him one of the most successful film directors of all time.

Throughout Spielberg’s career he has expressed his individual style through action and adventure films in a variety of plots and stories. One of Spielberg’s many talents was creating a connection with the audience by focusing on the lives of ordinary people in his films, thus why his films historically where very family orientated. He once said, “Once I could make films, I found I could 'create' a great day or a great week just by creating a story; I could synthesize my life. It's just the same reason writers get started, so that they can improve the world or fix it. I found I could do anything or live anywhere via my imagination, through film” – Spielberg. In the film “E. T”, Spielberg creates a relatable heart wrenching story about a lonely boy without a father, the boy befriends an alien and throughout the remainder of the film shows his transformation journey into adolescence. Through his own artistic style Spielberg was able to create cinematic energy that sets tones for a scene within a film. A signature of his was informing characters and establishing the setting by telling us quickly where they are, who they are about to meet, and what the scene is about in a few short minutes. Although the use of individual style has helped bring many iconic stories into the lives of many people, without the use of certain cinematic techniques his films would not have received the amount of fame they are in today. Spielberg’s shots were known to evoke energy, direct the audience’s attention, and ALWAYS keep things interesting. This is why some of the most iconic movie scenes came from films created by Spielberg. From “Jaws” to “Indiana Jones”, even the film “The Color Purple” he was able to capture a scene and trademark it in a sense.

Spielberg has changed everything, not just the way the industry functions and directs its own ambitions but the scheme by which film history is now perceived. Introductions have never been a problem for Spielberg, in fact you could say he is one of the founding fathers on how to make an entrance. A cinematic technique widely used in many of his productions is the sideways tracking shot. This shot follows the movement of the characters and is a classic cinematic technique, although this is used in many of Spielberg’s movies probably one of the most famous shot of all time is his use of a tracking shot, ending up in a close-up as represented in the movie “Jaws”. Spielberg also had a talent of making the audience feel emotionally connected with the film at hand. He was able to help make this possible through the use of a long take. This is a cinematic technique used many times in his films, but is a shot played out in real time and generally emotionally drives the audience to a better opportunity of becoming submerged by the content at hand, a prime example of this would be the movie Saving Private Ryan. The lengthy shot follows United States Army Rangers Captain John H. Miller and his squad through an ambush that is taking place across seas, making the scene seem much more realistic. Uses of zooming in on a character as they are looking at something was also something utilized in this film, by focusing on the facial expressions of the character it gives the audience a better human connection in a sense. In every one of Spielberg’s film it is apparent that he focuses on people. The legendary Steven Spielberg is a father figure for many film makers, through the use of both artistic style and cinematic techniques he is able to create works of art that serve as an example of some of the greatest films created thus yet. Mastering the ability to connect with his audiences through his films and creating meaning full, informative scene has give him an advantage in the film making industry. With the uses of cinematic techniques such as the use of a tracking shot and a long shot, Spielberg was able to strengthen this connection and create iconic scenes that are used as a reference till this day. Spielberg has reached and exceeded many of his career goals with his shear talent and artistic detail.

Some may argue that Spielberg has tainted the film industry, creating a standard for film making that is almost unachievable. I say, if the standard for the film industry was created by the legendary Steven Spielberg, then it can be met and exceeded with the right amount of effort and drive by another film director.