Steven Spielberg is a renowned American director, screenwriter, and producer. He began making homemade films as a teenager and charging admission. His early films inspired his later work on Close Encounters. Though some of his early films went over budget, Spielberg is known for blockbuster action films like Jaws and war films like Saving Private Ryan, which featured a highly realistic D-Day opening scene. Spielberg considers Oskar Schindler a "good man at his core" and uses subtle details in Schindler's List to portray his character. Spielberg's film techniques include the dolly zoom to create tension and the use of props to convey character relationships and emotions.

1. Steven Spielberg
By Ryan Still
Director, Screenwriter and
Producer.

2. Early Years
• Used to make short “adventure” films with his
friends and even charged 25 cent admission to
these home films whilst his sister sold popcorn.
• At the age of sixteen Spielberg had just made a
feature length film, which will later inspire Close
Encounters
• He worked on many TV films before working on
his debut film The Sugarland Express.

3. - Massively over-budget
- Prior to shooting, Many actors involved in the film could
not believe the ideas Spielberg had in mind for the film.
- Set the bar for all blockbuster action and adventure films
Roy Richard dreyfussRobert shaw Peter benchley Lorraine gary Carl gottlieb

4. - Considered to be the most realistic
portrayal of war.
- Initial omaha landing scene had it‟s
own, $12 million budget
- Roughly thirty amputees were used in the
making of the scene
- Spielberg did not storyboard the scene, but rather filmed
the shots in the moment.
Tom Hanks Vin Diesel Matt Damon Giovanni Ribisi Bryan Cranston

5. Liam Neeson Ralph Fiennes
Ben Kingsley
Spielberg considers
Schindler an “enigma”
Spielberg considers Schindler to be a „good
man‟ at his core, Spielberg uses minute
actions displayed by Schindler throughout the
film to portray his character.

6. Filming Techniques
Dolly Zoom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWB
xpYjoJaws +
Goodfellas
The dolly zoom is used usually when a tense or pivotal part of the story
occurs. During a dolly zoom, the camera will move towards the character
whilst zooming out at an equal speed (or vice versa). The effect causes the
background behind the character to move towards the screen at a very fast
rate, whilst the shot is slowly filled by the character‟s face. The fast
movement towards the viewer creates an uncomfortable „intrusive‟ feeling for
the viewer; this technique is used very effectively by Spielberg in „Jaws‟, in
which the character is looking into the distance, at this point we can not see
what they are seeing, but only their reaction to it. Sometimes when left for an
extra beat, this shot can be very effective in quickly creating an atmosphere
of tension. The shot is usually accompanied by the rising of strings that we
hear in almost every horror movie this century

7. • The use of a prop can carry forward the scene and will
usually have some significance to the story. The prop is
used sometimes for characters to interact with one another;
this can show us the relationships between specific
characters very quickly. In the Omaha beach scene for
example, Spielberg introduces us to a convoy of boats, filled
with soldiers. He then takes us into the boat, but rather than
immediately focusing on the character‟s (Tom Hanks)
face, he initially shows us his interaction with his water
bottle, as he tries to take a sip. The character‟s nerves and
extreme sense of fear are expressed simply by the use of
introducing the scene with the prop. This shot, accompanied
by the overpowering sound of waves, which slightly drown
out the soldier‟s voices, gives us a sense of isolation:
heightening the character‟s vulnerable image.
Use Of an Object/prop:
Omaha Beach scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCEFOx
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