Top 10 Surprising Facts about Steven Spielberg

Director Steven Spielberg speaking at the Pentagon on August 11, 1999 – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Surprising Facts about Steven Spielberg

Steven Allan Spielberg is a film director, producer, and screenwriter. He began his career in the New Hollywood era and is currently the most commercially successful director of all time. He is co-founder of the production company Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures. In 1994, Spielberg co-founded DreamWorks Pictures with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. This was in the wake of Jurassic Park becoming the highest-grossing movie ever and the first to gross a billion dollars.

Spielberg Has Now Earned Best Director Oscar Nominations in Six Different Decades. He also has a record an eleven Best Picture nods and is one of only four filmmakers ever to have received at least eight Best Director nominations.

Spielberg began his career as a professional by directing several episodes of television programs that were being shot at Universal. Included in his work at this time were episodes of Marcus Welby, M.D. and, Columbo. The first movie that Spielberg directed professionally was a made-for-television movie named Duel.

Let’s look at 10 Surprising Facts about Steven Spielberg.

1. Spielberg was turned down by Film School

After graduating from high school, Spielberg moved to Los Angeles, of course. He applied to the University Of Southern California Film School and was rejected 3 times because of his mediocre grades. He was not interested in academics; he aspired to be only a filmmaker.

Spielberg then applied to California State University, where he was accepted. Here he became a brother of Theta Chi Fraternity. He later dropped out of California State University when he was offered a job as an intern at Universal Television in 1968.

In 1994, the University Of Southern California Film School awarded Spielberg an honorary degree. In 1996 he became a trustee of the university. Spielberg went ahead to joke that he had to eventually buy his way in.

2. Spielberg the youngest director to be signed to a long-term plan with a major Hollywood studio

Director Steven Spielberg and Eric Bruno Borgman on the set of Amistad by Tantamount – Wikimedia Commons

When Spielberg dropped out of California State University when he was offered a job as an intern at Universal Television. Sid Sheinberg the Head of Universal Television allowed Spielberg to write and direct a short film for theatrical release, the 26-minute, Amblin.

Sid was thoroughly impressed with the young filmmaker and took him under his wing. He offered Spielberg a seven-year directing contract. This made him the youngest director to be signed to a long-term plan with a major Hollywood studio.

3. Steven’s monster movie, Jaws catapulted him into the Hollywood world

When he was 27 and after the success of his debut feature The Sugarland Express, Spielberg was hired by Universal to helm their upcoming monster movie, Jaws. It was the highest-grossing movie ever made and an instant classic.

This is despite the major issues that plagued its production. The film was shot on location, out at sea, which caused massive problems due to the unpredictability of conditions. If a ship appeared on the horizon, it ruined the shot, and they had to wait hours until it was out of frame.

Another issue was the shark which was a mechanical puppet created for the movie. It hadn’t been tested properly in saltwater, and when they tried to use it out at sea, it sank, again and again.

4. Spielberg’s most famous shot features no digital trickery

Steven Spielberg star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by FeldBum – Wikimedia Commons

Of all of the iconic moments and shots that Spielberg has given us, the moment that E.T. and Elliott fly past the moon, silhouetted, is among the most magical. It’s even more impressive when you learn that almost everything we see was shot on camera.

It took the effects team, Industrial Light, and Magic, and weeks of scouting to identify the right place for filming. They used maps and astrological charts to find the perfect time that a full moon would sit low among the trees in that spot. Elliott and E.T. were scale models, but the rest is all real, and part of movie history.

5. Steven made the highest-grossing movie ever as a director

Steven directed the highest-grossing movie of all time at the worldwide box office on three separate occasions.

Jaws made $470m in 1975. Then, in 1982, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial toppled Star Wars from the number one spot when it grossed $792m. And E.T. was overtaken by Jurassic Park, which took $914m worldwide in 1993.

To cement his position as the box office King, Spielberg’s movies have, in total, grossed more than those of any other director. Cumulatively, his films have taken £10.5billion.

6. Spielberg faced harsh criticism in his early career

Steven Spielberg speaking at the San Diego Convention Center by Gage Skidmore – Wikimedia Commons

Despite his extraordinary success from a very young age, Spielberg’s early movies faced criticism for “not being art.” The critics claimed that his movies were cynical, spectacular cash grabs designed only to make money.

This led to a perceived lack of respect from his peers for a time and a definite lack of awards recognition. Spielberg proved his doubters wrong with The Color Purple (1986), Empire Of The Sun (1987), and, most emphatically of all, Schindler’s List (1993).

7. 1993 was considered as Steven’s most impressive year in his movie-making career

Two Spielberg-directed movies were released in 1993: Jurassic Park – regarded as one of the great summer blockbusters – and Schindler’s List – a personal and artistic project set during the Holocaust in World War II-era Poland.

Jurassic Park was the highest-grossing movie ever made at the time, and Schindler’s List won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director (Spielberg’s first of two), and is widely regarded as Spielberg’s greatest work of art.

Even more astonishing is the fact that Spielberg was making both movies at the same time. He was shooting Schindler’s List during the day and editing Jurassic Park at night. Spielberg said: “It was a bipolar experience, with every ounce of intuition on Schindler’s List, and every ounce of craft on Jurassic Park.”

8. Spielberg never made a penny from his biggest movie, Schindler’s List

Steven Spielberg by Gage Skidmore – Wikimedia Commons

Steven was born into an Orthodox Jewish family, Schindler’s List was naturally a very personal project for him. It was a huge box-office hit, taking $322m from a $22m budget, but Spielberg never made a penny from it.

All money owed to Spielberg, he donated to the Shoah Foundation, which preserves testimonies from genocide survivors, including the Holocaust. Spielberg also, to this day refuses to autograph any memorabilia to do with Schindler’s List, so nobody can profit from it.

9. Steven went back to University and got his degree

In 2009, 41 years after he’d dropped out to work for Universal, Spielberg went back to California State University to complete his degree and graduate.

For his final paper, he had to hand in a short film and asked his professor if he could submit a slightly longer one. His professor agreed and so Spielberg handed in Schindler’s List. The professor graded it and said it had met the set requirements.

10. The producer of James Bond has Turned Spielberg Down Twice

Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen, (right) escorts Steven Spielberg (left) through a military honor cordon into the Pentagon by Helene C. Stikkel – Wikimedia Commons

As a young filmmaker in the 1970s, Spielberg wanted to make a James Bond movie. He unsuccessfully pitched ideas to Albert Broccoli on two separate occasions. Many fans would believe such an accomplished director as Spielberg would be able to direct any movie he wanted, however, that was not the case with Steven.

Broccoli told Spielberg he needed more experience before directing a James Bond film. Spielberg took his advice and after releasing Schlinder’s List, Spielberg approached the topic again. This second time Spielberg was told they couldn’t afford him.