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Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg Quotes

Film director

Steven Spielberg, born on December 18, 1946, is an accomplished film director from the United States. His works span a variety of genres, from science fiction to history, from adventure to war, each captivating audiences with its unique charm. Spielberg is renowned for his unique perspective and profound understanding of the art of film.

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Famous Steven Spielberg Quotes

“I did not make this film about Frank Abagnale because of what he did . . but because of what he has done with his life the past 30 years.”

Years Done Past Film Frank

Author:Steven Spielberg

“I make some movies for myself. I do that sometimes when the subject matter is very sensitive and very personal and I really can't imagine that I'm an audience member. I would lose myself too much if I thought of myself as the audience. There are other types of genre films that I need to be able to direct from the audience, to be right next to you watching the picture being made.”

Ifs Needs Made Sometimes Matter Able Film Next Loses Audience Too Much Imagine Subjects Type Members Direct Genre Sensitive Imagine That Subject Matter

Author:Steven Spielberg

“I've got a lot of examples about moments where I thought something would work on film and it didn't work, but I never came to that decision with the film half shot, where I was stuck on a runaway train and couldn't jump off. On those occasions where I have admitted defeat, that this is not going to work, I haven't embarked on that project and made that movie.”

Made Moments Film Decision Half Havens Example Projects Shots Train Defeat Stuck Occasions Going To Work Runaway

Author:Steven Spielberg

“I have made almost as many films in England as I have in America. I will come back to England again and again.”

Made America Film England Again And Again

Author:Steven Spielberg

“Whatever affect any of my films have on audiences, I just kind of stop at the door. I make them and I just don't go outside after they're over.”

Kind Film Audience Doors

Author:Steven Spielberg

“I've kept the people who've been in my career who I feel are my family. Kathy [Kennedy] had been with me since 1978. Janusz Kaminsky, my cinematographer, has made every movie with me since Schindler's List. Michael Kahn has cut every movie I've directed since 1976 when we made Close Encounters together. Rick Carter has done more than 15 of my directed films as a production designer.”

People Feels Made Done Together Film Careers Cutting My Family Productions Lists Designer Encounters Carter Cinematographers Schindler Schindler's List Close Encounters

Author:Steven Spielberg

“There's going to be no more digital enhancements or digital additions to anything based on any film I direct. I'm not going to do any corrections digitally to even wires that show... If 1941 comes on Blu-ray I'm not going to go back and take the wires out because the Blu-ray will bring the wires out that are guiding the airplane down Hollywood Blvd. At this point right now I think letting movies exist in the era, with all the flaws and all of the flourishes, is a wonderful way to mark time and mark history.”

Ifs Thinking Way Shows Film Wonderful Right Now Direct Hollywood Mark Eras Digital Flaws Rays Airplane Wire Corrections Enhancement

Author:Steven Spielberg

“I think every film I make that puts characters in jeopardy is me purging my own fears, sadly only to re-engage with them shortly after the release of the picture. I'll never make enough films to purge them all.”

Thinking Enough Character Film My Own Release Jeopardy Purging

Author:Steven Spielberg

“The thing that I'm just scared to death of is that someday I'm going to wake up and bore somebody with a film.”

Film Wake Up Scared Someday Bores

Book:Steven Spielberg: Interviews

Source: Steven Spielberg: Interviews

“I've been told that I'm a very different person on the set than I am in postproduction when the movie's over and I'm editing, in that I get so wound up in the film that I become selfless to the point where I lose too much weight.”

Different Film Wounds Selfless

Author:Steven Spielberg

“You know, I don't really do that much looking inside me when I'm working on a project. Whatever I am becomes what that film is. But I change; you change.”

Knows Film Projects

Author:Steven Spielberg

“A lot of the films I've made probably could have worked just as well 50 years ago, and that's just because I have a lot of old-fashion values.”

Years Wells Made Film Values Fashion Years Ago Old Fashion

Author:Steven Spielberg

“I like the smell of film. I just like knowing there's film going through the camera.”

Film Knowing Cameras Smell

Author:Steven Spielberg

“History opens up new worlds to film-makers all the time.”

World Film Makers New World

Author:Steven Spielberg

“I thought film was more important than life itself for many years. But I was naive to the world until my first child was born in 1985.”

World Years Firsts Children Important Film Born Naive

Author:Steven Spielberg

“If I weren't a director, I would want to be a film composer.”

Ifs Want Film Directors Composer Film Composers

Author:Steven Spielberg

“Audience members are only concerned about the story, the concept, the bells and whistles and the noise that a popular film starts to make even before it's popular. So audiences will not be drawn to the technology; they'll be drawn to the story. And I hope it always remains that way.”

Way Stories Film Technology Audience Members Concepts Concerned Remains Noise Bells Popular Film

Author:Steven Spielberg

“Because of how much movies cost, it's dangerous to be experimental on one film after the other. But we can experiment with television. We can do things that are fringe and bring ideas to the table that are offbeat and original.”

Ideas Film Can Do Dangerous Television Cost Originals Tables Experiments Fringe Offbeat

Author:Steven Spielberg

“I believe in 3D for certain kinds of films. I certainly believe in using 3D for all things in animation because animation has such clarity and so much depth of focus. It worked great with 'Avatar' because 70 percent of that film is animated.”

Believe Kind Film Certain I Believe Focus Percent All Things Depth I Believe In Clarity Animation Animated

Author:Steven Spielberg

“I guess my first digital movie was 'Tintin' because 'Tintin' has no film step. There is no intermediate film step. It's 100% digital animation, but as far as a live-action film, I'm still planning to shoot everything on film.”

Firsts Stills Action Film Steps Planning Digital Animation Action Films

Author:Steven Spielberg

“I think producers are more interested in backing concepts than directors and writers. I don't think that's the right way of making a decision about whether you're going to back a film or not.”

Thinking Way Film Decision Directors Concepts Producers Right Way

Author:Steven Spielberg

“I usually do about five cuts as a director. I haven't ever directed a film where I haven't made five passes through the movie, and that takes a long time.”

Long Made Film Five Cutting Havens Directors Long Time

Author:Steven Spielberg

“It is not my job to compare my movies. I don't like to compare my films with other movies because I don't really have that perspective. It is an intellectual exercise, but it doesn't intuitively come to me.”

Jobs Film Perspective Exercise Intellectual Compare

Author:Steven Spielberg

“The greatest films ever made in our history were cut on film, and I'm tenaciously hanging on to the process. I just love going into an editing room and smelling the photochemistry and seeing my editor wearing mini-strands of film around his neck.”

Made Film Process Rooms Cutting Seeing Necks Editors Editing Strands Hanging On

Author:Steven Spielberg

“The only movie that I would ever even consider retrofitting is the first ‘Jurassic Park,’ which I think would look pretty spectacular in 3D. That’s the only one of my films that I would consider doing in 3D.”

Thinking Firsts Looks Film Parks Spectacular Jurassic Park

Author:Steven Spielberg

“When I was a kid, there was no collaboration; it's you with a camera bossing your friends around. But as an adult, filmmaking is all about appreciating the talents of the people you surround yourself with and knowing you could never have made any of these films by yourself.”

People Made Kids Film Knowing Talent Adults Appreciate Cameras Surround Collaboration Filmmaking Surround Yourself

Author:Steven Spielberg

“When I was younger, all I cared about was what people thought of me and my films. Now I care less about catering, hand-serving, hand-feeding the audience. I've gotten to the point now in my life where I'm serving myself.”

People Hands Care Film Audience Serving I Care Feeding Catering

Author:Steven Spielberg

“You can't intellectually purge yourself of who you are. Whatever that is, it's going to come out in the wash, the film wash. What you are is going to be relevant, if not to yourself, to the movies you make.”

Ifs Film Who You Are Relevant

Author:Steven Spielberg

“The only time I'm totally happy is when I'm watching films or making them.”

Author:Steven Spielberg

“There are three movies that I am exceptionally proud of in my life, and I rarely commit to a list of films that I like, that I've made... but these are the three films that I was passionately connected to. The first was 'ET,' the second 'Schindler's List,' and third is 'Saving Private Ryan.'”

Firsts Made Film Three Proud Thirds Connected Lists Commit Saving Schindler Schindler's List Saving Private Ryan

Author:Steven Spielberg

“It starts with the writer-it's a familiar dictum, but somehow it keeps getting forgotten along the way. No film-maker, irrespective of his electronic bag of tricks, can ever afford to forget his commitment to the written word.”

Way Film Forget Written Commitment Forgotten Tricks Familiar Bags Makers Written Word

Author:Steven Spielberg

“You shouldn't dream your film, you should make it!”

Should Dream Film Film Directors

Author:Steven Spielberg

“Before I go off and direct a movie, I always look at four films. They tend to be The Seven Samurai, Lawrence Of Arabia, It's A Wonderful Life and The Searchers.”

Looks Film Four Wonderful Directors Direct Seven Filmmaking Arabia Samurai Wonderful Life Searchers It's A Wonderful Life Lawrence Of Arabia

Author:Steven Spielberg

About the Author

Born: December 18, 1946
Known for: Film director
Quotes: 308

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Books & Sources

Steven Spielberg: InterviewsRelated source material

Close encounters of the third kind: a novelRelated source material

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