Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on December 18th, 1946, and grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey and Scottsdale, Arizona. Even as a child he was interest in UFO's. In 1952, one night, his father woke him up late at night and took him to see a meteor shower. From that moment on he never looked at the dark skies as scary, but as a source of such wonderful events. This event helped him to form an orientation that mystery offers promise and not harassment.

Spielberg started making amateur films very early. At the age of 12 he completed his first production and at 13 he had won his first first movie contest. In 1963, at the young age of 16, he set out to make his first film Firelight (which later inspired Close Encounters). During his vacations he went to L.A. to find producers who would have a look at his movie but without success.

Spielberg was unable to get into a traditional film school so instead entered California State University in Long Beach to study English. He is self-taught in regards to his filmaking. Spielberg's professional movie career began probably the day that he jumped off a tour bus at Universal Studios and walked around the back lots. He found an abandoned closet, cleaned it up and turned it into an office. After some time, the security guards had seen him so often that they would wave him through the gates, no questions asked. Once inside and established, Spielberg started production on Amblin (1968) which was only 24 minutes long. This short film told the story of a pair of hitchhikers. With a budget of $15,000 he cadged from friends, his movie made him the youngest director ever to get a long-term contract (7 years) under the Television division with a major Hollywood studio: Universal. Amblin won several film festival awards including a showing at the Atlanta Film Festival in 1969.

Just 4 years later, after directing a variety of TV shows, he directed the suspense-filled made-for-TV film Duel which received critical and audience acclaim and was later released into theaters, as well overseas. The film received a golden Globe Award. Spielberg's television success soon merged into big screen stardom.

Spielberg has always been able to step into the human imagination and generate the most splendid dreams and at the same time, he has also shown an ability to step into humanity's darkest nightmares, as shown in Jaws (1975). In 1998, the film was named by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films of the century. Spielberg did follow up the success of Jaws with his next film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which earned him an Oscar nomination. He, along with George Lucas' Star Wars, initiated a new era of science fiction and special effects in filmmaking.

Not every Spielberg film received approval however, as shown by the disastrous failure of the film 1941 (1979) which was his first attempt at comedy. This did not discourage him and he next teamed up with a friend of his named George Lucas. Together, Spielberg and Lucas adapted an action adventure picture based on serials they both loved as kids called Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Here, along with George Lucas and Harrison Ford, he introduced Dr. Indiana Jones, the archaeologist, teacher and adventurer, who has become one of his most famous screen characters.

His next film E.T (1982) became one of the biggest money-makers of all time. E.T. was the first movie to be produced by Amblin Entertainment, a production company formed by Spielberg in that year. The film catapulted him to the top in the film industry. It won both critics' appreciation and a huge box-office response.

In 1979 he married Amy Irwing, an actress, but the marriage didn't last long and had one child with her. While auditioning for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom he met actress Kate Capshaw and married her in 1991. Each of them brought one child from a previous marriage with them. They have seven children, two of which were adopted. Spielberg loves children and believes that children keep the child inside him alive and he credits much of his success and happiness to his wife and children.

Hook (1991) was Spielberg's long awaited return to fantasy. In 1993, Spielberg directed two dramatically different films. Jurassic Park, a brilliant science fiction based on Michael Crichton's best seller on dinosaurs and creating the best special effects on screen that the world has ever seen. His most important impact film was a three-hour masterpiece, Schindler's List, a haunting epic that depicted the Holocaust's darkest side. Schindler's List was filmed without any well-known stars. This drama earned Spielberg the most respectful recognition of his career.

DreamWorks SKG formed in 1994 was the first new movie studio developed in Hollywood in over 75 years. DreamWorks promised to be a major force in all forms of entertainment from movies to music, television, live action, video games, film distribution, software and virtually every aspect of entertainment. In 1995, he and his partners at Dreamworks SKG announced a creative partnership with Microsoft Incorporated to form Dreamworks Interactive which would produce interactive games, videos and teaching materials. By 1997, Spielberg's annual income touched $283 million and he was declared the highest paid entertainer for the year by Forbes. Together with Amblin Entertainment, Dreamworks SKG and other projects such as Idealab - an Internet content developing company, and Dive - a restaurant chain. Business Week of June 1998 estimated his value at $1 billion.

From Jaws to AI, Spielberg has never failed to flabbergast the audiences by creating a visual fusion that appeals to viewers ranging from kids to scholarly critics. With his obsession for quality and his paying attention to detail, he has created the most popular work any director has ever produced in the history of Hollywood. Spielberg has not only succeeded as director and producer but also as a complete entertainer. Beside films, he is the chairman of Starbright, an organisation who helps seriously ill children have their wishes come true.

Works Cited and Consulted

Steven Spielberg Awards

Steven Spielberg Filmography

Dreamworks SKG

Starbright Foundation