Spielberg filming style question

[DARTH SABER]

Most directors have a very distinguishable style of directing filming, so I was wondering if you guys could list Spielberg's filming trademarks.

I know during his early years he used to use a lot of lights beaming through misty fog, he also likes to use TVs or radios playing in the background, etc.
Slow camera zooms when something ominous is being revealed.
Low angle camera shots...


Any others?

 

[Moviefreak]

Aliens... lots of aliens running around in the fog :lol

 

[CTF]

Well, he's always Spielberging it.

That's when he has people standing 'round, staring, while we track in towards 'em.

Slow camera zooms when something ominous is being revealed.

Not zooms.

 

[ghostryder]

"Notice where you're standing when you watch the rehearsal... and then put the camera there."

-Steven Spielberg.

 

[Jannix Quinn]

cast Tom Hanks

 

[DarkHelmet]

Just to name a few:

Camera pushes into subject (to me, his trademark)

Camera reveals

Long takes, but combining three or four different scenes just by having the actors change positions (usually walking towards the camera).

Lots of activity going on in the background, like a play. Usually involving kids and parents arguing.

Shooting star somewhere in the night sky...

 

[CTF]

combining three or four different scenes just by having the actors change positions

A "hinge" shot.

 

[Jet Beetle]

Spielberg's style hasn't changed - even if you take ET and place it next to Private Ryan - he let's the location direct the shots. his blocking and framing are dictated by the scenery surrounding the actors. When Elliott is outside the toolshed the camera is framed by the toolshed and the edge of the house

allowing the action to take place center frame - he does this alot - this "style" comes from stage direction. Not that hard to understand seeing how Stevie wanted to be Alfred Hitchcock, who was a stage director first. Objects are placed or he finds framing devices within the shot to use the scenery as directional dictators -
the boxes

the dirt wall and the truck

the cave walls

the boat

Medium to long shots are kept nice and tidy and the blocking doesn't feel forced.

This is just one of the old methods he uses - that so few people use today.

 

[CTF]

Not that hard to understand seeing how Stevie wanted to be Alfred Hitchcock

Right on the money.

 

[CB2001]

There is one thing that I've noticed about Speilberg's work. Before he did "Schindler's List," all of his movies, to me at least, had a youthful feeling to them, like no matter which movie it was, be it "Duel", or "Jaws" or even "Jurassic Park" (hell, even "Always"), had a feeling that they were being directed by someone who was not just young at heart, but young at mind. However, after "Schindler's List," it's like he went from being youthful to being old and somewhat cynical. It's like he somehow lost his inner child that came through in his films. I hope I'm making sense.

 

[Jet Beetle]

There is one thing that I've noticed about Speilberg's work. Before he did "Schindler's List," all of his movies, to me at least, had a youthful feeling to them, like no matter which movie it was, be it "Duel", or "Jaws" or even "Jurassic Park" (hell, even "Always"), had a feeling that they were being directed by someone who was not just young at heart, but young at mind. However, after "Schindler's List," it's like he went from being youthful to being old and somewhat cynical. It's like he somehow lost his inner child that came through in his films. I hope I'm making sense.

Yeah, I remember reading an interview with Robin Wiiiams who said while Steven was filming he would break down at least twice a day and just cry all by himself. He would call Robin everyday and ask him to cheer him up somehow so Robin would do what he does trying to make him laugh. Robin finally flew to the set to be with Steven and help him get through the day. Steven was so worried he was somehow being disrespectful to the people who died and he would ask EVERYONE if what he was doing was okay. Sad.

 

[CTF]

being directed by someone who was not just young at heart, but young at mind.

Hmm, I don't know... to me, The Lost World seems like it was directed by a child.

:angel

 

[CB2001]

Yeah, I remember reading an interview with Robin Wiiiams who said while Steven was filming he would break down at least twice a day and just cry all by himself. He would call Robin everyday and ask him to cheer him up somehow so Robin would do what he does trying to make him laugh. Robin finally flew to the set to be with Steven and help him get through the day. Steven was so worried he was somehow being disrespectful to the people who died and he would ask EVERYONE if what he was doing was okay. Sad.

Well, that would explain the change in his films to me. It's like everything after that, even comedies like "Catch Me If You Can" and "The Terminal" came off as somewhat darker than before that.

 

[Jet Beetle]

Hmm, I don't know... to me, The Lost World seems like it was directed by a child.

:angel

If you remember he almost didn't do Lost World but his contract to Universal carried a heafty fee. He wanted to give it to James Cameron.

Lost Wold was the first movie I ever worked on (as a PA) and just to spill a secret - Steven wasn't there sometimes. They had him on a television set and he was in the Hamptons playing with his kids in the living room while telling people what to do. I can't speak for all of the movie - but the stuff that was shot at the old broken down section of Jurassic Park, Steven wasn't there some of the time. But - he is Steven Speilberg, the guy can direct a hit movie in his sleep.

 

[CTF]

They had him on a television set and he was in the Hamptons playing with his kids in the living room while telling people what to do.

He learned that from Francis.

 

[Jet Beetle]

He learned that from Francis.

Heyyyy - I never thought of that - I bet you're right. It was a pretty weird thing to see - especially for me - I was so jazzed to see him when I got to work and then -- boom

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

I did not know that Spielberg or any other director in the american system can take so much control over the visuals ?

I always thought that the DoP has main control over the visuals, making their work so darn expensive?

Dariusz Kaminski photographed most of Spielbergs movies in the last 15 years, and I must say that I find the comparative analysis of the framing that was chosen a bit on the general side?

The choices can be interpreted in many ways, i.e.

a) shows Elliot coming out of his home, stepping into a bigger world (the illuminated, glowing shack symbolising the unknown)
b) shows the gigantic scope of what has been hidden in the warehouse
c) is just the visually more interesting shot in regards of a sense of danger, and composition with a good foreground, midground and background
d) again shows the danger, comparing Indy, leaving him no room to go except forward
e) shows the last moment of the troops before they land, all crammed into the boat

All of the above are to me to a great percentage the obvious choices of how the shots should have been framed. Of course, a lot of them are text book shots nowadays, maybe that´s why they seem so natural to me and I don´t have the feeling that they are examplanatory for a Spielberg-movie.

Michael

 

[CTF]

Dariusz Kaminski photographed most of Spielbergs movies in the last 15 years, and I must say that I find the comparative analysis of the framing that was chosen a bit on the general side?

Janusz Kaminski.

I did not know that Spielberg or any other director in the american system can take so much control over the visuals ?

I always thought that the DoP has main control over the visuals, making their work so darn expensive?

Are you familiar with the auteur theory? "It's just a theory, I happen to agree with..." But as Jon Bon Jovi said, "No man is an island."

 

[jlee562]

It's also been said that Spielberg watches "The Searchers" before starting a new movie.

 

[thegreatgalling]

Another not mentioned is that he ALWAYS begins every film with some sort of action ALREADY in progress. This was a big distinction, especially in the 80s, when films often started with cheesy sloow city helicopter shots while the credits rolled. We are always presented with character(s) acting out plans ONLY known to them for the time being, either walking somewhere, or doing something, and it usually takes a few seconds to pick up what we are watching.