10 tips from Steven Spielberg for Screenwriters and Filmmakers

Oscar winning director Steven Spielberg bafta interview about his screenwriting process and lessons from the screenplay on his films and movies Schindler’s List, Jurrasic Park, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Saving Private Ryan, Close Encounters of the Third Kind,... His net worth is US$3.7 billion. He’s considered all time greatest director along with legends like Alfred Hitchcock, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron and Stanley Kubrick. We can’t wait for his new movie West Side Story!
What is your favorite tip from Steven Spielberg?
Which writer/director would you like to see next?
Let us know in the comments👇
0:00 - Intro
1:07 - 01 - Fight for and stay devoted to your original idea. Write the screenplay from that idea. The only thing that matters is the creative process.
2:34 - 02 - When you have a dream, it often doesn’t come at you screaming in your face. Sometimes a dream almost whispers. Listen to the whisper.
03 - Learn from your predecessors. Not just the recent ones, but go way back to black and white films.
3:35 - 04 - Storytelling and emotion always come first. Business and cinematography always second.
5:22 - 05 - If you want to make movies, make movies. All the tools are completely available today, there is no excuse.
6:10 - 06 - If you fail with a project, don’t let it affect you. Throw yourself into work and start the next project immediately.
7:04 - 07 - In movies, there is only one CHARACTER DEFINING MOMENT, but in life, you face them every day. Listen to your internal voice and intuition when facing those moments.
9:18 - 08 - When learning your craft it’s ok to be derivative and influenced by the works of others. But at some point, you must find your own voice. Because YOU are ORIGINAL.
10:17 - 09 - Create SUSPENSE and fear in the audience by not showing the actual threat for some time. The imagination of the audience is scarier than the actual thing you show.
11:13 - 10 - Sometimes an idea comes like a gift from heavens and it hits you like a ton of bricks. When that happens, start writing scenes on the spot and put the story together immediately.
12:35 - Outro
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#stevenspielberg #screenwriting #screenplay

[@rboddington]

I became a filmmaker because I saw ET when I was 12. To date I have completed six feature films, and heading into number 7. Thank-you for the career you gave me Mr. Spielberg.

[@NIKONGUY1960]

"Listen to the whisper." Sage advice. Well timed advice. I respect him more than any other filmmaker. He's so true to his voice. Thanks for posting this.

[@mysticfellow9843]

People always scoff at ideas, but in reality, all of the best movies have the most original ideas. That's not to say they're completely original because great art is borrowed and drawn from influence. It's being able to stay true and practical to your ideas and not letting anyone else tell you otherwise. We need more idea generators, not money snatchers.

[@greenflamingoentertainment8613]

What about kiddie diddlers? Seems plenty of those to go around in the old burg

[@AllThingsFilm1]

It's no surprise - to me - that some of the best advice comes from Steven Spielberg. And like other great advice, it's not about what you write, but how you deal with the ideas when they come to you. Listening to that internal voice. Priceless.

[@ericdavidwallace]

I agree Steven is the master storyteller

[@smalltownglobalproductions]

It is about what you write but it's also about how you deliver it and how well you know your audience.

[@jamiewilliams8452]

It’s interesting to watch these and listen to the subtle differences in their processes of writing and filmmaking. Thanks man!

[@soorajunnithan8424]

Exactly 💞💞😍😍🥰🥰

[@sammyfabelman]

My childhood hero.Thank you Steven 🙏 A great man...

[@ellenlewitt]

This man is helping me so much right now. Writing through this pandemic. He's breaking down walls.

[@ninareed4389]

What a lovely human being. Incredibly humble. And speaks from his heart.

[@alexsanborn]

Steven Spielberg is the best director of all time

[@davemckay4359]

My intuition always speaks in the quiet voice. It's english, but the words still are there.

[@JFreese]

Man he explains things so well!!

[@keneasum7697]

Very interesting and insightful advice about listening and developing our own voice--what stories do we want to tell, and how.

[@ComicPower]

Spielberg is a genius. I learned a lot.

[@anastassiamichaeli3560]

Thanks a lot for such an amazing collection of materials! Very useful and inspiring.Thank you

[@howardkoor9365]

He has a unique place in humanity because of his drive, vision, and ambition. Story teller extraordinaire.

[@smalltownglobalproductions]

My filmmaking idol. He makes films that really matter to humanity. And like him, I started when I was only 16 making videos and telling stories. I am a professional writer and filmmaker with Hollywood connections. I also make videos for education including homeschool parents. I take the influence of Spielberg with me in every project.

[@lloydl7425]

Emphasis on story key. In the strangest way, Spielberg is underrated. His camera setups don’t seem artificial; the frame often goes away. And he does action sequences as well as any director in film history.

[@ramkrishnayadav2326]

He is not underrated. He is the greatest director in my generation. Him & Martin Scorsese.

[@RKIII]

I think you meant to say Him and only him hahaha

[@ramkrishnayadav2326]

@@RKIII He is my favourite director! But I admire Scorsese too. 👌🏾

[@KasperKali]

Insightful and very beneficial. Thank you for posting!

[@natalyfelicianosotolove]

This man is my inspiration and the one of the reasons why I decided to go into filmmaking. I want to be the female Steven Spielberg! One day I’ll have my Jaws, and ET flims!

[@chrkrngl]

I *LOVE* how he explains point 8.) about being derivative. I think it's like when you have a band or learning a music instrument: The most fun of early LEARNING your craft is to cover your favorite songs by your favorite bands/singers. Or like bands jam to their favorite songs to warm-up.

[@mdsaddamhosen5176]

One of the greatest filmmakers ever

[@emile4449]

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode along with Coppola's, King's, and Tarantino's! I would like to see Sylvester Stallone and Rod Serling next. Serling was no director, but he was a strong presence on tv and cinema, which influenced many of these guys! It would be interesting to see these 2.👍

[@summitvaats]

Thank you outstanding screenplay people 🙏❤

[@MikeBcomedy]

I loved every second of this. Thank you for this channel.

[@bradhouston4734]

Fascinating. Steven talks about listening to the whispers of intuition. I believe that God whispers, I wonder if there is a connection?!?

[@RKIII]

I would say so. Personally, I believe God speaks to each of us in a way that is highly specific to ourselves. For example, I have tried to relay the way God speaks to me, but it has always failed, and while this undoubtedly has to do with my inability to communicate what I want to accurately, I think even if I could communicate it perfectly, this way that he speaks to me is specific to the way I think and understand the world. And, I think the same is said for Spielberg and his relationship with God. I recently watched E.T. as in a few months ago, and Spielberg captures not only the feeling of abandonment, but the desire that we all have for a savior in our lives. I mean you can call them superheroes, actors, or whatever, but the fact is that we all worship something and the only thing worthy of our worship is Jesus Christ. And, I think E.T. captures this so well even though Spielberg would deny that it is about Christ due to his Jewish roots. I would argue that it is his Judaism as well as the feeling of abandonment that he felt from his parents divorce that he is tapping into and uses to capture this longing for a savior that I think all humans feel which would explain the popularity of E.T. that Spielberg has been unable to top in his career.

[@RamonnnV]

There is no connection

[@Dean_corso007]

Love you sir. You are my inspiration to love movies and movie making❤️

[@michaelorlev9925]

Great video as always!

[@jesaispasvraimentquoiecrireici]

8:16 This guy in the audience knows how to listen to a great speech

[@OutstandingScreenplays]

Haha 😂

[@nickandrews2477]

I came here to find this

[@StayFractalesque]

💯

[@eliescobar954]

he was listening to the whispers via the nose thing lol

[@silent6648]

Keep it up my dude!

[@DROWYNAUT55]

Best video I have ever seen thank you

[@r.p.8906]

ET: the transcendence and universality of Love.

[@michael_viteritti]

Thanks for sharing

[@nfltrrrqwsa7512]

0:09 although, it the craziest thing, it’s every movie I’ve made. Yey for money!!

[@choose2behappy699]

Shalom and salaam alaikum! I love you, Steven Spielberg! May God bless u and ur whole household!

[@r.p.8906]

YES!!!

[@kevinrunnion5790]

I was like why do I hear Christmas music but this is from December

[@jimdandy2318]

Thank you :D

[@freeguyguy2879]

Now a days there is lack of original screenplay and brilliant writing coz studio only force to make a franchise from every story.

[@liberpolo5540]

Ugh, you're so write ...

[@jommyfonseca6109]

we need more cristopher nolan and tarantinos

[@liberpolo5540]

@@jommyfonseca6109 YES

[@souldiving4197]

@@jommyfonseca6109 yes! Most def Tarantino.

[@shanthoshsatchithananthan8276]

Nowadays people are very picky. The industry manages to make to make great movies every year. Nowadays people are only interested in superheroes films and high budget movies. Also people are complaining that every movie is a rip off of something else but don’t realize that their so called “original movies” are based on the movies the director of that film has watched until that point in his life. If people were more open for movies and stop complaining for even the slightest part, then people would understand how many gems we make a year

[@UncompressedWAVmusic]

Great video tremendous ideas for film making and life.

[@ianbeale6154]

My hero

[@obiches6414]

Great perspective onda whole shoulda coulda business

[@lanabethmorrison6584]

Please steven spielberg make a number 1movie on the annunaki 🙏 only you will make the best on the annunaki and do it right .

[@oldman4633]

Wow, son loves Stevens" work and is inspired. My son has adhd, but he doesn't let that stop him. He attends to Southwest Community Collage here in Memphis. He's taking graphic arts. Then he's going to transfer to the University of Memphis. He wants to start a production company, and hire from the community.

[@ChuckKahn]

8:54 how old was Steven Spielberg at the moment he describes as when his "intuition kicked in"

[@madyati]

Background music is from which film?

[@lucindanewcomb8769]

I’ve been wondering for so many years if instincts are different from intuition and how you know the difference. He uses them synonymously.

[@d.gowtham5326]

Do a video about denis villenue

[@desifmafilm]

Please Put the subtitles on Video

[@rocknrollronrrr6113]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@derekseven1647]

The Cinema Master Has Spoken.

[@OG-NASA]

FACTS

[@JEA1965]

1 \6 \ 9 that great idea ...... by sri lankan

[@rg-mf1pg]

amitabh bachan and steven spieldberg look like they are related

[@JCRimburgProduction]

Do next george lucas

[@spyderwalk]

@8:16 dude was in a different place.

[@ManaBDew]

Hope like key 🔑 we drop yet rest in this. They are sure too turn up. 😂 My coworkers in professional Graphic Arts in a variety of ways all said Buddy your like Woody from Friends we like you are full of natural humor. 😂

[@napoleanthgrt]

Whrss this soundtrack 🦋 from Do mention it plsssss❤️❤️❤️🎥🎥😎😎😎😎😎😎😎Initial ONE

[@overtondo]

why did that camera zoom in on someone picking their nose lol!!!

[@ManaBDew]

To me this is Like Listening to A Dr. of The cosmos including Theological visual science and, humanities PhD. ☝️🤔👍 Hi I said hello to you today Shalom Sir so neat

[@imaginationworkshopstudio]

#MasterofCinema

[@mmma4158]

Wow so ET was about his parents divorce, that just made that movie even deeper...

[@jonathanrascol]

❄️❄️❄️ 🧚🏻🧚🏻🧚🏻

[@joshuaroach1834]

Daydreams for dollars!

[@ottodrone6173]

How about that pick n flick at 8:15 I wouldn't wanna be sitting in front of that dude.

[@loge10]

A tip for Spielberg: don't spoon-feed everything to your audience and give them the benefit of the doubt that they are intelligent and can think and feel for themselves.

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

That's how I felt about Minority Report. It's a good story, but it over-explains itself in the end to a distracting degree. Then again, the multitude of videos online offering to explain the endings of films that aren't remotely confusing makes me wonder just how smart audiences really are.

[@vivekthegenius]

Your videos are really good but the background music is so loud that I can hardly listen what the guy is saying.

[@FilmBuffBros]

8:16 - Am I the only person who envies people with enough IDGAF attitude to pick their nose in public ??? But I think the lady next to him doesn't feel that way... #YourWaq

[@camillesfeir1251]

Breaking News

[@vinnyczo3293]

wait what?!?!?!?!?!? there's only 9 tips D: u_u

[@8xscope380]

First😢✊

[@Yourmomshassole]

Ha, dude was picking his nose

[@BenShirai]

NOT TO THE OP: I like these videos but there is way too much text on the screen. I'm trying to listen to these curated sound bites and I'm having to cover the text with my hand so I can hear what's being said.

[@alexperaleslerma6498]

“ Gilyahna 18:20,4 >< Rejoice over her you holes ones, apostle, and apostles, and prophets the Angel has pick up huge milestone and threw it in sea and said: With such force will Babylon the great city be thrown down will never be found again hmm>< true or false? Exod 20:16

[@fo1711]

He forgot to mention the Jewish part...

[@InsidiousDr9]

He's very hit and miss. Jaws; ET; Schindler's List; Jurassic Park; Raiders of the Lost Ark But then... Indiana Jones Crystal Skull; Hook; Always, AI, Ready Player One. His best work are cultural touch-stones; his worst are colossal wastes of money and time. His biggest failures, in my mind are movies and premises that should have been fantastic. Ready Player One and Kubrick's AI of note. If his last name wasn't Spielberg would anyone have given more chances after those failures? Also #9 is taken from H.P. Lovecraft's playbook. The greatest horror is found in the unknown (In application don't show the guy in the rubber monster mask, show the other people's reaction to the monster).

[@simonwang8780]

The impartial robert periodically tempt because soy preferably drown through a jobless stream. omniscient, dreary shoemaker

[@NIKONGUY1960]

WTAF??????

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

Don't type while huffing paint fumes.

[@sureshbm7136]

Who is the Rascal thumbs down

[@lawrenceclemens8494]

Would have been better without all the CHEESY MUSIC in the background.

[@Eigil_Skovgaard]

Get lost Steven!

[@birdlover7776]

Why?

[@Eigil_Skovgaard]

​@@birdlover7776 He's a propagandist for the tribal effort to disinform about European history. He has harmed more people than Ilya Ehrenburg, who was a insane monster. Some of the most perverse examples from Steven Spielberg are Sophie's Choice and Schindler's List. His TinTin animation is about the best he has ever produced, but his unpolitical productions can't outweigh the deliberate lies he has spread to make himself rich and famous. That's why this world would be a better place if his god would be kind enough to take Steven home prematurely. So, he's in my daily prayers.

[@birdlover7776]

@@Eigil_Skovgaard Spielberg didn’t write or direct Sophie’s Choice

[@Eigil_Skovgaard]

​@@birdlover7776 No, I should have mentioned Saving Private Ryan - another movie that is demonizing the beaten Germans to the absurd an in a very evil way. But actually I thought that Sophie's Choice was made by Spielberg. My mistake.

[@mcdick700]

Why is number three missing