Spielberg’s Filmmaking Style and Techniques

Zhaoyi Ding(B)

Aquinas International Academy, Garden Grove, USA

dingzhaoyi666@163.com

Abstract. Spielberg has managed the nearly unachievable position of one of the
most successful directors by ensuring that his films are iconic, which means that
any person will see that every possible element of his film is usually very well
thought out and implemented excellently. Even the production designs in his films
have a unique role, whereby he uses a prop or set piece in not only introducing
scenes, but also in contextualizing them to the audience accordingly. These ele-
ments make his work unique, as indicated in how many of his films are iconic and
have made him one of the most renowned, successful and influential directors in
the world. The director also uses performance blocking to move actors in the scene
so that his film has kinetic energy, and communicates sub-textually to the audience.
Multiple compositions in shots are also used generously in Spielberg films as a
means of introducing elements like emotion, attracting attention, and keeping the
overall film entertaining enough. By applying these elements Spielberg manages
to keep his audience engaged so that they do not miss the point he is attempting to
make in the narrative of his various films. Camera movement is another element in
which Spielberg takes a unique approach, whereby he understands the importance
of moving the camera in all directions at all speeds at the same time as a means
of enhancing the cinematic value of the film. While new and upcoming directors
need not copy Spielberg’s style because he has established himself as the expert in
this respect, they could greatly benefit from studying his approach to filmmaking.

Keywords: Scene · production · style · technique · blocking · subtext

1 Introduction

Steven Spielberg is one of the most important and successful directors in modern-day
Hollywood, whereby the success of his films has made him the most commercially
successful director ever. He has won a wide range of awards and honours for his work
and is generally considered one of the most influential people in the world due to his
impact on the film industry and other aspects of modern-day society. His most successful
films include the Indiana Jones film series, The Colour Purple, Empire of the Sun, Jaws,
E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic park, Schindler’s List, Lincoln, Saving Private Ryan,
and The Sugarland Express among many others [1]. Due to his characteristics as an artist
and as a director, Spielberg has been able to redefine whole genres due to his creative
approach to working on various films. Understanding the work of Spielberg can be
instrumental in driving filmmaking in the future, especially as the world of filmmaking

© The Author(s) 2023

B. Majoul et al. (Eds.): ICLAHD 2022, ASSEHR 726, pp. 692–698, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-97-8_88
 Spielberg’s Filmmaking Style and Techniques 693

becomes more dependent on CGI rather than practical effects [2]. As he was able to be
highly successful with minimal to no use of CGI in films like Jaws when the technology
was not yet advanced enough to be used in detail, his solutions can be a lesson to aspiring
modern-day directors. Spielberg has cinematographic techniques and filmmaking styles
that are only characteristic of him, such that his works stand out and remain film classics
long after they were first released [3]. In this assessment, the objective is to examine the
elements of Spielberg’s works that make him one of the most interesting and the most
commercially successful directors in history.

2 Analysis

Spielberg does not just start his films, whereby he prefers to use a production design
like a prop or piece on the set that serves to put the audience in the context of the film
instead of just throwing them into it. In all his best films, he starts the film itself by
presenting the audience with production design elements so that they can appreciate the
visual elements of the setting before they can dive into the narrative [4]. By so doing, the
audience receives a visual reset so that they can know that a new set is starting, which
makes his films episodic and easy to follow for the audience. In addition to setting the
scene, the opening shot of the scene can also be used as a means of contextualizing the
whole narrative, particularly if this element is combined with the scene that came before
the element. At the start of Jurassic Park, he introduces the scene by presenting all the
characters and the setting in which they are interacting so that the audience can know
the role of the scene and the people they are about to meet [5]. Presenting the audience
only with the setting without introducing dialogue or narrative, confusion is avoided,
and the film becomes more enjoyable because people can follow. With his understanding
of the importance of contextualizing and setting the stage, it is evident that Spielberg is
unmatched in his talents as a storyteller. In his understanding of his audience, Spielberg
does not focus on the spectacle, but on how the audience perceive and consume his films,
which is the reason they are favourites among audiences.
In addition to avoiding the issue of disorienting the audience by presenting too much
information, Spielberg follows each of the characters on the screen so that the audience
can know who is the most important character that needs to be followed. By applying
blocking of subtext and kinetic build-up, Spielberg can move his actors in a scene so
that the audience gains a clearer understanding of the film beyond what is being said.
In this case, if the stakes or mood in the scene are changing, then Spielberg will change
the position of the actors in the scene so that the audience can understand the subtext
even more [6]. These visual choices set Spielberg apart from other directors as he can
communicate emotional information that other directors typically depend on music and
sound to reproduce. In Lincoln, starting a scene with a letter but working on how the
scene is blocked communicates the relationship between the characters of Stephen who
was disrespectful, and grant who was polite [7]. In addition, Spielberg ensured that he
included more men on the union side as a means of telling the audience in the subtext that
the confederate side was not doing well in the war. In this film, he knew that just telling
the audience that the north had more people and was winning the war was not enough,
as many people miss the words in a film. As such, he opted for the visual element that
694 Z. Ding

greatly enhanced the extent to which the audience enjoyed his film and learned what he
wanted them to learn about the protagonist. While films are inherently visual, Spielberg
is able to introduce unique visual elements in his work such that the story is told using
subtext that the audience does not perceive immediately.
While it is easier to build single shorts, great directors like Spielberg take the more
complex approach in which a shot has multiple compositions, whereby a single shot
tends to have many shots that alternate across different compositions. By adjusting a
single element like the size of the shot, Spielberg is able to direct the attention of the
audience, evoke an emotional reaction in the audience, and keep the shot interesting even
if it is long. Varying shots this way enables Spielberg to achieve the objective of getting
the audience to suspend their disbelief so that they can focus and enjoy the film without
drifting [8]. Spielberg can achieve excellent fluidity in this cinematographic technique
that requires lots of rehearsals and practice, as well as an excellent film crew. The
complexity of such kind of shots and their effectiveness is evident in Munich, whereby
he used the compound shot as part of the film’s first assassination, which he wanted the
audience to pay more attention because it was an important plot driving scene in the
film [9]. In this shot, the black September member is followed by Avner, after which
the former is killed in an elevator lobby in a series of shots that employs a combination
of camera movement and zoom shots to make the compound shot. The compound shot
and the complexity of the process of making it made an impact on the audience even
if they know nothing about cinematography. Getting people to appreciate the technical
elements of a work without them knowing the actual details of the work is evidence of
talent and expertise like the ones possessed by Spielberg.
In addition to using compound shots that combine approaches like medium close,
medium shot, full shot, and long shot without cutting, Spielberg also uses the XYZ space
movement of the camera in order to improve the perception of movement in the film.
While many directors will crane a camera up or down, dolly it in, or track laterally,
Spielberg has a way of ensuring that his cameras do all these movements at the same
time [10]. Combining this movement with background elements, production design, and
performance blocking, Spielberg is able to improve the quality of his cinematic adventure
films immensely. In addition to moving his camera in the XYZ space, he also employs
a change in speed and complex equipment, as indicated in his refusal to use a techno-
crane in Schindler’s list as he wanted the audience to experience the tragic events from
the inside [11]. The scenes with concentration camps and ghettos required the audience
to see them slowly and in an immersive manner to avoid disorienting the audience or
cheapening their impact on the narrative. Instead of the consequent tone-deaf outcome
that could result from fast camera movement, taking the time to compose the scenes
made Spielberg look thoughtful to his audience. His use of space was not just for his
convenience or the convenience of the characters in his narrative but was done for the
benefit of his audience who appreciate a director who points out on what they need to
focus their attention. The additional attention paid by Spielberg pays off in the form of
the appreciation that the audience gives his work, even if many have no idea why they
think his films are fascinating and different from the works of others.
Spielberg’s movement of the camera extends beyond the use of space, to using the
motivations of the characters as a means of informing how he moves his camera to capture
 Spielberg’s Filmmaking Style and Techniques 695

the action. The motivated movement of the camera means that the camera is not separate
from the action, but is part of the action so much that it drives the elements of the action
to which the audience pays attention. For instance, if a character was picking something
from the ground, the director could tilt the direction of the camera downwards in order
to focus the audience on this specific part of the action [12]. In addition, if there is a side
character who attracts the attention of the main character, instead of ignoring the side
character, Spielberg may pan the camera to show this character to the audience. Another
related technique is how he can use eye trace as a means of directing what the viewer
focuses on the screen instead of merely viewing the whole film as a single item [13].
Spielberg has perfected the art of using colour, light, and movement in order to move
the attention of the audience so that important elements of the film are not missed as he
needs to tell his story. Similarly, he has a practice in which all his characters tend to enter
and leave the frame, which is important because it not only punctuates his scenes but
keeps the narrative going in an episodic manner. The conventions he has established for
his films give them character and inform the audience on what they should expect when
watching his work, as they know any decision he makes has some relevance. While the
conventions may have been challenging even for the audience when they first appeared,
they have become such an integral part of the experience of watching a Spielberg film
that the works would look strange without them.

3 Discussion

Spielberg has an approach to filmmaking that seems to be unique only to him that many
directors would not attempt, as his techniques are usually the result of his own creativity
and decades of filmmaking in which he perfected his art. Most of his techniques primarily
involve getting the audience to pay attention to the characters and the story he is trying
to tell, whereby the tools used seem directly targeted to the viewer. While the eventual
outcome of the filmmaking techniques and cinematography used by Spielberg is that the
film ends up looking good, his focus is on the artistic element first. He wants the audience
to appreciate the story he is trying to tell and is willing to take risks in order to do so
in the most effective way possible regardless of existing conventions [14]. For instance,
the typical practice is to move the camera on a single axis using existing equipment,
but Spielberg would rather do the more complicated approach because it gives his work
something that the works of others may lack. It makes sense that he would do this, as
he always has his audience in mind when making a film, and his work involves more
than enough planning and practice to perfect his shots. Without the perfection of shots,
he would not be able to create iconic works that are enjoyed by audiences decades
after they were first made. His camerawork makes these works so unique that they are
appreciated multiple times, as there is always something new to learn about Spielberg’s
filmmaking upon a rewatch of his work. The rewatch value of work contributes to not
only its current earnings but also the likelihood that future works will be considered
interesting by viewers, thus establishing the position of a director in the industry and
history.
Based on how Spielberg incorporates similar elements across multiple films, an
important element of being a successful world-renowned filmmaker is consistency in
696 Z. Ding

how the work is designed and implemented. The work has to have a signature with
which people can identify it, including elements that would otherwise be impossible
to replicate for the unpractised and inexperienced director. Consistency is the reason
most of the aspects of his style and techniques are included in this project, as they
tend to appear consistently in Spielberg films, even if they include a few variations. For
instance, Spielberg will always attempt to drive the gaze of the audience to the aspect of
the scene he thinks to be most important by using colour, movement, and other elements.
Additionally, he will always introduce a scene with a setting or character that is most
important to the scene, which serves as a tool for introducing and contextualizing the
scene before the audience actually gets to see the scene. The lesson from Spielberg is
that any up-and-coming director can be successful, but only if he or she is willing to
break conventions and introduce a personal touch to one’s work [15]. The personal touch
element primarily includes getting the audience to understand more about the work than
is said by the characters by adjusting various elements of the work like the speed or
movement. The director would work with the frame in order to communicate more to
the audience than is explicitly presented, which greatly improves the rewatch value of
the film. For any director that wants to be as successful as Spielberg, paying attention
to the film creation process itself is an important approach as it gives an element of
excellence that is unmatched.

4 Conclusion

There is a reason Spielberg is one of the greatest directors ever, especially considering
how his films have managed to earn more than the earnings of any other director in
Hollywood history. Spielberg has managed this nigh unreachable feat by ensuring that
his films are iconic, which means that any person will see that every possible element of
his film is usually very well thought out and implemented in an unmatched way. Even
the production designs in his films have a unique role, whereby he uses a prop or set
piece in not only introducing scenes, but also in contextualizing them to the audience
accordingly. The director also uses performance blocking to move actors in the scene
so that his film has kinetic energy, and communicates sub-textually to the audience.
Multiple compositions in shots are also used generously in Spielberg films as a means
of introducing elements like emotion, attracting attention, and keeping the overall film
entertaining enough. Camera movement is another element in which Spielberg takes a
unique approach, whereby he understands the importance of moving the camera in all
directions at all speeds at the same time as a means of enhancing the cinematic value
of the film. In order to be able to use the camera movement to the effect that Spielberg
does, it is important to understand how and why the movement is being used instead of
merely using it for its sake. Camera movement is an important part of filmmaking for
Spielberg, as it is used to attract attention to specific actions, movements, and items so
that the audience can follow his work even more actively. Spielberg does not seem to
believe in leaving anything to change, as indicated in how all his filmmaking approaches
are deliberate instead of being used because they are the latest available filmmaking
techniques.
 Spielberg’s Filmmaking Style and Techniques 697

Acknowledgement. I managed to be successful in working on this conference paper due to the

support I received from the university, my teachers, my family, and my friends, and I would like
to express my sincere gratitude to them. Without their support, I would not only have had a hard
time working and completing the project, but I would also have been unable to remain focused
during my research work and documentation of my findings. The support took the form of moral,
academic critical, and even financial support, which all contributed to my being able to work on
this project despite the challenges it presented.

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