Steven Spielberg - Successfull Filmmaker

At the age of thirty-six, he’s became the most successful filmmaker in history. He’s already responsible four of the ten top-grossing films of all time, including E.T, The Extra-Terrestrial, the highest-grossing film ever. How did he reach that point at such young age? It’s a remarkable story.

From the age of twelve or thirteen, Spielberg knew he wanted to be a movie director. His life changed when he took a tour of Universal Studios one afternoon when he was seventeen years old. The tour didn’t quite make it to the sound stages, where all action was, so Spielberg, knowing his outcome, took action. He snuck off by himself to watch the filming of a real movie. He ended up meeting the head of Universal’s editorial department. Who talked with him for an hour and expressed an interest in Spielberg’ films.

For most people that’s where the story would have ended, but Spielberg wasn’t like most people. He had personal power. He knew what he wanted. He learned from his first visit, so he changed his approach. The next day, he put on a suit, brought along his father’s briefcase, loaded with only a sandwich and two candy bars, and returned to the lots as if he belonged there. He strode purposely past the gate guard that day. He found an abandoned trailer and, using some plastic letters, put Steven Spielberg, Director, on the door. Then he went to spend his summer meeting directors, writing, and editors, lingering at the ages of the world he craved, learning from every conversation, observing and developing more and more sensory acuity about what work in moviemaking.

Finally, at age twenty, after becoming a regular on the lot, Steven show Universal a modest film he had put together, and he was offered a seven-year contract to direct a TV series. He’d made his dream come true.

Spielberg followed the Ultimate Success Formula. He had specialized knowledge to know what the results he was getting, whether his actions were moving him closer or farther from his goal. He had the flexibility to change his behavior to get what he wanted. Virtually every successful person does the same thing. Those who succeed are committed to change and being flexible until they do create the life they desire.