21st Century Spielbergs

J.J Abrams & Steven Spielberg on the set of Super 8

The age of the amateur film maker is upon us. Although in most cases many of the "amateur" or "found footage" films that have been released in recent years have had more people working on them than their marketing campaigns would lead us to believe. Many of our modern movie makers have a background in making their own special effects, sound recording and editing. What they learned during their youthful exploits enabled them to develop and hone their skills so that we, the audience, could benefit from these formative years.


During the summer of 2011 the film "Super 8" was released which brought together two pioneers from the movie making industry. Through the imaginations of Stephen Spielberg and J.J Abrams, producer and director of "Super 8" respectively, we, the audience were treated to one of the summers better movie adventures. From anyone who didn't get a chance to see it, Super 8 is a 1970s-set thriller wherein a group of teenage filmmakers witness a devastating train crash - only to learn that there may be even more destructive forces threatening their town. It was a bit like "ET" only the alien wasn't as friendly. 


Spielberg, throughout his career, has been inspiring young movie makers to reach and exceed their aspirations in terms of movie making. From the first short he made, "Fighter Squad", right through to his work on "Tintin", the capacity to use what technologies were available at the time to create something for others to see and enjoy was evident in all his works. For Spielberg, his movie "Fighter Squad" was the beginning of a love affair with movie making and editing that in its amateur beginnings shares a great amount with many of his contemporaries. 


John Landis, the director of "The Blues Brothers", "Trading Places" and "Coming to America" was inspired to make movies after seeing "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad". His amateur ambitions when it came to making movies was limited only by his imagination. Much like Spielberg, Landis used his surroundings and friends to his advantages to make movies in different genres. From using his parents swimming pool to film sea battles, to making a James Bond parody using his friends, Landis was showing at an early age a capacity to entertain and enlighten through the medium of film. 


A movie with the title "The Ultimate Disaster" could not be seen as being very subtle introduction for any director to the world of film making. This feature was the first made by J.J Abrams when he was beginning his movie making career. He followed up his first attempt by branching out into different genres to continue his learning process. "High Voltage" was his attempt at a superhero movie made on a budget, "The Attic" his first foray into horror. 


Rolf Harris as an action hero who in the two movies "Rolf Harris Saves The World" and "Rolf Harris 2: The Bearded One" fought terrorists in a play on "Die Hard" is an unique idea brought to the screen by Edgar Wright. Wright, the director of "Shaun of The Dead" and "Hot Fuzz", showed in his early work the same imagination and skill set as those mentioned already. 


Creativity and editing skills played an important role in the early movie making exploits of Spielberg, Landis, Abrams and Wright. Each director used the same camera type when starting off, the Super 8, and combined this with the a desire to produce something that they deemed fit to share with the world. 


For the modern film maker, the video and editing options available allow them to produce something,which although more technologically advanced, shares a kindred spirit with those that have come before them. The years spent creating various special effects, arranging storyboards and bribing friends and family members to appear in their movies has enabled the above mentioned movie makers to achieve fame and placed them in a position of authority in the eyes of amateur movie makers. Imagination afforded Spielberg, Landis, Abrams and Wright the opportunity to entertain the masses  throughout the years and in a sense they are torch bearers for those to come who have a passion for creating a story.