Editing Steven Spielberg (section)

=== Method and themes ===
Spielberg often uses [[storyboard]]s to visualize sequences, eschewing them for ''[[E.T. the Extraterrestrial]]'' and ''[[The Color Purple (1985 film)|The Color Purple]]'' for a more spontaneous effect.{{Sfn|Freer|2001|p=112}}{{Sfn|Freer|2001|p=149}} After filming ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'', Spielberg learned to save special effects scenes until last and to exclude the media from filming locations.{{Sfn|Baxter|1996|p=160}} Spielberg prefers to shoot quickly, with large amounts of coverage (from [[Single-camera setup|single-shot]] to [[Multiple-camera setup|multi-shot]] setups), so that he will have many options in the editing room.{{Sfn|Mairata|2018|p=69}} From the beginning of his career, Spielberg's shooting style consisted of extreme high and low camera angles, [[long take]]s, and [[Hand-held camera|handheld]] cameras.{{Sfn|Buckland|2006|p=69}} He favors [[wide-angle lens]] for creating depth,{{Sfn|Buckland|2006|p=205}} and by the time he was making ''Minority Report'', he was more confident with elaborate camera movements.{{Sfn|Buckland|2006|p=202}}

In an interview with ''[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]]'' in 2015, Spielberg described how he chooses his film projects:{{blockquote|[Sometimes], a story speaks to me, even if it doesn't speak to any of my collaborators or any of my partners, who look at me and scratch their heads and say, "Gee, are you sure you wanna get into that trench for a year and a half?" I love people challenging me that way because it's a real test about my own convictions and [whether] I can be the standing man of my own life and take a stand on a subject that may not be popular, but that I would be proud to add to the body of my work. That's pretty much the litmus test that gets me to say, "Yeah, I'll direct that one."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wang |first1=Ray |date=October 22, 2015 |title=The Tech talks to Steven Spielberg |url=https://thetech.com/2015/10/22/spielberginterview-v135-n28 |access-date=March 10, 2018 |website=[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]] |archive-date=March 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311140655/https://thetech.com/2015/10/22/spielberginterview-v135-n28 |url-status=live }}</ref>}}Spielberg's films contain many recurrent themes. One of the most pertinent revolves around "ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances".{{Sfn|McBride|1997|p=263}}{{Sfn|Freer|2001|p=76}} The ordinary people often have limitations, but they succeed in becoming a "hero".{{Sfn|Freer|2001|p=76}} A consistent theme in his family-friendly work is a childlike sense of wonder and faith, and "the goodness in humanity will prevail".{{Sfn|Freer|2001|p=76}} He has also explored the importance of childhood, loss of innocence, and the need for parental figures.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Steven Spielberg and Philosophy : We're Gonna Need a Bigger Book|date=2008 |publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]] |isbn=978-0-8131-7324-5 |editor-last=Kowalski |editor-first=Dean A. |location=Lexington, Kentucky |page=48 |oclc=299792520}}</ref> In exploring the parent-child relationship, there is usually a flawed or irresponsible father figure. This theme personally resonates with Spielberg's childhood.{{Sfn|McBride|1997|p=181}} Exploring extraterrestrial life is another aspect to his work. Spielberg described himself as like an "alien" during childhood,{{Sfn|McBride|1997|p=67}} and this interest came from his father, a science fiction fan.<ref>{{cite book| title = E.T. DVD Production Notes Booklet| publisher = Universal|year=2002}}</ref>