There is incredible value in creating trust and rapport with people you work with, as you strive to create a long-lasting career in this industry. Of course, we all need to learn how to maintain that balance between having a professional relationship and being friends.
A great dynamic duo that we can look to for inspiration is Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Here are some great lessons we can learn from the dynamic duo on how to maintain good relationships in the film industry.
Creating a Network: Get Out There
In the forward that Steven Spielberg wrote for the book, The Complete Making of Indiana Jones: The Definitive Story Behind All Four Films he mentions that he first met George Lucas at a USC student short film screening and was amazed by George Lucas’ short film, THX 1138. So much so that he decided to meet with him after the screening, and that’s where their friendship began. In fact, many of the friendships between Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Brian de Palma, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg all began with these types of run-ins. George Lucas met Francis Coppola while interning at Warner Bros. Studio and Coppola was his mentor. The five of them would continue to help and support each other on their films. When Spielberg visited de Palma on the set of Scarface, he would help shoot second unit for him.
The takeaway? It’s important to find a support system in this industry, so get out there and make the most out of your interactions, as you never know who will be supportive of you and give you your first break. When in school, meet up with your classmates or become a teaching assistant for your professors and strike up a rapport with them. Go out to screenings and festivals and talk to the filmmakers after. There is no shortage of opportunities-- no matter how small they may seem.
Respect Each Other’s Strengths and What They Bring to the Table
When listening to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg talking about their relationship, you can see they have a lot of respect for each other. They see the gold in each other and understand that they are very different in their approaches to filmmaking, but their differences help add up to the whole. Indiana Jones works because George Lucas brings mythological ideas and Steven Spielberg brings relatability to his characters.
Giving a Leg Up
When Star Wars came out, George Lucas was in Hawaii with Steven Spielberg making sandcastles on the beach. At that time, Spielberg had just made 1941, which was a flop, and he was telling George Lucas what he really wanted to make was a James Bond movie, to which George Lucas said, “I’ve got something better,” which was Indiana Jones. However, at the time no one wanted to work with Spielberg, as he was known at that time as a director who went over schedule and over budget. But George Lucas told studios that he wouldn’t make the film without Spielberg, and Spielberg promised Lucas that he’d come under budget and on time – a promise he has kept ever since.
This is where making good relationship and keeping promises will help serve you, as you may never know where your next opportunity might come from.
Let Your Relationships Evolve
As Spielberg’s peers continued making strides and moving forward in their careers, Spielberg cheered for his friends. The interesting part of the relationship between George Lucas and Steven Spielberg is that they continued to be very close friends, even though they don’t often make movies together. When making The Phantom Menace, George Lucas would invite Spielberg into the pre-production process, throughout which he was very supportive of Lucas. This is a very healthy way to look at friendships and relationships. We all evolve, but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to have close relationship with your past colleagues.
In my opinion, the main thing to take away from the relationship between George Lucas and Steven Spielberg is a mutual respect for the people you work with. We don’t have to agree with each other’s creative ideas; however, we can still acknowledge the value-adds we bring to the table. And that is important, as we all benefit from our collective strengths.
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Note From Tongal: This blog is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Tongal. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here!
