Spielberg was the youngest director to be signed to a long-term plan with a major Hollywood studio

When Spielberg was given the chance to work as an intern at Universal Television, he decided to leave California State University. Spielberg was given permission to write and direct Amblin, a short film intended for theatrical release, by Sid Sheinberg, Head of Universal Television.

Steven Spielberg moved in and opened up shop before beginning Amblin. A friend who was also attempting to earn his big break in the business gave the film a $15,000 budget. Amblin exhibited at the Atlanta Film Festival in 1969 and won multiple honors at film festivals. The Television division afterward agreed to a 7-year arrangement with Steven Spielberg. After helming a variety of TV episodes in just 4 years, he filmed the suspenseful made-for-TV movie Duel, which won praise from both critics and viewers and was ultimately released in theaters. Steven was at that time the youngest filmmaker to ever sign a contract of this kind with a major Hollywood studio. Following its success at film festivals, Spielberg's production firm, Amblin Entertainment, adopted the moniker Amblin.

Two years after Jaws' commercial triumph, Steven Spielberg released his second movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which was nominated for an Academy Award for best director. However, not every Steven Spielberg movie has been well received, as evidenced by the miserably unsuccessful 1941, his debut comedy (released in 1979). This setback did not deter him, either, and the following time he teamed up with a friend of his named George Lucas. Together, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas created Raiders of the Lost Arc, an action-adventure film based on serials they both adored as children. Steven Spielberg received a second Oscar nomination for best director for the movie.