10 Director Trademarks That You Can't Unsee

10. Spielberg: Shooting Stars

Considering the kind of director Spielberg is and the reputation he has developed over the years, this one shouldn' come as too much of a surprise.

Spielberg is a director who has never shied away from sentimentality, in fact, he practically thrives off of it. Whether it be Indiana Jones, E.T., or even his more recent works such as the BFG, a sense of nostalgia and wonder is crucial to his work.

A tool that Speilberg utilizes quite frequently to help instill this sense of wonder in the audience is that of a shooting star. Whether it be in Jaws, Temple of Doom, Close Encounters, or even Saving Private Ryan, nearly every Spielberg film has a scene in which a shooting star can be spotted.

What is the meaning of all of this?

John Baxter's 1996 biography of the director featured the recounting of a story in which a young Spielberg looked up at the night sky and witnessed a meteor shower. This initiated a lifelong fascination with the phenomenon and their visual impact on the mind of a child.

It may sound like the kind of inspirational story straight out of a Speilberg film, but it's the gospel according to the man himself.