Steven Spielberg Harvard Commencement Speech 2016: Advices Grads to Outrun T-Rex and Go Home [WATCH FULL VIDEO]
BySteven Spielberg shared a sentimental and moving experience in his 2016 Harvard commencement speech. The award-winning Hollywood filmmaker, addressed Harvard grads on May 26.
The "Saving Private Ryan" director talked about history and what making movies should be about. Spielberg is not being paid for his commencement speech at Harvard University, CBS News reported.
Here are the highlights of Steven Spielberg Harvard commencement speech 2016.
Steven Spielberg on character-defining moment
The 16-time Academy Award nominee said, "My job is to create a world that lasts two hours. Your job is to create a world that lasts forever."
Spielberg said that everybody talks a lot that you cannot even hear your own mind. People are so used to nodding to agree and walk along, rather than following their intuition. He distinguishes intuition and conscience by saying that conscience tells you 'what you should do' while intuition tells you 'what you could do'.
Steven Spielberg's personal speech on making his movies - his mission
Spielberg's Harvard commencement speech 2016 also talked about how a movie is a mission for him. He realized this when he made "Color Purple". He read an excerpt on the script that stated "Everything wants to be loved". He then learned that people need to meet more characters and experiences like this and that is now part of his mission in making every movie Entrepreneur reported.
Steven Spielberg advised Harvard grads to 'know your history'
Spielberg mentioned Jurassic Park's writer, a Harvard grad who praised his history professor and remembering a quote from him that stated if someone does not know their history, they do not know anything. You are a leaf that didn't know you are part of a tree.
By studying the past, people can create better future. The director advised Harvard grads to ask about their parents' or grandparents' and guaranteed they will not get bored. According to his Harvard commencement speech, his movies are based on real life events because life has the greatest stories that have never been told. Spielberg, who was given a handycam by his father at the age of 12, did not know back then that it would determine his future.
Love, support, and courage
The director further explains that, "A hero needs villain to vanquish." Spielberg describes the world as 'full of monsters' - racism, ethnic hatred and homophobia to name some. Despite the love and support, there is something to fight for and replace 'fear with curiosity', also having an empathy.
Spielberg's commencement speech 2016 offers plenty of movie analogies but he did stress on how people today are spending more, looking on devices that to each other's eyes. He said that people should make more 'human connection'.
Spielberg concluded his commencement speech 2016 at Harvard University by wishing all a 'Hollywood-style happy ending'. He hoped the grads 'outrun the T-Rex' to catch criminals and every now and then, like "E.T", to 'go home' to their parents.