The Short Film That Had Director Steven Spielberg Constantly Nauseous
Amblin is the name of Steven Spielberg's production company, and if you've ever wondered where that name comes from, the answer is simple: it's also the title of a short film Spielberg made in the 1960s. "Amblin'" is a 26-minute short that follows a young man and woman as they hitch-hike across California. It's kind of a big deal in terms of Spielberg's lore because it was the strength of this short that landed Spielberg a long-term deal with Universal. In fact, he became the youngest director ever to land such a contract, all because executive Sid Sheinberg liked "Amblin'" so much. Spielberg was still in college at the time, and when he landed his big deal, he dropped out (he would finish his BA later in life).
But making "Amblin'" was no walk in the park for the young Spielberg. According to the award-winning director himself, he was "nauseous every day" while shooting the short — and as it turns out, feeling sick to his stomach seems to be a Spielberg staple, no matter how successful he becomes and no matter what the size of the project he's working on. In fact, he says that such a feeling is part of what drives him in his work. And it's clearly paid off.
'That's what keeps me honest'
Speaking with EW, Spielberg describes "Amblin'" as "a tone poem about a boy and a girl who meet in the desert, hitchhiking their way to the Pacific Ocean. Very simple story. I wrote it in a day." Throughout the film, the male character is carrying a guitar case. At the end of the pic, there's a twist: there's not a guitar in the case at all, but a business suit. This young man who appears to be a hippie is actually a clean-cut dweeb. This was Spielberg reflecting his own inner nerdiness. While he hung out with hippies, he was no hippie himself.
"He was me, basically," Spielberg said of the "Amblin'" character. "He was dressed as a hippie, but he was a secret square. It was no secret that I was a square. And I think, to my children today, it's still no secret."
When asked about his nervousness and nausea making the film, Spielberg replied: "I've always had shpilkes [Yiddish for 'nerves']." You might be wondering if Spielberg was nervous because he was so young and inexperienced while making "Amblin'." But no, that wasn't the issue. According to Spielberg, he's always nervous when making a movie. "I think it's my fuel, basically — my nervous stomach," he said. "That's what keeps me honest, right? And a little bit humble, in the sense that when I make a movie, I never think I have all the answers. I think I've stayed collaborative my entire career because I don't have all the answers. I come onto the set — whether it was my first movie, 'The Sugarland Express,' or 'Lincoln' — and it cuts me down to size. It's a good feeling to have."
So there you have it: even one of the most successful people of all time gets nervous when he's working, so don't feel so bad about your own anxieties. Be like Spielberg.