Steven Spielberg’s Director’s Chair is a 1996 educational adventure that invites players to step behind the camera and discover—interactively—some of the challenges involved in filmmaking. Rather than simply watching a film crew at work, the player takes on the role of director and must transform an idea into a feature film, making creative and practical decisions throughout the process.
The experience begins with a limited budget and the assistance of a personal aide who guides the player through the initial steps. Before production on the first film begins, Steven Spielberg offers words of encouragement. Next comes work on the script: Ted and Terry—or Terry and Ted, depending on the introduction—offer suggestions for revising the story and propose changes that can influence the final outcome. In doing so, the game conveys a fundamental concept of filmmaking: directing is not just about having a vision, but also about listening, negotiating, and deciding what works b...
Steven Spielberg’s Director’s Chair is a 1996 educational adventure that invites players to step behind the camera and discover—interactively—some of the challenges involved in filmmaking. Rather than simply watching a film crew at work, the player takes on the role of director and must transform an idea into a feature film, making creative and practical decisions throughout the process.
The experience begins with a limited budget and the assistance of a personal aide who guides the player through the initial steps. Before production on the first film begins, Steven Spielberg offers words of encouragement. Next comes work on the script: Ted and Terry—or Terry and Ted, depending on the introduction—offer suggestions for revising the story and propose changes that can influence the final outcome. In doing so, the game conveys a fundamental concept of filmmaking: directing is not just about having a vision, but also about listening, negotiating, and deciding what works best for the project.
Production can face delays, making the management of time and money part of the challenge. The player collaborates with well-known figures from film and entertainment, including actor Quentin Tarantino, actress Jennifer Aniston, and the duo Penn & Teller. Cinematographer Dean Cundey also participates, using his expertise to help keep the film within budget. These appearances add a special appeal to the game and reinforce its role as an educational introduction to the world of cinema.
More than an exhaustive technical simulator, Steven Spielberg’s Director’s Chair serves as an accessible introduction to the decisions involved in a production: tweaking the script, coordinating talent, and handling setbacks while keeping available resources in mind. Its approach blends learning with entertainment, offering a lighthearted look at the collaborative effort required to make a movie. Developed by Knowledge Adventure and published by DreamWorks Interactive, JustSystems, and Random House, it was released for Mac and Windows, including versions for Windows 3.x. It is a curiosity of the multimedia era that introduces the player to the work of directing and the—not always simple—magic of bringing a story from the page to the screen.
