History Creator / StevenSoderbergh

Steven Andrew Soderbergh (born 1963) is an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward winning film director and producer. He also acts as a writer, cinematographer, and editor on most of his pictures, almost always under a pseudonym. He is best known for going back and forth from making low budget indie films to large budget crowd pleasers, as well as making his movies very quickly and under budget. He's also a major proponent of digital film making.

* ''Film/ErinBrockovich'' (2000) (for which Creator/JuliaRoberts won her Oscar),
* ''Film/{{Traffic}}'' (2000) (for which HE won his Oscar)

* ''Film/{{Che}}'' (2008)

* ''Series/TheKnick'' (2014)

* ''Kafka'' (1991)
* ''King of the Hill'' (1993)
* ''Schizopolis'' (1996)

* ''Full Frontal'' (2002)

* ''Che'' (2008)
* ''The Girlfriend Experience'' (2009)

* OnceMoreWithClarity: Inevitably shows up in his heist films, to fully explain how the robbers perfectly pull off said heist.

* PenName: When he's a Cinematographer or Editor, he's credited under, respectively, [[MeaningfulName "Peter Andrews" and "Mary Ann Bernard".]]

* OnceMoreWithClarity: Inevitably shows up in his heist films, to explain fully how the robbers pull off said heist.

* ''Film/TheInformant!'' (2009)

* {{Determinator}}: His movies tackle the mentality of people who are determined and committed to a task and intend to follow it through, whether it's Karen Sisco, Daniel Ocean, John Thackery or UsefulNotes/CheGuevara himself. He notes that such individuals like to believe that they are in control, that their will can impose order on the world, and he likes to explore what they do when things don't go according to plan, if they can adapt, improvise or change. He notes that this is a good metaphor for film-making in general.

* GenreRoulette: Soderbergh has practically made his name by being an anti-auteur auteur. Not only has he hopped around loads of genres - comedy, drama, science-fiction, action, heist, thriller, biopic, period drama - but changes the style of filmmaking as well, experimenting with any mode that will help the story.

* CaliforniaDoubling: [[AvertedTrope Averted.]] He'll always shoot on location.

* DevelopmentHell: He first approached Creator/MichaelDouglas to play Liberace when they were working together on ''Film/{{Traffic}}''. It took 13 years before [[Film/BehindTheCandelabra the film]] was finally made

* ProductionPosse: Collaborates with writer Scott Z. Burns, Creator/MattDamon, Creator/GeorgeClooney, Eddie Jemison and Channing Tatum. And when he's not editing his own movies, Stephen Mirrione is his editor.

* AcclaimedFlop: If his films aren't [[SleeperHit sleeper hits,]] then they'll be this, much to his frustration. Eventually, he quit commercial film-making altogether and turned to television and other pursuits.

* BreakthroughHit: ''Film/SexLiesAndVideotape''. He also cites ''Out of Sight'' as a second breakthrough which made him viable as a Hollywood film-maker.

* CareerResurrection: ''Film/OutOfSight''. He also sees ''The Knick'' as another one.

* HeAlsoDid:
** Was Assistant Director on ''Film/TheHungerGames''.
** His first project after graduating from film school was a Music/{{Yes}} concert film.

** It eventually got to the point where people are theorizing that Rebecca Blunt, the ReclusiveArtist screenwriter for ''Logan Lucky'', might actually be a pseudonym for Soderbergh, [[UglyGuyHotWife his wife]] [[CreatorCouple Jules Asner]] or mutual friend [[Series/{{Wipeout}} John Henson]].

* {{Biopic}}: An unusual one of Creator/FranzKafka's, followed by a conventional one of Erin Brockovich, followed in turn by unusual films like The Informant!, Che and Behind the Candelabra.

* ''Film/{{Kafka}}'' (1991)

* ''Film/{{Schizopolis}}'' (1996)

* ''Film/{{Che}}'' (2008)
* ''Film/TheGirlfriendExperience'' (2009)

* ProductionPosse: Collaborates with writer Scott Z. Burns, MattDamon, GeorgeClooney, Eddie Jemison and Channing Tatum. And when he's not editing his own movies, Stephen Mirrione is his editor.

* ''Logan Lucky'' (2017)

* AnarchicOrder: Many of his films jump around in time or have a lot of flashbacks.

* {{Biopic}}: An unusual one of Creator/FranzKafka's, followed by a conventional one of Erin Brockovich, followed in turn by unusual films like The Informant! and Che.

** His first project after graduating from film school was a Music/{{Yes}} concert film. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Really.]]

** Was Assistant Director on ''Film/TheHungerGames''. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Really.]]

* AcclaimedFlop: If his films aren't [[SleeperHit sleeper hits,]] then they'll be this.

* BreakthroughHit: ''Film/SexLiesAndVideotape''

* CareerResurrection: ''Film/OutOfSight''.

* ''Che'' (2008)

!!Tropes applying to the man and his work:

* BaldOfAwesome

** His first project after graduating from film school was a Music/{{Yes}} concert film. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Really.]]]

* HeAlsoDid: Was Assistant Director on ''Film/TheHungerGames''. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Really.]]