There's a Hollywood legend that says Steven Spielberg got his big break when he slipped away from a tour at Universal Studios, found an abandoned office (or janitor's closet, depending on who's telling the story), and set up shop. After frequently seeing him come and go dressed in his bar mitzvah suit and tie, the security guards began simply waving him through. Somehow, Spielberg utilized this precarious position to make a short film that caught the attention of Universal's television division. He was then hired to direct a few television episodes, and the rest is Hollywood history.

True or not, the Spielberg legend emphasizes the need for perseverance and ingenuity. As a struggling screenwriter once said, “If you can't walk through the door, break in through the window,” meaning that if the most obvious avenue to your goal is blocked, try another way. That's precisely what the now legendary director did. For most aspiring filmmakers, however, breaking into the film industry usually requires the traditional journey of working your way up through the ranks.

Producer A. C. Lyles is the classic tale of starting at the bottom and rising to the top. Lyles began working for Paramount Pictures in 1928, delivering mail to the likes of Cecil B. DeMille. Today he still has an office there, as well as a studio building named after him, a star on Hollywood's “Walk of Fame,” the George Washington Award (presented to him by President Ronald Reagan), and a very nice vintage Thunderbird.