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Spielberg sends student handwritten letter

Steven Spielberg will always be a legend... that's a given.

But the director has shown that despite being one of the world's best – and likely busiest – directors, he's still got time to encourage the next generation.

[Related story: Spielberg to work on Kubrick's Napoleon drama for TV]

19-year-old amateur filmmaker and design student Krishna Bala Shenoi of Bangalore, India, made a 75-second animated tribute to his idol and posted it online.

Through the singular power of the internet, it then ended up on Spielberg's very own screen.

The clip came to his attention after Shenoi posted it in a blog on the Chicago Sun Times website, where he is a special correspondent for film critic Roger Ebert.

The blog was in turn spotted by Spielberg's long-standing make-up designer Lois Burwell, who has worked with Spielberg on films including 'Saving Private Ryan', 'Catch Me If You Can' and 'Lincoln', who made Spielberg aware of it.

So impressed was the director with Shenoi's work, he penned him a personal note of encouragement.

“I read the story about you in the Chi Sun Times and then I watched your sweet and respectful short movie,” he wrote.

“Your image choices and clever transitions gave your tribute film a real narrative. I was impressed to say the least. I will be looking out at the horizon to see where next you will emerge and impress.”

After receiving the note, Shenoi took to Facebook, writing: “Wow. Steven Spielberg, my favorite filmmaker of all time, wrote, *handwrote*, a note to me after seeing my animated tribute to him. I'm shaking in knees right now. Wow.”

Later, he said: “I am so thankful to Steven Spielberg for being gracious enough to have taken the time to write me such a letter. I am convinced that his goodness is not restricted to just his films.”

The tribute, which took four months to make, links together animated images from Spielberg's films, including 'Jaws', 'Jurassic Park' and 'E.T.'.

The clip can be seen here....