Steven Spielberg is one of the most prolific and celebrated filmmakers of all time, but according to the man himself, he still gets nervous every time he starts a new scene. “When that verges on panic, I get great ideas,” the “Jurassic Park” helmer explains in a new trailer for Susan Lacy’s “Spielberg.” The upcoming HBO documentary traces Spielberg’s creative process and epic career.

By his own admission, Spielberg didn’t have the grades to get into USC film school — but he didn’t let that roadblock get in the way of his dreams. “I realized this was going to be what I was going to do or I was going to die trying,” he says of making movies. In the five decades or so since, he’s directed mega hits including “Jaws,” “ET,” and “Indiana Jones.”

“All my films come from the part of myself that I really can’t articulate,” the four-time Oscar winner says in the spot. Fortunately Lacy has recruited a wide array of the actors, writers, directors, and producers to weigh in on his work, including Oprah Winfrey, Cate Blanchett, and Kathleen Kennedy.

Spielberg’s upcoming projects include a biopic of photojournalist Lynsey Addario and “The Post,” a drama depicting the Washington Post’s involvement in uncovering the truth about the Pentagon Papers.

“Judy Garland: By Myself” and “Joni Mitchell: A Woman of Heart and Mind” are among Lacy’s previous credits.

“Spielberg” will make its premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 5 and debut on HBO October 7.