Soderbergh says Lee was inspiration

Steven Soderbergh pledged money to Spike Lee's Kickstarter campaign

Steven Soderbergh has explained he sent a big cheque to Spike Lee's Kickstarter campaign because the director is one of his idols.

The Behind The Candelabra director said he was inspired to get into the game by Spike's work, which is why he gave a 10,000 dollar donation to the film fundraiser, said The Hollywood Reporter.

Writing about his 80s heroes Spike, David Lynch and Jim Jarmusch on the Kickstarter page, Steven said: "These were distinctive new voices, and the freedom and success they represented was liberating and energising; these were shoulders I would try to stand on, that I would be proud to stand on."

Spike launched the campaign on film fundraising site Kickstarter to help get the budget together to make an as-yet untitled movie about blood addiction, which he insists is not a vampire flick.

The budget goal is 1.25 million dollars and Steven donated at the maximum level available to give, explaining he thought Spike had a unique talent.

He said: "He is a totally unique figure in American cinema, and he's always gone his own way and spoken his mind, even when the commercial stakes were high, qualities which are in short supply in the film business."

Kickstarter campaigns give filmmakers 30 days to raise the amount of money they expect will be needed to get a new, unfunded project off the ground.