Steven Spielberg War Horse Q&A

Q: Thank you for participating in our Q&A session with Steven Spielberg!

A: Do not forget to check out War Horse when it hits theaters this December on Christmas Day!

Q: Thank you for participating in our Q&A session with Steven Spielberg!

A: Do not forget to check out War Horse when it hits theaters this December on Christmas Day!

Q: Philippines – What still excites you?

A: What still excites me is making movies! I cannot wait to shoot a movie and get up every morning and get to work. What never changes is the passion that is no different than it was when I first picked up my camera when I was a child.

Q: Argentina – what advice would you give to filmmakers today?

A: With a video camera everyone has the chance to show everyone else at the same time what your talent is and who you are as a person. There are a lot more chances to be discovered today.

Q: New York – Do you have any kind of specific personality traits or things that you put in your films like Hitchcock?

A: When I was younger I put myself in some of my TV shows because the benefits were so good but I do not do it in my movies.

Q: Were there any time’s you’ve said “I will never again ____”

A: I will never lead a company or crew into any unknown land. I’ll put them ahead of me!

Q: Ireland: How involved was the author ?

A: The author was actually in the film. He was not involved in the screenplay, but approved every revision.

Q: Ireland – How involved, if at all, was the author in the film?

A: Michael is actually in the film. He did not do anything with the script but gave us his blessing on all of the drafts of the screenplay. He was like a cheerleader for all of us.

Q: Twitter: You discovered a few actors before they were known. How was it with new actors in Warhouse ?

A: Drew Barrymore, Dakota Fanning, Christian Bale – all actors that I have worked with early on. It creates a bond with the actors and everyone comes together.

Q: from Twitter – You discovered a few actors before they were well known what was it like working with unknown actors during this movie?

A: I have great luck with unknown actors. I love working with new actors for the first time! They always come on the set and are absolutely terrified but it is fun seeing them get through their first week.

Q: Anything that scares you first thing in the morning ?

A: I am scared first thing in the morning, as you never know what any given day is going to bring. Every day is an unknown – I have a nervous stomach every morning. The nervousness is what keeps me making movies.

Q: Are you scared to walk on the set?

A: I do not know what everyday is going to bring and what nuggets of authenticity we will find that day. Every single day is unknown and it lies in wait ahead of you.

Q: Belgium – What is the most memorable anecdote you have about the film War Horse? Was there one great or strange day?

A: Falling into a huge 6 foot hole that was immersed in water!

Q: Belgium: Single most memorable anecdote while making Warhorse ?

A: After a terrible rain all night, and I was in the trenches filled with muddy water. I was walking point, and all of a sudden I was under water and hands were reaching in to get me. The cones had been washed away!!

Q: New York – There were only a couple of CG scenes. Did you use animatronics?

A: We did use animatronic horses where we were able to get our close-ups.

Q: Ohio – Which film genre that you haven’t explored yet would you like to explore in the future?

A: I’d love to do a musical someday. I do not have a particular one in mind though.

Q: Texas – What is your favourite part of this movie and any movie you’ve ever done?

A: We never knew what surprises Joey was going to bring to the set that day.

Q: Venezuela – Are you still holding firm on celluloid? Film versus digital?

A: I’m not looking to convert to red camera. Tin-Tin was 100 percent digital animation but we will all be forced to shoot digitally sooner rather than later.

Q: How difficult were the action sequences?

A: Keeping the horses safe was a huge challenge especially in the German Calvary charge scene. It was very hard to shoot in the trenches because we had to run stunt men through uneven ground and it was pouring rain. Creating intensity in the screen without showing what would be repulsive to many was a challenge as well.

Q: How difficult were the action sequences?

A: Keeping the horses safe was a huge challenge especially in the German Calvary charge scene. It was very hard to shoot in the trenches because we had to run stunt men through uneven ground and it was pouring rain. Creating intensity in the screen without showing what would be repulsive to many was a challenge as well.

Q: How difficult were the action sequences?

A: Keeping the horses safe was a huge challenge especially in the German Calvary charge scene. It was very hard to shoot in the trenches because we had to run stunt men through uneven ground and it was pouring rain. Creating intensity in the screen without showing what would be repulsive to many was a challenge as well.

Q: How difficult were the action sequences?

A: Keeping the horses safe was a huge challenge especially in the German Calvary charge scene. It was very hard to shoot in the trenches because we had to run stunt men through uneven ground and it was pouring rain. Creating intensity in the screen without showing what would be repulsive to many was a challenge as well.

Q: War Horse is a film that encourages people to go and investigate the history of movies. Do you think we will send a lot of people to check out older films?

A: All the great movies are the older movies for me because I’m old fashioned and people should immerse themselves in that

Q: War Horse is a film that encourages people to go and investigate the history of movies. Do you think we will send a lot of people to check out older films?

A: All the great movies are the older movies for me because I’m old fashioned. People should immerse themselves in that.

Q: War Horse is a film that encourages people to go and investigate the history of movies. Do you think we will send a lot of people to check out older films?

A: All the great movies are the older movies for me because I’m old fashioned. People should immerse themselves in that.

Q: Massachusetts – How much CG was used in the filming of War Horse?

A: There are 3 shots that are significant CG during this film and the only reason I did it because I wanted to keep the horses safe.

Q: Massachusetts – How much CG was used in the filming of War Horse?

A: There are 3 shots that are significant CG during this film and the only reason I did it because I wanted to keep the horses safe.

Q: Massachusetts – How much CG was used in the filming of War Horse?

A: There are 3 shots that are significant CG during this film and the only reason I did it because I wanted to keep the horses safe.

Q: Can you explain The Black Stallion and other movies about horses and their relevance to this film?

A: Black Stallion is a film I’m very familiar with and is the most significant horse-centric movie that had ever been made because it really is about that horse. Seabiscuit was another story about a great horse and the jockey’s life. Black Stallion is a definite parallel though.

Q: Can you explain The Black Stallion and other movies about horses and their relevance to this film?

A: Black Stallion is a film I’m very familiar with and is the most significant horse-centric movie that had ever been made because it really is about that horse. Seabiscuit was another story about a great horse and the jockey’s life. Black Stallion is a definite parallel though.

Q: How did you feel about converting this movie from a book?

A: Movies are literal experiences. You have to use light and shadow and employ the illusion of depth and Warhorse did that so brilliantly. Because of that it’s an entirely different journey than a film is.

Q: How did you feel about converting this movie from a book?

A: Movies are literal experiences. You have to use light and shadow and employ the illusion of depth and Warhorse did that so brilliantly. Because of that it’s an entirely different journey than a film is.

Q: People have asked you about making people cry during the film?

A: If you don’t feel I am forcing the tears from your eyes but you feel their honesty, I don’t want to force anybody to cry but if you cry because the story is affecting you and the characters it’s a compliment.

Q: Seattle – Was there anything going on at your moment in life that drew you to Warhorse?

A: With Tin-Tin there was a time I wasn’t needed for 10 months and I was working on producing my movies and I wasn’t producing anything until Lincoln and this play came into my life and I became enthralled with it.

Q: Seattle – Was there anything going on at your moment in life that drew you to Warhorse?

A: With Tin-Tin there was a time I wasn’t needed for 10 months and I was working on producing my movies and I wasn’t producing anything until Lincoln and this play came into my life and I became enthralled with it.

Q: California – How was your approach to depicting war similar or different as in Saving Private Ryan?

A: World War I has a different movie history than World War II did. It was trench warfare and the lines never moved and it was a brutal war and soldiers lived in those trenches for four years whereas World War II had many advances.

Q: San Francisco – With all the films you’ve made about war what is your war about human nature in context to our current climate?

A: I have many feelings about the war, my father is a proud veteran of World War II and he taught me something when he was very young. War proves who your friends really are. And that teamwork and way people live and die for each other is what my movies are about.

Q: Miami – This film has a genuine sentimentality like Gone With the Wind. What films did you reference during this time?

A: I just shot with wide lenses and that’s not something that’s done today. With TV we lost the ability we lost the time to decide who to watch. There is not a single scene in this movie that I consciously did an homage to. The film took on life itself and I don’t believe there is a homage in that picture.

Q: what first drew you to the project? was it the book?

A: It was both. the book i read first but it’s read from Joey’s point of view. The play of course uses spectacular puppetry and was a great inspiration.

Q: Where was the movie shot?

A: All over England.

Q: Which scene was the most technically challenging?

A: The single most challenging thing was when Joey runs through no man’s land, running blind through the barb wire. We had to keep in mind that no horses can be hurt during the filming of the movie.

Q: In developing this story, how did you know this is something you can do?

A: Steven Spielberg says, this would have been a difficult movie to film if I don’t know horses. My wife and family all have spent time with horses and when I saw the play, I thought this was something I could have done, because I know horses.

Q: Switching from horses to the war scene, Steven Spielberg says…

A: Ford is one of my favorite directors. Ford celebrate rituals and traditions. With War Horse, the land was the character. You don’t realize it, but the land was important to the movie.

Q: How would you cast for the roles for the horses?

A: You cast them the same way as people. There was Finder and Abraham. I like to think that there was 2 Joey’s, not 8.

Q: Steven Spielberg says…

A: Joey doesn’t eat anyone!

Q: Steven Spielberg says…

A: Joey doesn’t eat anyone!