# Transcript: SIMULCAST: The Big Picture with Steven Spielberg Live from SXSW **Date:** March 13, 2026 · 10:00 PM **Session:** [SIMULCAST: The Big Picture with Steven Spielberg Live from SXSW](/sessions/2026-03-13/pp1150912-simulcast-the-big-picture-with-steven-spielberg-live-from-sxsw) ## Summary Steven Spielberg reflects on his illustrious career, discussing his early influences, evolving approach to science fiction, and the profound impact of personal experiences like parenthood on his work. He emphasizes the importance of intuition in filmmaking, the collaborative nature of the craft, and passionately advocates for the enduring value of the communal movie-going experience in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. ## Topics `steven spielberg` · `filmmaking` · `science fiction` · `cinema experience` · `directing` · `intuition` · `storytelling` · `film history` · `ufos` · `ai in film` ## Key Takeaways 1. Cultivate and trust your intuition in creative endeavors, as it often provides profound guidance that surpasses rational thought, especially in dynamic and collaborative environments. 2. Embrace the communal aspect of shared experiences, whether in a movie theater or other public spaces, as it fosters unique connections and collective emotional responses that are vital for community and communication. 3. Continuously draw inspiration from both contemporary and classic works, recognizing that foundational cinematic history offers timeless lessons for storytelling and craft. 4. Prioritize personal life and family, as these experiences can deeply enrich and shape your creative output, providing a grounding perspective and keeping your work relevant. 5. Be adaptable in your creative process, balancing meticulous planning for complex projects with spontaneous, intuition-driven approaches for more personal or character-focused narratives. ## Full Transcript When I was very young, I had an abundance of fears that stemmed from my imagination, which I later realized was an overabundance. Whenever I saw something, I would extrapolate and make it much worse than it actually was. My first experience with fantasy was seeing Walt Disney's Fantasia at age seven, which was a big mistake for my parents. The 'Night on Bald Mountain' sequence destroyed me, making me unable to sleep for a year. This intense fear, however, sparked an impulse to create a talisman to protect myself, which involved scaring my sisters. This was how the whole movie thing started for me, as I wanted to find an outlet to exorcise the demons of fear and project them onto someone else. My parents didn't allow much television, but when denied media, you often create your own, which I believe greatly aided my imagination as a young person. The parental denial of my urge to live in a movie theater made me famished for big experiences. The first movie I ever saw in a theater was 'The Greatest Show on Earth' when I was six or seven, an event I later depicted in 'The Fabelmans.' After that, my parents regularly took me to see movies, but they were films they wanted to see, not necessarily ones I desired. My relationship with science fiction has always centered stories through human eyes, rather than imagining alien worlds. One of my earliest influences was 'Destination Moon,' a terrestrial film about humankind's first trip to the moon, which grounded me with its realistic approach and suspense. I'll never forget the scene where they had to strip the spaceship to get back to Earth, which was the first time I truly felt suspense. I wanted to make 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' even before 'Jaws,' but nobody would let me because it was considered too fringe, on the edges of science and mythology. When I pitched it as a 'UFO movie,' studios thought I wanted to make a film about crackpot reporting and crazy fantasy. It wasn't until after 'Jaws' was released and became a massive success that doors opened, and I could finally make my dream film. As I've gotten older, my perspective on science fiction has evolved, reflecting my growing awareness of the world. Everything a filmmaker creates is influenced by their subconscious and their current understanding of the world. For example, I only wanted to remake 'War of the Worlds' because 9/11 affected me profoundly, and I sought a metaphor for that event, finding it analogous in the story. 'E.T.' marked a significant turning point for me, as making it made me want to have kids. I shot the film in continuity, which allowed the child actors to deeply connect with their characters, and the final scene of saying goodbye to E.T. was the last one we filmed. This experience compounded the sadness of separation for everyone, but for me, it revealed the profound joy of future parenthood. President Obama's comments about UFOs recently rekindled my interest in the subject, though he later clarified his belief in life in the cosmos, which I've always shared. I've always believed we are not alone, and the big question is whether we are alone now or have been for thousands of years. My desire to make another UFO movie, almost 50 years after 'Close Encounters,' was reignited by a 2017 New York Times article about a Navy pilot's sighting. Further fueling my conviction was a 2023 subcommittee hearing where former military and intelligence personnel testified under oath about UAPs. While I have no exclusive information beyond what's publicly available, I have a very strong suspicion that we are not alone on Earth right now. My film 'Disclosure Day' explores the social dislocation that could occur if evidence of long-standing alien interaction were announced, suggesting it would be a disruptive but not lethal event for belief systems. I don't make many contemporary films, as most of my stories take place in the past or, occasionally, the future like 'Disclosure Day' and 'Minority Report.' I'm drawn like a magnet to history, a fascination inspired by my father who loved reading biographies and historical accounts. While I have no aversion to present-day stories, I've simply found so much richness in narratives about the past. Films today move incredibly fast, a trend that began with music videos and then influenced commercials before impacting feature films. The constant visual sound bites from platforms like TikTok and Instagram contribute to this accelerated pace, eating up time and attention. While 'Disclosure Day' is fast-paced, I appreciate films like 'Train Dreams,' which offer a slower, meditative exploration of an entire life. My filmmaking process varies greatly depending on the project. For effects-heavy films with large budgets, everything must be meticulously storyboarded and planned in advance. However, for other films, like 'Schindler's List' or 'Saving Private Ryan,' I often arrive on set without a single storyboard, allowing for spontaneity and intuition to guide the day. These less planned shoots are the most fun for me, as I get to surprise myself and discover possibilities on the day. My intuition is my best friend on any movie, and I listen to its whispers more than the loud voice of my brain. This approach fosters deep collaboration with the crew and especially with actors, who bring a profound understanding to their characters. When communicating on set, I often block scenes with a second team while the actors are in hair and makeup. This allows me to quickly establish camera positions and movements based on my intuition. Once the actors arrive, they trust my process, and I later explain the 'why' behind my choices, though I'm always open to their insights if they can convince me of a better approach. Effective blocking is crucial in movies and television, and I always advise film students to study the masters. Directors like Elia Kazan, Mike Nichols, and Michael Curtiz from classics like 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' and 'Casablanca' offer incredible lessons in visual storytelling. Watching TCM is essential for understanding how some of the best stories were told in the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. I gauge whether a complicated scene works by the audience's reaction. I didn't know what we had with 'Jaws' until we previewed it in Dallas. I remember a man getting up and running out during a particularly intense scene, only to vomit in the lobby before returning to his seat. That's when I knew we had a hit, as the audience's visceral response confirmed the film's impact. All my movies, even the happy ones, come from my nightmares, so I'm accustomed to the burden of other people's nightmares as well as their dreams. However, making 'E.T.' was a profoundly joyful experience, as it led me to discover the love of parenting. Similarly, 'The Fabelmans,' though painful and personal, was a joy to create, and 'Disclosure Day' forged five true friendships, which is very important to me. My motivation stems from a lifelong love of storytelling; I've been telling stories my whole life, often to my seven children at bedtime. I cannot envision a life without making movies, as it would be the worst deprivation. My family, including my wife, seven children, and six grandchildren, is the 'real stuff' of my life, taking precedence over directing in the last 20 years and keeping me relevant and current. For inspiration, I annually rewatch 'Lawrence of Arabia,' a film that deeply moved me as a child and keeps me humble, reminding me I'll never be as good as David Lean. Marty Scorsese, Bob Harris, and I restored it in the 80s, and I watch my 70mm print every year, especially before starting a new movie. Even now, I still discover new things in it, like a mysterious silver chewing gum wrapper in a desert shot. I've been humbled many times on set, always by an actor's performance. Anthony Hopkins in 'Amistad,' Tom Hanks in 'Saving Private Ryan,' and especially Daniel Day-Lewis in 'Lincoln' have all moved me deeply. During Day-Lewis's four-minute speech as Lincoln, I had to leave the set and was found crying in another room, a moment I'll never forget when 'Mr. Lincoln' came to comfort me. Regarding future projects, I'm currently developing a Western, which I can reveal will have horses and guns but no stereotypes or tropes. I never want to quit filmmaking, as every movie is a unique world, a birth, a life, and a death. I belong to the school of directors like David Lean and Christopher Nolan, who embrace eclectic careers, and I focus on looking forward rather than dwelling on past accomplishments. One film of mine that I feel is underseen and misunderstood is 'Always,' a remake of the 1943 film 'A Guy Named Joe.' It was Audrey Hepburn's last film, and I love the story, often rewatching parts of it. It was a film I used to show girlfriends, and if they didn't cry at the end, I wouldn't go out with them again, a testament to its emotional impact. The communal experience of movie-going is incredibly important to me. When we're all together in a dark space, strangers united by a story, a collective impulse hits us all simultaneously. This shared experience fosters community and communication, creating a unique feeling of unity that cannot be replicated by watching films at home, despite the convenience of streaming. To sustain this vital communal experience, we must make compelling movies that entice people to leave their homes. The invention of the iPhone and portable media has shifted focus to smaller devices, requiring bigger ideas and strong word-of-mouth to draw audiences to theaters. My companies, Amblin and Universal, are committed to creating films that people will want to see first on the big screen. I remain very current on movies, watching every nominated film and short for the Academy Awards, often with my wife and a close-knit group of movie lovers. While I haven't used AI in my films and generally oppose it replacing creative individuals, I believe it has a place in other disciplines. If an alien wanted to see one of my films, I'd show them 'E.T.,' but to represent the kindness of the human race, I'd choose Frank Capra's 'It's A Wonderful Life.' --- *Source: stt · Language: en · Model: google-vertex/gemini-2.5-flash* [← Back to session](/sessions/2026-03-13/pp1150912-simulcast-the-big-picture-with-steven-spielberg-live-from-sxsw)