The Big Picture The Steven Spielberg Conversation
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Mar 23, 2026 
Steven Spielberg, legendary filmmaker behind Jaws, E.T., and Schindler's List, discusses his six-decade career and new sci‑fi film Disclosure Day. He talks about childhood movie memories, evolving tones in his sci‑fi work, on-set process and storyboarding, thoughts on UAPs and theology, why theaters matter, and a planned Western. Short, reflective, and full of filmmaking anecdotes.
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Real World Events Shift Spielberg's Sci‑Fi Tone
- Spielberg's tone in sci‑fi shifted over decades as his worldview and historical events like 9/11 influenced film choices.
- He remade War of the Worlds specifically to use alien invasion as a metaphor for 9/11's impact.
E.T. Led Spielberg To Want Children And Continuity Shooting
- Making E.T. made Spielberg want to be a parent; he shot the film in continuity to protect child actors' emotional arcs.
- Shooting the goodbye as the last scene amplified real sadness and influenced his desire for children.
Storyboard VFX Films But Leave Space For Intuition
- Use storyboards for VFX-heavy films but embrace minimal planning for actor-driven dramas to let intuition guide discovery.
- Spielberg often blocks complex VFX shots in advance but shoots films like Schindler's List without storyboards.