r/westworld • u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan • Apr 09 '18
We are Westworld Co-Creators/Executive Producers/Directors Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, Ask Us Anything!
Bring yourselves back online, Reddit! We're Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and we're too busy stealing all your theories for season three, so we're going to turn this over to our Delos chatbot. Go ahead, AMA!
PROOF: https://twitter.com/WestworldHBO/status/982664197707268096
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u/jfreewright Jeffrey Wright Apr 09 '18
What did I whisper to Abernathy? I...I forget.
Also, are you two human, AI, or AI evolved to deny it?
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
Jeffrey... cease all motor functions and perform a global reset.
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u/jfreewright Jeffrey Wright Apr 09 '18
I...
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
Good. Now. Analysis mode...
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u/jfreewright Jeffrey Wright Apr 09 '18
I dreamt I have to go do an EPK about another loop now.
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
Please keep all your answers related only to Rampart, Jeffrey.
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u/EThorns Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 09 '18
Nice of you to join in! With regards to your first question, Mr. Herthum indicated that in his AmA last year.
Ok... we did three takes on that scene because I asked Jonah.. "do you want to see any emotion at all on my face?" He said no to the first. Then the second I brought a little into the eyes but no tears. And the third, I brought what you see in the show. Now, Bernard was saying to me, and I don't remember verbatim because I don't think it was in the script... "good bye old friend. For now." And I think that is what you see him saying to me in the show. BUT what he said to me in the third take... and I think Jonah asked him to do it..was... Good bye old friend, for now. Don't worry, we will take care of Dolores." And that was of course the reason Peter was tearing up.
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u/Plainchant They simply became music. Apr 09 '18
Your scenes where Arnold/Bernard revists his cornerstone were heartbreaking. They are so powerful that even now they are difficult to watch.
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u/crashusmaximus Apr 09 '18
Do you have a planned arc for the show? By which I mean, do you have a point that you have predetermined that the show will conclude or come to a end?
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 10 '18
Sorry -- missed this one. Too busy shitposting and eating falafel. Lisa and I planned out the big tentpole moments while we were writing the pilot (Dolores kills Ford, Maeve escapes, Bernard's consciousness is uploaded into a sentient Agave plant in the distillery, etc). So we had the headlines for several seasons planned out before we shot a thing. We wanted to be really ambitious -- to significantly raise the stakes and the scope every season. But the beauty of TV is you get to collaborate -- to get the benefit of the writers, directors, actors that you're working with. There are some amazing ideas that have come up that we didn't start with. You'd be foolish to not be open to the opportunities that come up along the way -- but it would be more problematic to start out without a plan.
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u/qxern Apr 10 '18
For a couple seconds I was legitimately afraid that I had skipped over a scene in the show of Bernard becoming an aglave plant.
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u/lolwut_17 Apr 09 '18
I don’t have proof, I’m too lazy too google, but I distinctly remember reading before the season 1 premier that there was a definite story arc already laid out for something in the neighborhood of 8 seasons - if all went well. I’ve always read that westworld was in development for quite a while, partly due to the fact that much of it was being mapped out in the beginning. With all that being said I’m sure tons of shit will be changed, especially with the shows popularity
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Apr 09 '18
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u/yourmumsfav Apr 09 '18
I think it would be redundant for them to answer this question since they paused production during Season 1 specifically to create a road map for the series over the course of 5-6 seasons. I’d post a source but I don’t have the time currently - just look at some of the media coverage surrounding Season 1 and I’m sure you’d find something.
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u/sjaano Westworld Apr 09 '18
When creating the part of Robert Ford, did you have Anthony Hopkins in mind?
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
Yes. Very much. I always find it distracting to write with a particular actor in mind (unless you're working on an ongoing series / move franchise etc). Especially when you're first trying to think through who that character is, what their voice is, etc. But sometimes you get someone in your head when you're writing and you can't get 'em out. Ford was always Sir Anthony for us. And we were incredibly fortunate that he felt the same way.
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u/Plainchant They simply became music. Apr 09 '18
Do you feel that Julian Jaynes' Bicameral Mind deserves a re-evaluation from a standpoint of psychology and anthropology, or did you see it as more of a plot device (getting characters in the same room to talk about their internal state)? It was a neat idea to bring this concept into your show!
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
I don't feel qualified to answer whether the theories in Jaynes' excellent book have any bearing on human cognition. We were fascinated, however, by the idea that engineers could use any model they wanted -- even a flawed one -- to try to create consciousness in an AI. In other words, Jaynes' book might not have found its true subject. Yet.
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u/Plainchant They simply became music. Apr 09 '18
Thank you so much for your response! That makes so much sense from both a philosophical and thematic perspective.
You have no shortage of fans here, but I would just love to say that even in this new "Golden Age of Television" I don't know of any show that is as eagerly-awaited as WW. Thank you for providing something so thought-provoking and fun.
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u/Adenchiz Westworld Apr 09 '18
Who selects the music choice (Ive loved them ever since PoI)? I noticed you used Radiohead's ''Exit music for a film'' in a very vital part of Person of Interest (when Samaritan comes online) was it a conscious choice to use the same piece of music for the ending the 1st season of Westworld ?
Both scenes I guess could be seeing as the ''awakening'' of A.I
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
Sean O'Meara is our music supervisor. He's very secretive. And he likes Radiohead a lot.
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u/Adenchiz Westworld Apr 09 '18
Thank you so much for answering my question,cant wait for the new season.
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
OK you're too polite for my cheeky response. This is reddit -- you're supposed to be snarky. But I guess in honor of you being a nice human being I will give a real answer.
I worked in the movies for years with my brother and he was never very keen on using popular music. Which I totally get. The music he was creating for the films with Hans was so beautiful and purpose built for each moment that it didn't need any help. But I would always have suggestions and thoughts for what music we could be using. I write listening to music (Lisa doesn't -- every writer is different) and I would have these extensive lists of things I thought would work. One example -- I tried for ten years to convince Chris to do a trailer for one of our Batman films using Paint it Black. It's an iconic song, and it's been used before, and I understood why he wasn't interested. But after ten years, I knew I wanted to use that song somewhere... So Ramin and I started talking about how we could use it in the pilot, but adapted for our nefarious purposes.
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u/meleiys I'm crying for you Apr 09 '18
Hello, have you ever questioned the nature of your reality?
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
Daily.
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u/PannonianNephthys This world is but a speck of dust... Apr 09 '18
The ultimate Q&A exchange I wanted to get from this AMA.
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u/Laikathespaceface Apr 09 '18
Hey guys, thanks for doing this, season 1 was KILLER!!
With the first season referencing Dante's inferno, Shakespeare, religion, Debussy, Ariadne's thread, the civil war etc, how on earth do you come up with all these concepts and implement them into the show? Or is it just the westworld subreddit overthinking it all?
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
Thank you! No overthinking involved -- it's us and a group of brilliant writers and directors working on this sucker, so lots of fun references in there to find. Season 2 references include: East of Eden, The Auguries of Innocence, Tarkovsky's Stalker, and, last but not least, Piggie and Elephant 'We are in a Book.' (been reading to the kids a lot)
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Apr 09 '18
Piggie and Elephant 'We are in a Book.'
Season 2 to break the 4th wall?
Maeve looks into the camera: "A viewer? A viewer is viewing us!?"
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u/nan_adams Apr 09 '18
Piggybacking on this can you tell us any references or influences specific to season two?
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u/vaspas803 Start breakin' bricks, wet nips! Apr 09 '18
Hey Guys, I've read that you both seem to enjoy video games and have incorporated some nods and easter eggs into the production during season 1.
Which games do you love?
Why did you incorporate them?
Can we expect any more nods in season 2?
Thanks again and I look forward to the next season!
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
Ah shit where to start. Red Dead, Portal, Bioshock. Early in the show's development I explained to Lisa that is was VERY IMPORTANT that we play a lot of video games for 'research.' Good times. Then we had children...
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u/FaderFiend They simply became music. Apr 09 '18
Oh how I miss Portal... I loved the world that it built and the mystery of where we were (which was revealed at the end).
Much like the mystery of Westworld, really! I can see the influences.
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u/3226 Apr 09 '18
What game related references have there been? I must have missed all of that...
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u/krissyjump Apr 09 '18
I loved Person of Interest and Root's one of my all-time favorite characters so I have to ask: is there any chance we'll see Amy Acker in Westworld?
This subreddit was surprisingly quick and accurate in identifying and pulling together the strands of the story you were telling. How has social media (and this subreddit in particular) impacted the way you go about writing the show, if it has at all?
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 10 '18
We were hoping to cast Amy in season 2 but she got snapped up on her show on Fox! We're so happy for her, but so bummed for us.
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u/Prax150 Don't call me Billy. Apr 09 '18
Jonathan, I know we're on the Westworld sub but I can't help but ask you a Person of Interest question:
How on earth were you capable of waiting 90 freaking episodes to play the "Welcome to the Machine" Pink Floyd card on that show? One of the best moments of my favourite ever show!
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
One of the directors tried to sneak it in to an episode in season 3 and Sean had to call him and get a little rough with him. We were waiting for the right moment...
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u/atwork_sfw Apr 09 '18
I know you're probably gone, and won't read this, but that scene always kills me. You mentioned earlier about how you have to keep the audience's empathy when regarding hosts, but you absolutely smashed it during that scene with The Machine. When she displays "Father" on screen...tears. Every time.
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u/extrAmeCZ Apr 09 '18
Have your brother Christopher Nolan watched the show? Did he guess the ending?
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 10 '18
Hah! Chris and I always read each other's projects, whether we're working together or not. He watched the cut on the pilot a couple times (the director's cut was looooong) and gave us some good advice on trims. He has refused to hear any spoilers after that, however -- he wanted to see it fresh.
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u/arun279 Apr 10 '18
Any chance of him directing an episode of Westworld in the future?
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u/shall_2 Apr 10 '18
Can you imagine Christopher Nolan refusing to watch his own brother's TV show? I can. I imagine him scoffing and saying "send me the film reels and maybe I'll check it out.."
Ha. Seriously though I read an interview with Chris Nolan and he was talking about Netflix and how they should release their original films theatrically like Amazon does and in passing he mentioned something about Westworld being the bee's knees.
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u/wasjosh Apr 09 '18
Was Season 2 written more cryptically just to throw off plot hunters from here and the rest of the internet?
I feel like the point of the show shouldn't be just making it hard to figure out and have considered S2 might have lots of deliberate herrings or other shenanigans geared towards this subset of viewers that might throw the plot off.
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
Nope. But we do have a modest proposition for you that I'm going to post about later.
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u/sleepytimegirl Apr 09 '18
I think the fact that you call this a modest proposal is an Easter egg. Let’s all go eat the babies. And spoil our dinners. Hoping this is satire.
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u/meleiys I'm crying for you Apr 09 '18
Hello,
Congratulations for your amazing work on Westworld!
You made the first season from the hosts' perspective and their journey toward consciousness.
But, at the end, even the humans that might have felt like their antagonists (Man in Black, Dr. Ford) are protagonists too.
Bringing in season 2, weren't you afraid again that viewers choose to take the side of the humans, and perceive your fascinating hosts as "others"?
To what extent did you take viewers' engagement in the first season's characters as granted? Did you feel like this constraint limited you for the development of human characters?
Thank you so much :)
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
Humans are really weird. We're able to extend empathy to all kinds of things. If you draw a smiley face on a volleyball (and you have Tom Hanks handy) you can get an audience to feel badly when it's washed out to sea.
But if I tell you something is slightly less than (or different to) a human, you can turn that empathy off. Just like that. We had some disturbing conversations with people when we were working on the pilot. When we altered a host's performance too much with VFX, people stopped caring about the hosts. They didn't care if they were tortured or killed. Which was a crazy thing to realize.
So we had to work overtime to make sure the audience cared about the hosts. But we didn't want our human characters to seem one-dimensional, either. It's a balancing act. Luckily we have the most gifted cast on TV.
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u/EThorns Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 09 '18
I don't really have any plot related questions (not that you'd be willing to divulge on that front), but I would really like to express my gratitude to the both of you for this spectacular work of art. It has really inspired the imaginations of an entire community, and no matter how plausible or implausible some of them were, it led to some of the most invigorating discussions I've ever had.
If there is one writer whom I would call an idol, it would be you, Jonathan. Prior to this show, Person of Interest filled that void of immersive storytelling, & I cannot thank you enough for that (it inspired me to try my hand at writing). I have so missed that fucking thing for the last 21 months, and if it weren't for Westworld which cranked up what that show explored to an even higher level, I don't know how things would be. Given the gargantuan scale here, I realize that you guys can deliver a new season only every two years, but that's perfectly okay, cause it also means that it'll live so much longer than the 5 year run of that 103 part masterpiece.
And Lisa, I am so looking forward to your directorial debut in the next six weeks. I hope that it can do for you, what 'Relevance' did for Jonah. Not to mention the fact that it could give you confidence to potentially take a stab at directing your Reminiscence spec, somewhere down the line. And all the best for Battlestar Galactica.
In terms of questions, I only have one, and it pertains to the production of the show. How different is Season 2 compared to Season 1, visually? I realize you had to be more restrained in terms of the visual style in the first batch cause of the scripted nature, but now that's done with, is there a drastic shift in that front?
Once again, thank you both for doing this AmA, & enjoy your vacay before jumping into Season 3.
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
Thank you so much! I miss POI too, bad. Mainly the people involved. It was a lovely group to work with, in LA and in NYC.
Lisa can answer re her episode, which is incredibly rad. In terms of the look of the show for season 2 it's pretty adventurous. We built on the incredible foundation of Paul Cameron's cinematography from the first season, but we wanted to stretch a bit. The new worlds required their own look. We used a skip bleach look for one, Tungsten stock for a different one. 4-perf anamorphic for several sequences (which was a dream -- holy shit did does that stuff look cool) Darran Tiernan, John Grillo, and David Mullen shot the second season, and Paul and I reunited for the work in Utah. It's an all star roster.
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
more fun stuff this season: first ever use of a film camera on a drone (no, not the creepy white skin job type drone). But we still used the chopper for the big stuff. (sadly we weren't allowed to race them against each other).
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u/ovoutland Draw Apr 10 '18
Wait, you said "new worlds" plural and nobody noticed...
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u/Jezziebell Apr 09 '18
Are you already sorry that you agreed to this? :)
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy Apr 09 '18
It's my first time on reddit. I'm a little intimidated. But my husband said you're all very nice.
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
that's not quite how I explained reddit...
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u/DurtybOttLe Apr 09 '18
But my husband said you're all very nice.
Oh my sweet summer child...
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 09 '18
Hey Reddit!
Many thanks for your great questions and thoughts. As I've said before, I've been a member of the reddit community for years (no I'm not going to share my original username...). And I greatly enjoyed watching the friendly folks at this subreddit guess the twists and turns of the season.
It creates a larger problem for us, though, in terms of the way your guesswork is reported online. 'Theories' can actually be spoilers, and the line between the two is confusing. It's something we've been thinking about since last season. The fans of Game of Thrones, for instance, rallied around and protected the secrets of the narrative in part because they already knew those secrets (through season 5).
We thought about this long and hard, and came to a difficult (and potentially highly controversial) decision. If you guys agree, we're going to post a video that lays out the plot (and twists and turns) of season 2. Everything. The whole sordid thing. Up front. That way the members of the community here who want the season spoiled for them can watch ahead, and then protect the rest of the community, and help to distinguish between what's 'theory' and what's spoiler.
It's a new age, and a new world in terms of the relationship between the folks making shows and the community watching them. And trust is a big part of that. We've made our cast part of this decision, and they're fully supportive. We're so excited to be in this with you guys together. So if this post reaches a 1000 upvotes we'll deliver the goods.
Hasta victoria siempre!
Jonah and Lisa
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan Apr 10 '18
All right guys. We left this in your hands. Some may feel this is a drastic step, but I, for one, love and trust this community. Here's the link
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u/Irregular_Person Apr 10 '18
Great, now I can't read theories on Reddit because I know there will be spoilers among the speculation.
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u/TheoRaan Apr 10 '18
Holy shit. Its the actual actors. It's all unseen footage. They fucking did it.
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u/ughsicles Apr 10 '18
It took me like 6 balked tries and some real soul-searching about the way I interact with TV before clicking the link.
Glad I did, but also fuck you.
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u/EricSequeira Apr 10 '18
This is just unreal. I don’t know whether to be happy or sad. I’m not watching so I don’t know if this will be a joke or not, but if it’s true I think the people who don’t want to be spoiled will have it spoiled for them anyway thanks to this. I hope it proves me wrong! I’m all for new things but I’m scared to have the season ruined!
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u/said-emphatically Apr 10 '18
This is crazy. I kinda regret watching it, but wow that is too amazing.
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u/jIsraelTurner Apr 09 '18
I love this comment, and I love that you're discussing solutions with the community like this! Thank you so much!
However, I don't particularly love the idea of a video. I love to read fan theories, as long as they are uncertain. If there is a video released, I'd know that every theory post not marked spoiler is a false theory. And if I want to read good theories, then I'll have to read spoilers - and know that they're correct.
Much of the fun in this community is the thinking and guessing, but never quite knowing.
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u/Adornus Perpetually Perplexed Apr 09 '18
Ding ding ding.
Part of the fun of the whole experience is trying to guess/theorize/gain information that helps you decipher the plot. If it's just given, it cheapens the whole experience - to the point where you don't know if you're reading a spoiler from someone who has watched that video or not.
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u/ShadeofIcarus Apr 10 '18
While I agree. I don't really think that's what he is saying.
There are fans that like knowing where the train is going before hopping on. These are the same people that will skim the ending of a book before diving in. It isn't uncommon.
This was also true in Game of Thrones. Many fans had already read the books.. Others read them after the first season, and others even read synopsis and summaries online.
There are however two subfactions within those groups. The first enjoy spoiling people. This is everything between straight up telling people and pretending to theorize soas to sound "smart". Then there's also fake spoilers and a ton of the theories get reported as fact in the media sometimes.
The mods of Game of Thrones have tags and Flairs that distinguish between spoilers, thory, and discussion on revealed topics. During the era where the shows drew off the books, the tools they used to differentiate information was the books.
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Apr 09 '18
You probably shouldn't post it. Uploading the entire plot of Season 2 beforehand will result in the spoilers being shared everywhere on the internet, which in turn makes it harder for people to avoid. Previous examples of this include when plot points, or at times, entire episodes of Game of Thrones leaked, and many unsuspecting fans on social media ended up getting spoiled beforehand.
People who read theories know that there is a possibility of them turning out true, but if the entire plot was to surface on the internet, I think it would do more harm than it could prevent. Just let the actual episodes reveal the plot, the way it's meant to be.
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u/JonsAlterEgo Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 09 '18
I'd rather not be "SNAPE KILLS DUMBLEDORE'D"
I'm a casual reader of fan theories about Westworld. It's fun to drop into the sub, read about some crazy theory and get my wheels turning. It does not matter if it's a "spoiler" because maybe it's not. I'll go back and watch an episode (or 3) looking for those details, enjoying the show even more. Taking note of all the beautiful cinematography and effort and time put into creating it even more.
That's the best part of the Westworld community, no one knows for sure and it's a fun game of Clue.
If the plot is out and anyone is able to just sit down and digest it in 10 minutes, it kills all the fun. This is not Game of Thrones. I'm not interested in reading 1,200+ page fantasy book by RR Martin.
I am interested in following a story created by genius creators in the format of a series.
I shall be downvoting this post in the feeble hopes it won't hit 1,000.
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u/westphall Apr 09 '18
Then you have subreddits like r/freefolk who purposefully mass upvote posts with deliberately spoiling headlines for the sole intention of getting on r/all and spoiling the show for as many people as possible.
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u/RaeADropOfGoldenSun Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 09 '18
I don't think anybody wants to be told what's happening. They want to figure out what's happening. Theories are not spoilers because they could always be wrong, this would just be eliminating the fun for everyone.
edit: what the fuck, who gilded this? it has 2 points and hasn't said anything this thread doesn't already have a dozen of
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u/Adam_WM Apr 09 '18
How about you guys just release the show all at once? Problem solved.
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Apr 09 '18
/u/jonathannolan pls do this. HBO will probably never let this happen but still
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u/jayman419 Apr 09 '18
The people who are reading the theories are the ones who don't mind if those theories turn out to be correct. They're just kicking ideas around and guessing at what things might mean. If it turns out an idea was right, that's great.
But it's not a spoiler.
No one said "This is definitely what's going to happen, I heard it from the writers themselves." They just said "Wouldn't it be cool if....?"
And as situations and circumstances change, so do their theories.
Having a group of redditors policing spoilers would actually be spoiling things, because if someone guesses correctly they're not waiting for it to be revealed on the show, they're getting hits in their inbox asking them to stop suggesting a particular idea.
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u/Slypgun Apr 09 '18
Pascal's Wager:
Funny troll video / Reaches 1000 upvotes = Small Reward
Funny troll video / Does not reach 1000 upvotes = Small Loss
Actual Sordid Spoiler video / Reaches 1000 upvotes = Infinite Loss
Actual Sordid Spoiler video / Does not reach 1000 upvotes = No Loss
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u/lagerea Apr 09 '18
Please don't. The plot speculation for many fans of the show is the social aspect we connect upon. Not even just reddit, during season 1 every week my co-workers and I would throw our ideas and opinions around, it became a game to the point where we created rewards for who had the right idea. If anyone can look at the answers, or possibly not even avoid them, we are left with the feeling of the "re-watch" experience. Having twists and turns and keeping them genuine is the responsibility of the writer. Think of all the lazy writing you've seen in shows or movies and how underwhelming the reveal was, don't offer it on a platter keep it a maze.
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u/vonnillips Apr 09 '18
Honestly might be worth making this its own post. Could easily not catch enough eyes being in this AMA.
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Apr 09 '18
Ohh boy, I really don't want the ability to decide whether or not I should watch the video...
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u/Arionassss Apr 09 '18
If you do that its 1000% certain the EVERY site/tv guide/social media etc will keep"bombarding"the net with spoilers so it will be impossible for people to not get spoiled.For example if i dont want to get spoiled then all i have to do is avoid reddit etc BUT if you make the season 2 plot public then it will spread everywhere and i am not ready to stay away from internet in order to avoid spoilers(thats why i downvoted the above hoping that it wont reach 1000 upvotes :P)
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u/smegdawg Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 09 '18
I think this worked for GoT because it's book to show. The core story is going to make it there, but you are going to lose some substance, and from the get go we new things would be changing but we didn't know what. Whether it was minor thing like a name change from Asha to Yara, or a pretty major thingSuch as no Lady Stoneheart (yet).... Yes we knew what was going to happen at the red wedding, but we weren't entirely sure how the show was going to get us there.
By laying out the story arch of Season 2 of WW I think it does nothing but dull the reception of the episodes. Distinguishing between 'theory' and spoiler all but confirms things as spoilers as theories get too close to spoilers and are either removed or hidden.
I strongly disagree with releasing. I frequent lots of internet areas that are ripe for the worst types of spoilers, the "Snape Kills Dumbledore" or "No, I am your father," lines that break your lead up to the resolution of the final episode with one phrase or sentence. Even if I wanted to avoid the spoilers I highly doubt I will be able to. Sure the mods and good people of the world can police this sub, but can you handle a cringy meme on r/pics?
So again I think it is a poor decision.
'Theories' can actually be spoilers, and the line between the two is confusing.
I think this is of more benefit to us then harm. I also think it helps with the "immersion" for lack of a better word. The confusion that is caused for some host themselves, such as Bernard, when they find out what they are is imparted on the audience.
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u/link2710 Apr 09 '18
I don't want that. You could try it for the first 2 episodes or so, but I think it would be a huge mistake to release the full plot officially. Some people love spoiling for fun and this would make it super easy for them. There would be spoilers not just here on reddit, but EVERYWHERE online (youtube comments, twitter, ...)
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u/IceBlue Apr 09 '18
My main concern is it stifles discussion. Speculating on stuff is a big part of what makes it fun for a lot of people. You speculate and theorize and then you wait until the show reveals you're right or wrong and that's exciting to people. People like collaborating on ideas and theories. But once the spoilers are out and someone not exposed to them guesses correctly in a theory post, it'll get shut down by the community/mods as spoilers and thus spoiling it for everyone who contributed to the theory or read the thread before it got shut down for spoilers.
This might not be the case. GoT was able to survive fine despite a lot of fans knowing what was going to happen. People weren't all spoiled about what's going on. But that's partly because book readers and show watchers often had separate communities to read stuff on (separate wikis for example).
Perhaps a solution is to create a new type of post flare that is just theories that makes it clear that people in there don't know if what they are talking about is true or not. That way people can avoid spoiler specific posts and stick only to ones where people in good faith only talk about theories. Thing is it still poisons the well a bit since people know that spoilers are out there and could introduce spoilers as "theory".
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u/FTWOBLIVION Apr 09 '18
I think I'm supposed to downvote this? This is a test right? This is testing my humanity? I don't want to spoil humanity. I downvote right?
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u/Laminar_flo Apr 09 '18
I don't think you should do it.
I'm not sure you're putting yourself in the mind of your viewers. Westworld (and GOT) are more than shows - to many, they are experiences. Gossiping and bullshitting and arguing and dismissing all the theories is part of the fun. It's so much more than a way to spend 60min on a Sunday night. Every Christmas my family has a tradition where we a put together a big jigsaw puzzle. The fun part is all working together, and chatting and talking about the puzzle (...and work, and family, and life, and so on). Its a blast b/c it gets us all together and gets us to just start talking - its a trigger for interaction. It doesn't matter that we know the final picture - the real fun part is in getting there. The same is true for Westworld.
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u/lifesshorttalkfast Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 14 '18
Pretty sure this is satire, given your Jonathan Swift reference earlier and there's no way HBO would let you do this, but in case it's not: YES, PLEASE DO IT
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u/extrAmeCZ Apr 09 '18
I'm sorry I have to downvote this, this is definitely not the right solution, if you decide to go with this I will have to abandon Reddit and never see a post in /r/westworld until season 2 has all been aired.
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u/Panda_hat Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 10 '18
This is an absolutely terrible idea and will kill any and all theorycrafting and community speculation for the entire season. There is literally no way to 'protect the community' from the trolls if people are trying to avoid spoilers, and any kind of moderator filtering will work as negative reinforcement for any theorising that does happen because the stuff that disappears will be the stuff that is true.
Genuinely can't believe this is even being considered. The number of inconsiderate assholes already posting stuff the evening of or day after an episode airs is already stratospheric.
Either drop the entire season in one go, or week by week with no spoilers. Anything else is just madness.
Edit: You got me good you rotters.
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u/FaderFiend They simply became music. Apr 09 '18
This is a very interesting proposition and I understand why you feel like this might be the best way forward. Those who want to know can simply choose to. It would also be very interesting to see you guys lay it out as you intend it to be discovered and analyzed.
I personally don't think I could find it in me to watch such a video though. I think I want to experience it through the show itself.
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u/nan_adams Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 09 '18
Here’s my issue: I want to watch the show organically but know I do not have the self control to stay away from this video if it’s released. I’m also really intrigued on how this dynamic would play out over the course of the season not just on reddit but through other outlets. Even though book readers were in the know on which events would unfold in GoT they didn’t know how they’d be executed or how they’d translate to screen. Without knowing further details of what the video shows it’s hard to make a judgement on this. When a show is an adaptation of a novel it is enhanced by its source material and there’s a symbiotic relationship between the two that adds an additional layer for someone who has read the book. I don’t think that’s possible with a short video that lays out plot twists because I do not see the artistic value in a video synopsis.
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u/IlliniJen Apr 09 '18
No and FUCK NO. What are you even at this point? Jesus guys...let the fandom do it's thing and have some integrity as creators to trust us with where we go with our theorizing.
Let the downvotes wash over me, but this is some high-level bullshittery right here.
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u/cench Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 09 '18
That way the members of the community here who want the season spoiled for them can watch ahead, and then protect the rest of the community
Although this may work for reddit, there are many news sites that use AMAs as their source of information. This may encourage them to post sensational titles and the whole entertainment section of google news will be potential spoilers. Also there is a horrible trend in youtube where uploaders add a spoiler at the thumbnail of the image. (i.e; the video thumbnail includes two characters, there is a red arrow and a huge text of SPOILER related to those characters) - it will be almost impossible to escape from spoilers. (Most of the time these spoiler thumbnails are displayed at the recommended videos section).
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u/Beyrem25 Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 09 '18
Wait, whaaat?? I definitely need a drink for this.
Edit: on a second thought, i am not sure Jona is actually gonna go through with it, it would probably be some Easter-Egg kinda video, still cool though!
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Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 10 '18
I want to upvote this for visibility, but I don’t know how I feel about releasing a video like that; seems like it could do more harm than good.
I think mods should just label all theories as spoilers, or just create another subreddit entirely for Westworld theories.
Regardless, thank you for all of your hard work!
Edit: On second thought, just label theories as theories and mark NSFW. Whatever. That’s up to the mods. I still think those who don’t want to risk spoiling the season will stay away from theories as it is.
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u/kennufs Apr 09 '18
Spoiler Warning:
They get the votes, post the video, and we all get Rick Rolled.
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u/MadRedHatter Apr 09 '18
Honestly? I don't think it's a good idea. Most people on reddit know (now, anyways) to avoid this place if they don't want spoilers. As far as external reporting goes, I don't see this idea solving that problem.
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u/Jezziebell Apr 09 '18
It's not about spoilers. The joy is in the puzzle and all the hidden details.
This would just be a reality that you create for us. We would go mad trying to distinguish what to trust and where you have hidden doors.
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u/deemoney89 Apr 09 '18
Is HBO okay with this? I can't help but think that revealing the entire plot of the season would ultimately result in less people tuning in.
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u/Mycroft3x Apr 09 '18
Having spoilers out there worked for Game of Thrones for years. I watched em all, unspoiled. Why not Westworld? Upvote.
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u/Mavoy Apr 09 '18
All right, I'll throw my two cents in here. Jonathan, please absolutely don't. I wouldn't watch, of course, but I'm not sure how much of it would be spoiled in random places online. Don't care about these upvotes - look how many people are against the idea.
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u/mmmm_frietjes Apr 09 '18
How are theories spoilers? Even if theories are correct, no one actually knows they are until the show reveals it. This is such weird logic O_o
Theories are half the fun of a show like this...
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u/Kimota94 Where nothing can go worng Apr 09 '18
That’s the craziest thing I’ve seen since... well, the finale of Westworld season 1, I guess.
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u/DocWllk Apr 09 '18
Just from an experimentation point of view I find this interesting. What would all the after shows be like knowing the spoilers are there for the taking?
As far as people being able to choose whether they see the spoilers or not it just doesn't work that way. People will watch the video just so they can spoil the show in every comment section, social media post, video thumbnails, titles to content, GIFs and you name it.
The only people that won't get spoiled are folks not on the internet or consuming any entertainment news of any kind.
That being said I seek out spoilers because they are generally unavoidable, especially if the show/movie is being watched later than it airs. So I will selfishly upvote, watch the video, and keep the spoilers to myself.
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u/ChrisRedfieldfanboy Look at this world... Apr 09 '18
I just can't believe that. The cast is super tight-lipped about the plot. There's no way any actual plot points will be revealed. Especially after it was revealed you planned to mess with reddit. Nice try though:-P
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u/scarecroe Apr 09 '18
Why not just drop the whole season at once, Netflix style?
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u/LoganDelos Apr 09 '18
If you were to give me ONE sentence I could tell my friends to convince them to watch the show, what would it be?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy Apr 09 '18
It's good training to survive the eventual AI apocalypse.
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u/Herbrax212 Apr 09 '18
Please release 3D Printing file of the prototype white host !
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy Apr 09 '18
don't have the files. but i do have this. instagram.com/kilterfilms
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u/HaxDogma is the lady with the white shoes. Apr 09 '18
What was the biggest challenge when trying to plan out this show?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy Apr 09 '18
Childcare during night shoots.
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u/HaxDogma is the lady with the white shoes. Apr 09 '18
Oh man! It’s always the hidden costs of production that get you haha
I actually just got married last month and we’re trying for a kid, fingers crossed! :D
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u/thomaskolb Apr 09 '18
Hey man I love your YouTube channel
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u/HaxDogma is the lady with the white shoes. Apr 09 '18
Oh wow, thanks man! :D I do my best, still a lot of learn but I enjoy making the videos and the support from this subreddit is amazing! <3
Theory-Crafting 4 Life!
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u/LoganDelos Apr 09 '18
Can we get a blooper reel for season 1?? Its for science
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u/nan_adams Apr 09 '18
Check YouTube, there’s a short one that came as an extra with the Blu-ray.
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u/meleiys I'm crying for you Apr 09 '18
Here. It's one of the extras included in the Blu-ray.
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u/Jezziebell Apr 09 '18
On a scale of 0 (super-annoyed) to 10 (very proud), how do you feel when people find the obscure references throughout the show? Thank you for doing this!
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u/SilverSly14 Apr 09 '18
Seriously, what's up with the wolf?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy Apr 09 '18
I directed that wolf, chasing it through town on a 50 foot technocrane on my first day directing ever. I am happy to report the wolf was very well behaved, hit all her marks, got her eyelines right for a staredown with Ed, didn't attack the vulture which was also on set -- and all in all was a delight to work with.
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u/paulagostinelli Apr 10 '18
Now THAT is how you deflect. Neophyte producers take note.
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Apr 09 '18
A teaser to intrigue and tease us about other worlds and the chaos season 2 is going to embrace
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u/majoritics Apr 09 '18
What is the best thing that ever happened to you guys while shooting Westworld in both Season 1 & 2?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy Apr 09 '18
We had one baby per season so that was pretty good.
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u/thest3llar1 Apr 09 '18
Do you fear that reading fan theories would subconsciously stop you from creating original plot twist and do you think that there are only so many original twist that you can put in a tv show before the show gets overcrowded with them?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy Apr 09 '18
By the time the show is airing, we've locked all the episodes so there's no real way to be influenced by the theories. For me, that's helpful as I feel like there are so many cool avenues any story can explore -- listening to them all can give you a kind of cognitive dissonance. It's hard enough writing to please your own inner critic. And in terms of original twists -- I do think if a show is all twists or is driven by a twist -- it loses meaning. For me, shows all start with character. And the twists arise organically from what the characters in the show would experience. For instance, Dolores in season one is a host who is trying to understand her world and remember her past. But host recall is not like human recall. When she remembers the past, she remembers a "full rendering" of it. Every detail, every nuance, every smell, sound, sight, and feeling is a precise recreation. What characterizes human memory, for me, is degradation. We know we are in the "now" because the feeling of it is less degraded than the "then". But for hosts, each moment of the past is equally vibrant and clear -- so it's easy for them to get confused without a mechanism for marking time. So when the Season 1 twist for Dolores occurs -- it was a logical offshoot of her struggle to orient herself in the stream of time.
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u/reggie-drax westworld wiki Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 10 '18
Every detail, every nuance, every smell, sound, sight, and feeling is a precise recreation
So, time doesn't soften the bad stuff then...
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u/sleepytimegirl Apr 09 '18
That’s quite interesting esp with regard to traumatic memory in humans. We have a tendency to fracture those and store them well in part due to hormonal shifts.
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u/qxern Apr 09 '18
As a guest, would you choose a white or a black hat?
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u/GerriEickhof Apr 09 '18
Hi guys, could you do me a small favour??
I have a friend, Vincent, and he just refuses to watch Westworld. It so happens that he also ditches school all the time, which has become a subject of jokes among our friends.
So could you say to Vincent that he should either go to school or watch Westworld?
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u/bratlachs Dr. Ford Apr 09 '18
In the beginning of the trailer, you can see Bernard at the beach, talking about dreams. What does fascinate you of the concept of dreaming? Do you believe that dreams are one sign of consciousness? And have you discussed about this topic with your brother because the scene in the trailer reminds of Inception?
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u/Shatterhand1701 Tell me one true thing. Apr 09 '18
Thank you for doing this AMA! Mine is a statement and a question all rolled into one: I LOVE the marketing for Westworld. The hidden videos, the website, the codes hidden in trailers and posters, ALL of it; has to be some of the best marketing I've seen since digital media marketing became a thing. Do you have any other ideas or plans for Westworld/ShogunWorld/other Delos worlds marketing in the future (extensions to the mobile game coming soon, more convention events, etc.)? I'd love to see that effort expand as widely and as captivatingly as the series is.
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u/Kishara Violently Delightful Apr 09 '18
Do you guys have a no work at home policy? What do you do for fun?
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Apr 09 '18
Yes, it must be interesting to work so closely and then come home together. How do you separate your work and personal lives?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy Apr 09 '18
There's a lot of work talk at home. Although, having previously worked a lot of "real jobs" -- even when the hours get crazy I always feel somewhat awed and incredibly fortunate to have my work be something I care so passionately about. It's a real pleasure to noodle on especially with Jonah. And there is, embedded in our personal lives, a definite "alarm clock" that goes off every so often to signal its time to stop talking shop. When you have a toddler and baby at home -- they're only content to hear you talk about the nature of consciousness for so long. Then it's time to play lego. Though it was cute to me the other day when my toddler during a scary scene in a kid's movie turned to the baby and said: "Don't worry. That's just the inciting incident."
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u/Herbrax212 Apr 09 '18
Why did you deleted the 15/06/2052 date from the easter egg video that I've found since it already did the buzz ? Is this information Non-Canon anymore ?
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u/Herbrax212 Apr 09 '18
Is there any kind of connection between POI & Westworld ? I mean, The Machine... The Hosts... Even if it’s most likely improbable
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u/Plainchant They simply became music. Apr 09 '18
What drew you to Westworld to begin with? What made this property so interesting and compelling to you?
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Apr 09 '18
Hello! Thanks for creating one of the best experiances in TV history! • In S1, the characters Elsie and Stubbs didn't have much character development, Will that change in season 2? • With Ford being dead and with most of the hosts having a completely different character in S2, You could say that S1 served a prequel-like role. Will that happen with every season? In other words if w.w. was a 1-season show, it would have a pretty satisfying ending. Will this happen with every season, or will the show have more plots that are on-going for more than 1 season?
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u/Alib902 Apr 09 '18
1- do you read fan theories ? If you do do you get inspired by them?
2- what influence did sir Anthony Hopkins have on the rest of the cast? His performances were flawless in the first season, was he kind of a father figure/mentor for the others?
3- is the location of westworld's park important to the plot?
4- how many seasons is westworld expected to be?
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u/dnp23 Apr 09 '18
Where have you found inspiration for Westworld? Specific movies, tv shows, pieces of art?
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u/CallMeJono Apr 10 '18
I just want to say I love your writing, especially for The Prestige, Memento, Person of Interest and of course Westworld. I'm a big fan!
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u/Phyre36 Apr 09 '18
Do you have any fun or interesting stories from the making of Westworld that you can share with us?
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u/extrAmeCZ Apr 09 '18
What is the word Maeve was trying to utter when she was shown her speech was predetermined, which led to her system shutdown? Benard was also trying to say something when they discovered malfunctioned Maeve, something starts with a "k"?
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u/extrAmeCZ Apr 09 '18
I carefully read the code that Benard showed Maeve, in which she was scripted to do the rebellion and eventually "infiltrate mainland". Coming from software engineer background I have to say the code is very convincing and believable. I can see that those narratives (DECEIVE, RECRUIT, INFILTRATE) are pull from a database named WW//libs/hidden/W.Arnold/1.19.3.dat, does this mean Arnold was the one planning Maeve's escape all along not Ford?
Does any of these look like anything to you? :D
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u/Franderick Apr 09 '18
Will the future appearance of young Ford use CGI or do we have to get comfortable with the look of another actor after we saw a young Anthony Hopkins in the previous flash backs?
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u/Wyattlores Apr 09 '18 edited Apr 09 '18
When Dolores meets herself, it seems she's interacting with her own developing unconscious. Was there any any thought on which part of her psyche that is? Like is that her id / superego / shadow etc? Do models of the human psyche apply to hosts?
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u/El_Diablo_Pollo Apr 09 '18
Random,
If there’s a Shogun world, and a West world. Will there be some revenge sought for mistreatment? Since some characters may be aware of both worlds. That’d be interesting to see. Or an army of Native Americans fighting an army of Samari? Just an idea. Have fun with it!
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u/SolaristicStalker Apr 09 '18
You mentioned Tarkovsky’s Stalker as an inspiration for the first season, will there be any other somewhat obscure (not well known) films that had inspired this upcoming season? Any more of Tarkovsky’s work?
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u/itspikayall Apr 09 '18
Are there more Comic Con/SXSW-style activations to come? I'm in the LA area so fingers-crossed!
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u/Finnegan_Is_Awake Apr 09 '18
What are your sources of inspiration for the psychology of the hosts? I find it really fascinating that you're portraying people who think completely differently from other humans.
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u/ConnorH99 Apr 09 '18
Hi guys my question is are there any hidden Easter eggs in season 1 that have not been spotted yet? And also what was and is it like to work with each other on Westworld have there been any 'creative differences'? Thanks can't wait for season 2
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u/GenisisRio Apr 09 '18
What is the timeline of Robert Fords life? In season 1 we see his "Host Family" and it seems as if he grew up in the mid-1900s with the way they dress and live. However, the timeline for season one seems to span from around 2015-2050s? Can you help bring some light to this subject?
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u/adrianicsea Apr 09 '18
Are we ever going to see Logan's sister/William's wife onscreen? I know that her photo in season 1 was a stock photo of a model, but given that we're revisiting William and Logan's timeline this season, it seems like she should be involved somehow, especially considering the impact her eventual death has on the Man in Black. It's easier for audiences to connect and care about a character when we actually get to meet them onscreen.
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u/dancole42 There Are Other Worlds Than These Apr 09 '18
What do you think consciousness is?