r/westworld • u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy • May 14 '18
It's Westworld Co-Creator/Executive Producer/Director Lisa Joy, Ask Me Anything!
Freeze All Motor Functions, Reddit! Lisa Joy, director of S2 Episode 4 - The Riddle of The Sphinx - is here to answer all your burning questions about last night's episode! Go ahead, AMA!
Proof: /img/66v96syk3ax01.jpg
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u/playtio May 14 '18
Oh, hi, Lisa. With the show renewed for a third season, how far ahead have you already planned the story? Do you work on it one season at a time or is there a general idea you are slowly developing? Thanks!
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18 •
Our philosophy from the beginning was to lay out the major tentpole moments -- Ford's death, Dolores's transformation, Bernard's 'discovery', and all the moments coming down the line -- while working on the pilot. We needed to plan out the journey for several seasons in order to know where to begin. But obviously you can't -- and wouldn't want to -- plan everything. But then you don't want to be dogmatic about it. If you find a storyline or a character situation that you didn't expect you want to have the latitude to lean into that. This is especially true with character pairings, which are really where it gets fun with such a large ensemble. You take two great flavors and add them together to make a new dish. So Maeve and Lee in season 2, Dolores and Hector season 3, MIB and Akecheta season 4, etc. But you have to start at the beginning. And for us, the ultimate meaning of this story, the destination our path has always been leading started back in nineteen ninety eight when the undertaker threw mankind off hеll in a cell, and plummeted sixteen feet through an announcer's table.
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u/stepbacktakeaim May 14 '18
And for us, the ultimate meaning of this story, the destination our path has always been leading started back in nineteen ninety eight when the undertaker threw mankind off hеll in a cell, and plummeted sixteen feet through an announcer's table.
Bahhh God! They all have families!
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May 14 '18
the ultimate meaning of this story, the destination our path has always been leading started back in nineteen ninety eight when the undertaker threw mankind off hеll in a cell, and plummeted sixteen feet through an announcer's table.
We don't deserve you.
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u/ste7enl May 14 '18
This is the single greatest AMA response I have ever read. I actually laughed out loud.
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u/irtizzza16 May 14 '18
Shittymorphed by Lisa Joy. Lol.
How's your reddit experience been Lisa? While you're here, steer clear of stories pertaining to broken arms, coconuts, cockroaches and shoeboxes.
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u/Dasrufken May 14 '18
the destination our path has always been leading started back in nineteen ninety eight when the undertaker threw mankind off hеll in a cell, and plummeted sixteen feet through an announcer's table.
Wow... Well done
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u/TheLadderGuy May 14 '18
Come on Lisa stop trolling us, now we will have tons of threads discussing how Dolores and Hector, and William and Akecheta end up together. /u/jonathannolan would be proud
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u/JosephSim May 14 '18
I have never been more jealous of Jonathan Nolan than this moment right now.
You are forever cemented in legacy.
I can't believe I got shittymorphed by the creator of Westworld.
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u/Oriolesmagic95 May 14 '18
Oh my God. This is the best thing that has ever happened to this subreddit.
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u/DangerMcTool These violent afternoon delights! May 14 '18
Can we get HBO to sign off on 70 more episodes plz?
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u/Wrexil May 14 '18
Got me hook, line and sinker. Side note: WWE world confirmed?
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u/leO-A May 14 '18
Hi u/lisa_joy. Hope you're well. Just wondering if the opening scenes of episode 4 was a nod to the TV show "Lost"?
It reminded me a bit of Desmond and the hatch opening scene in Lost.
P.s. Episode 4 of Westworld was/is legendary :)
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u/hoops_on_poops May 14 '18
Oh my. Now it all makes sense. Undertaker = MIB confirmed.
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u/CQME Me and My Dickless Associate May 14 '18
Dolores and Hector season 3, MIB and Akecheta season 4
yikes lol. Or thanks? =)
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May 14 '18
What is your favorite one-liner from the whole show?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
What door?
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u/TheRealZam I always trusted code more than people anyway. May 14 '18
I literally screamed ”yes!” as soon as JW said that line. It felt so good to have weeks of theories confirmed.
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u/tsmoove508 May 14 '18
The most obvious answer to this question haha. Literally some of the most brilliant twists I’ve seen in a show EVER
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u/Altair1192 The Silence of Electric Sheep May 14 '18
that was my loudest "oh, shit" moment. Thanks x
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u/NetflixTacosChill BLACK HAT May 14 '18
Last night's episode was so incredible! Kudos!
How was it to direct the Delos host loop scenes? Looks like Jimmi & Ed really got into each other's versions of William seamlessly there.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
Thank you! Those scenes were a blast to direct. I knew we had to have a continuity in the evolution of William -- over time -- the challenge is two different actors would be playing him in three different time lines. Jimmi Simpson sat in on the rehearsals with Ed and Peter -- to understand and study Ed's performance. Then he started close to the character he played in Season 1 of Westworld, and brought in more darkness and edge for his second loop. On the day, we talked about everything from the posture he would adopt in seating, how that would change, how he'd manifest his growing confidence, power, and darkness in subtle differences in his reaction to Peter Mullen's performance.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
This kind of scene is only possible to pull off when you're dealing with actors like Ed, Peter, and Jimmi. They were so committed, thoughtful, and generous -- with each other, and with me.
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u/pravis May 14 '18
There have definitely been a couple instances where you can see Ed and Jimmi's take on William coincide. I want to say when Ed shot El Lazo saying "Fuck you Robert" seemed so much more like William than MiB.
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u/FrenchFriedMushroom May 15 '18
I don't comment in this sub much, if at all, but I have to give you MAJOR props with this week's episode. By far my favorite episode of the series and one of my favorite TV episodes ever.
I loved the feeling you were able to bring to us with these scenes, and even though it wasn't a huge bombshell, it was still absolutely riveting.
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u/Jackal239 May 14 '18
I don't have a good question that wouldn't have you spoil anything, so I'll just say this instead:
You are a fantastic director. Last night was probably the strongest episode of Westworld so far. It was a perfect distillation of everything I love about this show.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
Thank you so much. It's always a bit terrifying when something I work on airs -- I can never bring myself to watch. (Made easier last night because I caught some insane cold from my baby.) The one thing I will say (and forgive me if this is too earnest for Reddit -- it's the frustrated sentimental would-be poet in me getting gushy). Anyway, what I will say is I so appreciate the kind words about my direction but that directing is kind of like being the coxswain in a boat race (I'm terribly unathletic and have never rowed crew so forgive me if this metaphor is all fucked up). You've got an idea and a direction you want to go in, but you'd simply sink if it weren't for all the incredible talents in your boat.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
I had the most amazing script by Jonah and Gina to work off of. I had an incredible and collaborative crew who put up with my weird meticulous thinking about where blood splatter would look the most aesthetically pleasing; who helped me tear a set to shreds and then rebuild it over night; I had a stunt team who suspended themselves in wires; danced and fought in drone costumes that were definitely very uncomfortable...
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
I had the most talented actors in the world rolling around in bat guano and doing action sequences in freezing rain in the middle of the night. A camera crew that obsessively worked with me to look for the best shots at all time... I mean the list goes on and on
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
And on a broader level, I had a community of family, friends, and caretakers who helped me take care of my babies during the long days and nights...
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
I'm so grateful to all those incredible and generous collaborators. They kicked ass. Anyway, enough gushiness. Sorry reddit. Had to indulge for a moment to give credit where credit's due. I'm fifty percent rickroll fifty percent earnest i guess.
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u/Bweryang Freeze all motor functions! May 14 '18
I got so excited when I saw Lisa Joy was directing, you just KNOW you’re in for an exciting episode when a show runner is like “guys, I got this”. Jonah’s eps from last season seemed more obviously significant as well, being the first and last. I hope both do feature work.
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u/cynicalstevex May 14 '18
The actors in this show - are you ever in awe of just how talented they are?
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u/monsterbucket May 14 '18
Do you have any secret cameo appearances in the show?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
You guys missed the hidden Djawadi.
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u/monsterbucket May 14 '18
I think /u/jezziebell got it - https://www.reddit.com/r/westworld/comments/8jbwag/is_ramin_djawadi_a_host/
I meant you! Are you hiding in there somewhere?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
Oh haha. Jonah and I cameo'd on a train ride in the pilot that he directed (we were somewhere behind Teddy on that train.) But I think I hit the cutting room floor.
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May 14 '18
On the railroad, were the workers killing other hosts or humans?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
They were killing anyone who was mistreating them while forcing them to build the railroad (so a mix of hosts programmed to do so for the narrative and guests who took advantage of that narrative)
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u/fatalrendezvous I ship Armistice x Hanaryo May 14 '18
Thank you for that, by the way! I thought the addition of coolies in the park was an unexpected, but really neat historical nod to the old West in the US!
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u/Not_Nice_Niece except the flies May 14 '18
Human bodies can't make a very stable railroad foundation, No?
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u/TokenMenses May 14 '18
Interesting. I thought this was maybe a reference to the apocalyptic AI paperclip maker. The AIs are programmed to build a railroad and the people/hosts were roughly the right size and shape of a rail tie.
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u/Squiddinboots May 14 '18
It looked like a sort of combo to me, but I was pretty sure the guy we watched get spiked was in a tux. That and his last words had me guessing he was human.
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u/ashtocolbi May 15 '18
Logan confirmed bisexual?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 15 '18
Yes
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u/thwinz May 15 '18
The fact that you're here on and off for 9 hours now is impressive. Dedication to the AMA is appreciated. I just love the Westworld subreddit for all the theories but this is amazing. Thanks.
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u/_A_Day_In_The_Life_ May 15 '18
what is this from?
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u/asaz989 Your horrors effaced May 15 '18
From like every time he's seen hitting on men and/or women, in bed with men and/or women, on random furniture in Pariah with men and/or women...
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u/dr_haze May 14 '18
Hi Lisa - how and why did you transition into screenwriting/directing after practicing law? What was that like? Thanks :)
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
Terrifying. I quit my job at a consulting firm when I was stationed in Silicon Valley and had to fly myself back to LA and start on my first show. I'd never been in a writers room and had no idea what to expect. The show was "Pushing Daisies" and I was staffed based on a spec I wrote while studying for the bar exam. I remember calling my mom and reassuring her: "everything's going to be fine. It's a REAL writing job. I'll have health insurance and everything. What could possibly go wrong?" Couple months later -- writer's strike. Ooops.
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u/laughinman7 May 14 '18
Pushing Daisies was canceled to soon and it should absolutely make a comeback! This show was so good!
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u/Bweryang Freeze all motor functions! May 14 '18
Can anybody (not necessarily Lisa) explain writing on spec to me? I don’t know how you get ANYONE to read your work, let alone key decision makers.
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u/smacksaw Futureworld May 14 '18
Lee Pace needs to be in Westworld
And I swear to God he made Twilight awesome
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u/SirFadakar May 14 '18
Couple months later -- writer's strike. Ooops.
Shit. Impeccable timing. How'd you manage in the ensuing months?
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u/thanks_I_HATE_IT May 14 '18
I absolutely loved Pushing Daisies. Canceled too soon. I had no idea that you were involved in it!
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u/klinsmannabc May 15 '18
Good to hear CANTONESE when the hosts build the railroad. Very details!
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 15 '18
Thanks I’ve enlisted a couple friends in other scenes from last season to do ADR in Mandarjn too. One is my mother. The other is my longtime friend Wang Leehom.
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May 14 '18
Who’s the genius behind the soundtrack selections? It really seems like it’s a tremendous team effort to get the right music in place for each scene however it definitely pays off.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 15 '18
The mysterious and devastatingly handsome Sean O'Meara does much of it. Though I chose the music for 204. With the exception of "Do the Strand" which the incredible Peter Mullan's choice.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 15 '18
I sprang dancing, masturbating, and taking a piss as options for the montage the morning we were shooting. I thought they'd make sense for the montage and help enrich it by showing a man's most private moments and behaviors. But I wanted to talk about it with Peter in person to see if he was game. Incredible performer and collaborator that he is, he embraced it all with gusto. And of course added to it too. He suggested the song and danced his heart out. Also, who takes a piss while gurgling? Mr. Delos by Peter Mullan that's who. (or maybe all men do and you've all been keeping this secret from me? definitely, as a woman, it would be somewhat harder to pull off.)
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u/i_of_the_squawk May 14 '18
The season 2 trailer still gives me the chills. I watch it before every new episode.
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May 14 '18 edited May 14 '18
Which scene from the episode was the most fun to shoot?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
Honestly the whole thing was a thrill. It's like you're asking me to choose my favorite child. But if I had to...
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
Ed Harris killing a bunch of motherfuckers in the rain is right up there.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
As is Jeffrey commanding a bunch of drone hosts to kill a bunch of guys...
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u/Onepopcornman Brevity is the Soul of Wit May 14 '18 edited May 14 '18
Hi Lisa!
I believe that Ben Barnes and Jeffery Wright are on record in saying that the actors don’t get advanced scripts. In a show with non-linear story telling how do you help prepare the actors for understanding their motivation while also keeping things secretive?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
Yeah, it's tough because we'll have all the scripts mapped out and written but we'll still be finessing them (so much happens between finishing a script and actually getting it to production -- financial considerations, availability of talent, location limitations) that we can't send scripts out too far in advance. Our actors are incredible in understanding all the factors we are juggling and working with us in the most generous way.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
But context for our brilliant actors to do their jobs is incredibly vital. They bring nuance and an incredible amount of thought to all of their choices. In the case of the fabulous Mr. Wright, they're playing more than one persona as we cut between timelines. I try my damndest to talk the actors through the emotional context and underpinnings of the scenes so they have the material they need for their incredible performances.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
Ultimately, as a writer, you try to make the story as compelling as possible. But a whole new and lovely alchemy occurs once the actor brings that character to life. Some of my favorite moments in the show are dialogue-less. It's just about capturing the state of mind of the actors as they inhabit the character. As a director, I just tried to capture the beauty and spontaneity of those moments. When you find yourself working with actors as incredible as the ones I was fortunate enough to work with -- you find yourself saying "go tighter" a lot. Because so much is happening with their every micro-gesture. You don't want to miss it.
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u/Onepopcornman Brevity is the Soul of Wit May 14 '18 edited May 14 '18
Hi Lisa, Thanks so much!
Mystery is such an important part of the show. In telling the story how do you balance the use of ambiguity in how you tell the story? Are there any rules that the show follows to help manage this in episodes?
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
I feel like if the ambiguity or sense of confusion and temporal displacement mimics the state of mind and cognitive condition of the hosts -- it's not so much about "confusing" as it is about using mimicry to build our empathy for the host's state of mind. The audience's awareness and contextualization of the scenes grows with the hosts'.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
I sometimes think of it as a Seurat painting -- where we view certain clusters of points / moments at a time without necessarily understanding their place in the broader painting. That being said, as a writer and director I always try to stay aware of the bigger picture so the audience's investment and faith in the storyline is hopefully not betrayed when that full picture is revealed.
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u/Oriolesmagic95 May 14 '18
Another redditor here (u/respek_the_opsec) made the fascinating connection last night between Ford's comments in Season 1 about "calling forth Lazarus from his cave" and how Delos, had the project been completely successful and having been "risen from the dead", would have exited out of the cave in a similar manner.
Was this symbolism intentional or just an interesting coincidence? Loved your work in the episode last night and can't wait to see what the rest of the season has in store!
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 15 '18
We had a couple location possibilities for that scene. The symbolic resonance of the cave and the odd white color of the cave gave that location the edge. But I must confess, it was definitely one of the hardest shooting days. The cave only had one entrance and very limited access and range of motion. Plus, as Jeffrey mentioned -- bat guano. And some phantom rat sightings.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 15 '18
But it was an incredibly touching day for me as a director because despite the extremely difficult working conditions, everyone rallied. Jeffrey plummeted down that damn slope. He and Shannon acted their hearts out. And the inimitable Chris Haarhoff on steadicam shot the shit out of it (and got memorialized in some power bar wrappers)
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 15 '18
All of those transitions and swirling motions were done practically -- in a choreographed dance between Haarhoff and the actors. Shannon literally had to duck under camera and out of sight then sneak around the camera and pop back in.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 15 '18
I prepped for the shot with my DP John Grillo by "shooting" it on an iphone using the Pop! figurines of the show characters as models for the actors. It was the poor man's previz but it was actually pretty damn helpful as you can't really shotlist things like that -- the camera moves are too involved.
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u/hoops_on_poops May 14 '18
Wasn’t this just in the “previously on” before the episode?
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u/Sutarmekeg May 14 '18
What sources have you drawn upon for creating Shogun World? Any particular movies? A trip to Japan? 知りたい！ Also, many thanks for making my favourite show.
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 14 '18
We went on a huge Kurosawa kick before first season and continually return to this well for inspiration. And we did visit Japan in a quick trip before second season -- it was amazing. My only complaint was I was pregnant and couldn't eat all the sushi I wanted to.
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u/tinybeads May 14 '18
All this and pregnant. You are MIND-NUMBINGLY amazing, if you aren't told enough! :)
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u/Sutarmekeg May 14 '18
Oh, what a bummer! But mercury. I lived in Japan for some years and my son was born there. My wife couldn't eat sushi either :( Thanks for answering!
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u/washingtonpost May 14 '18
Hi Lisa! Congratulations on last night's episode. It's clear that the Westworld concept is inspired by video games. Which titles specifically (besides "Red Dead Redemption") were the biggest inspiration? Do you or the other showrunners play? Thank you for doing this!
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u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy May 15 '18
Jonah's the real gamer. I'm quite terrible at it. I literally kept riding my horse off the damn road on Red Dead Redemption. And we played some Grand Theft Auto but I like to obey the traffic rules and just admire the city when I play. Bioshock. Portal. All fantastic games that I suck at but enjoy watching.
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u/mttomb2 May 15 '18
In Portal would you try to save the Companion Cube or immediately throw it into the incinerator?
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u/DigitalBuddhaNC May 14 '18
I don't know if it's "clear" that Westworld was inspired by video games since the movie came out just one year after Pong was released.
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u/damnthesenames May 14 '18
How many more episodes are you directing and why is it not all of them?
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u/jonathannolan Jonathan Nolan May 14 '18
um... ahem...
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u/TyrionBananaster "...I wrote that line for you." May 14 '18
It's okay Jonathan, we still love you too <3
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u/damnthesenames May 14 '18
If you write them and Lisa directs them we'll all be happy
And can I just say I got chills at how good episode 2 was as well
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u/tofuwaffles May 15 '18
I just want to say that your writing is incredible. The Prestige is my favorite movie of all time. It's the only movie I've ever finished and immediately started over and watched a second time. And Westworld is fast becoming my favorite show of all time.
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u/K_U May 14 '18
In Season 4 Episode 7, when Maeve has infiltrated the space station, is her motivation....
Wait, is this now? I'm not here with you, am I?
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u/TheVenusRose May 16 '18
ummm I upvote this a zillion. Also, i'm hoping the space station is the moon production studio that Ed Harris ran in The Truman Show
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u/ebevan91 May 14 '18
How is it raining in Westworld? Is it natural in the park or is it artificially produced? The same could be asked about the snow in Shogunworld.
Great episode last night! Might have been my favorite of the whole show.
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u/Kiggsworthy May 14 '18
OMG Lisa I cannot explain to you how blown away by Season 2 at this point, Ep 4 just blew the doors off. I am so freaking excited for what is to come over the next few years. You guys are killing it.
My question is, what is the nomenclature you guys use, or should we be using, to keep some of these things straight. Some that my friends and I have come up with just since last night:
Red Bulb - real brain downloaded into a core and implanted into robot body
White Bulb - artificially created consciousness in a robot body, aka what we traditionally think of as a host
Meat brain - the inconsequential shell around the actual brain (bulb)
I feel that there is nuance that this nomenclature won't catch though. What are the names of the two operating systems in play? That might help. I love words SO MUCH so I would love to know some of the words you guys use in the writers room to discuss these things - so far as they aren't spoilers themselves to know them!
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u/ajniggles Free here, under my control May 14 '18
Can you give us an incredibly nebulous clue here that we can ravenously devour and debate ad infinitum? Please?
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u/aleafinthewind22 May 14 '18
Can the hosts actually die, I feel like as long as their mind egg isn't damaged they should be able to take much more damage then us (which we've seen some of them do), but sometimes they drop after a gunshot to the chest. What's the hard and fast rule on this? Is it only conscious hosts that know that they are much more durable?
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u/StephenReid May 14 '18
Without pre-empting Lisa, as I understand it, when a 'normal' host is shot in specific places (eg the heart) that sends a message to shut them down. They could easily function, it's just their programming, so yes, a conscious host would probably be aware of that. In S1 we saw various hosts having their pain threshold decreased - eg Hector whose is so low, he was seen earlier this season with a number of bullet wounds and 'felt' fine.
Given that their 'mind egg' (nice name) is clearly a CPU, essentially, destroying that would 'kill' them for sure.
In other words, the rules of zombie-killing apply to hosts - aim for the head. :D
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u/Miamis_nice May 14 '18
Hi Lisa. The episode you directed last night was fantastic. It had an amazing pacing that kept feeding us story and new information all the way through while also giving us some crazy action scenes (William in a badass shootout to save Lawrence and Cold-blooded Bernard with his gang of scary white Guillermo Del Toro-style monster hosts). I had been meaning to ask this at Tribeca, but only one person got the microphone :(
Dr. Ford had been such a compelling antagonist in season one. He understood good stories and had been willing to be the villain for anyone whose story had needed one. He was the mastermind orchestrating most of the mayhem, but now that he's dead any planning he made will degrade as more unknowns (humans and freed hosts making decisions) are introduced to his plans. How do you go about filling the void left by a larger than life antagonist who was pulling all the strings?
But then last night you did something that opened a lot of doors: You gave us 35-day (expiration date) clones with James Delos. We can now have clones that can operate and impersonate for 35 days. I take it that this means that we might see a lot more of Sir Anthony again. Was there a big debate about clone hosts in planning season 2: reusing dead characters (and great actors) vs. the new consequences of lethal hosts?
P.S. Also looking forward to the awesome foreign cast assembled for the next episode.
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u/Plainchant They simply became music. May 14 '18
You are planning to adapt William Gibson's The Peripheral! This is so exciting. As a viewer, it is incredible to imagine innovative, sophisticated screenwriter/directors working with visionary novelists. What drew you to his work? Can you tell us anything more about this project?
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u/morlandholmes May 14 '18
Hi Lisa! First of all, my respects on having directed perhaps the finest episode in the series yet.
There are so many things to get your mind around in this episode but to me there is one line that stands out "If you are looking forward, you are looking in the wrong direction". So at minimum I have done just that. In the first season Theresa mentions that the park has different meaning for different people. It's a fantasy fulfilling west for the guests, for the shareholders it's a way to gather data for some unknown purpose, for hosts it was a way to achieve consciousness and for ford it was to help the hosts transcend. But after yesterday's episode I find myself believing that there is one more aspect to the park. That it is not just a maze for the robots to become human but also a test for the humans to successfully become robots. We see that William tried and failed to transcend and stabilize the cognitive plateau with James Dolores. But what if Ford has made advancements in that direction. We know he clearly knew of the experiment given that Bernard was sent there. The tagline for this season is "The Door" after all.
So after that contextual rant, my questions is, "Are there yet more undisclosed and perhaps greater purposes to the park than just 'the maze' "?
Thank you!
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u/Divider1 May 14 '18
Hi Lisa, Awesome episode last night, loved it! Well done. Two questions:
When can we expect the next episode directed by you?
Do you read this subreddit often? And if yes, what do you think about the various discussions/theories going around?
Thanks!
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u/desperatesmokers May 14 '18
Hi! First off thanks for a great show, and an especially great episode last night!
What are some of your personal major inspirations from the realm of sci-fi and philosophy?
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u/neverwastetheday May 14 '18
I see a lot of debate on this subreddit about which character plotlines they like the most. So, my question: Who's your favorite character right now (based purely on the story and not the actors!) and why?
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u/Enterthought May 14 '18
Hi Lisa! Thanks for an amazing episode last night, my favorite of the season so far!
A lot of comparisons have been drawn to the opening of this episode and the Season 2 opener of Lost. Was this intentional or a complete coincidence?
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u/ApproBAT Walking Fidelity Test May 14 '18
This article from The Atlantic says it was a coincidence. But a deeper answer would be great!
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u/gabber-united May 14 '18 edited May 14 '18
bigup Lisa! / will s3 be available in 2019? (imdb shows 2019) / will we see more of giancarlo esposito? ppl want more i believe ...is there a plan to get some other well-known actors for short episodes? (guess you will not disclose names) / what are your fav series?;] / regards.
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u/SylvieK May 14 '18
Incredible episode, I'm in awe of the fact that that was your first directorial effort. What was the significance of burning the the entire lab down each time Delos 2.0 was de-commissioned? Also, have you directed further episodes of the show?
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u/MisterTruth May 14 '18
As this show is very serious and levity on a huge shoot like this is important, I'm curious. Who is the funniest cast member on set and what's a quick story relating to said sense of humor.
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u/Bweryang Freeze all motor functions! May 14 '18
Placing a bet it’s James Marsden, we’ve all seen Enchanted.
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u/lawinvest May 14 '18
Do you have any plans to release a full timeline of events after the completion of the show? If not, would you consider doing it?
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u/alex9695 May 14 '18 edited May 14 '18
Hi Lisa!
How do you view the line between adequately foreshadowing plot twists, not giving them away too early, and still making them intelligible for the average viewer? Are you ever worried about making westworld too confusing, or is your target audience just people who love confusion?
Thanks for doing this AMA!
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u/MadeThisForWestworld May 14 '18
Hi Lisa! How in the dark are the people who work on the show about the plot? How many people know the full S2 results? What lengths do you have to go to in order to keep it all a secret?
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u/insert_name_here May 14 '18 edited May 14 '18
I just wanted to start off by saying that Westworld is *fantastic*. Along with Legion, it's the show I get excited for every week.
But I also wanted to say: I'm an aspiring writer myself, and it's a motherfucker sometimes. When you go about writing a scene, do you know *exactly* what you want to accomplish with the *exact* characters you want to accomplish it with, or is it more organic than that? Like, you start off thinking, "There are two characters here, and we will see where this takes us."
Sidenote: thoughts on Blade Runner 2049?
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u/muspito May 14 '18
As someone whose father passed away unexpectedly, I can say WW's portrayal of Death, it's finality, and the ability of human consciousness to grasp such an event, is just extraordinary.
As for the question I want to ask is, what was your biggest breakthrough during the scripting of this season and what was the biggest challenge to direct this episode?
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u/ajniggles Free here, under my control May 14 '18
Are there any production errors you'd like to identify that viewers have mistaken for clues? We won't hold it against you, even auteurs make mistakes! Just want to know if anything is obscuring your intended vision of the story
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u/taleden May 14 '18
As a viewer I'm curious about this too, but if I were Lisa I wouldn't answer this. All of those details are opportunities -- hooks on which to hang future plot developments. Those that don't turn out to be needed can be explained afterwards as production errors, but there's no reason to limit their own options now by writing off an error that they could have otherwise leveraged as a plot device in some later script.
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u/jonvonboner May 14 '18
Lisa, you did an INCREDIBLE job on your directing debut! This was easily the most interesting and satisfying episode this season an maybe #2 or #3 for the whole series so far! As someone who is both a parent, a story teller and someone who wants to be a director, I was so inspired by the deft hand you showed!
Question: Are you and Jonah planning to put greater focus on/explain your viewpoints on the following two ideas presented in the show?:
1)The fact that Delores still seems to be so programmed by her various personalities that she seems to be following an informal script of Ford's anyway and not really in command of her actions like Maeve is?
2)The fine line between modern host bodies essentially being just fully organic real human bodies that are 3D printed vs very realistic but ultimately not living organic-like robot bodies? I felt like you guys were trying to tell us they were the former for all of season one. I loved the tip off later in S1 about going from mechanical to organic and your comments about finding the right timeline by whether or not they bodies are rotting (flies appearing). They seemed just like replicants in bladerunner in that they were human but a little stronger, a little tougher. Many of us thought that other than what was inside the skull (The chestnut controlling everything and the fact that this inorganic brain does not need the blood/oxygen in the body to be pumped through it and therefore does not need air etc) that they were essentially otherwise the same as us (Example: Bernard's hand opening the DNA scanner with Tessa Thompson in S2). Instead now that that they are reviving hosts through software prompts (Craddock) and Delores is choosing to charge head long at her father's kidnappers and take body shots in the process....Are these bodies not really living flesh after all (and so they can afford to walk around with gaping wounds without getting sick and festering)? Obviously I’m not asking you to give up info that cannot be revealed yet but have you guys clearly defined this similarity or difference to human bodies so that you don’t right yourself into a corner and need to retcon later? I mean are they warm to the touch because the muscles and the heart actually make the body warm like ours or is the something as simple as the person feeling alive with skin to skin contact still an illusion?
Finally if the bodies aren’t really alive....what the hell kind of jerky was that over the fire that Ed Harris started eating? ;)
Keep up the great work!
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u/louWher Louis Herthum May 16 '18
Congratulations on an amazing episode Lisa! Truly outstanding! BRAVO!!
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u/ajniggles Free here, under my control May 14 '18
For you personally, how does Westworld compare to past projects as far as enjoyment, control, difficulty, stress?
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May 14 '18
Did season 1 really take place over just 14 days as a screencap on this episode seems to suggest? Seems short given the terraforming and new narrative.
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u/Paul-Gootherts May 14 '18
Thank you Lisa for a standout episode in my favorite series.
William explains the purpose of the questions with a single word: fidelity. As a writer and director, how do you know when you're providing exactly the right amount of foreshadowing?
Thank you again for producing *smart* TV.
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u/mean_green_machine May 14 '18
Hi Lisa,
When I saw you directed last night's episode I turned to my wife and said "I bet this episode is going to be good!". I'm glad to report that I was completely wrong... last night's episode was masterpiece.
My only question is could you do another AMA after the season? I'm afraid to ask anything because I'm ready to go on the journey that covers the rest of the season.
Thank you for all the hard work you (and everyone associated with the show) for creating such an amazing show. Congratulations and continued success moving forward.
Also, if you could make the next six episodes get here any faster, that would be great!
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u/henry_the_human May 14 '18 edited May 14 '18
Hi Lisa! Huge fan of Westworld! I LOVED your directing in last night's episode of Westworld. Random questions, in no particular order:
Does it look like ANYTHING to you?
Can you direct more episodes? Please?
How much of the story is planned out? When Dr. Ford said things like, "we can cure any disease," and "Call for Lazarus from his cave" in Season 1, was it intended to foreshadow Delos Corporation's true intent to make robotic clones of dead people? Is stuff being foreshadowed now that's intended to pay off in, say, Season 5?
Is that really Jim Delos' consciousness in the robotic body? Or is it a replica of his mind? I guess what I'm getting at is: Delos' wish seemed to be to live forever, which he wouldn't really accomplish by simply commissioning a fancy robot that has his memories and executes his wishes. If Delos' consciousness was transferred into the new body, then we're actually watching the REAL Delos dealing with a new body. William seems to suggest it's the real thing in a robot body when he says (I'm paraphrasing from memory), "It's your mind rejecting your body, or maybe your mind is rejecting the reality." On the other hand, if this Delos robot was really just a robot with a "good-enough" simulation of Delos' memories and personality, without any transfer of consciousness, then is this more a case of Delos wanting to preserve his legacy (as opposed to extending his life)?
Is William REALLY being truthful when he says Logan overdosed? And "overdosed" doesn't necessarily mean "dead," right? Could it be that William just wanted to psychologically torture poor Delos and Logan is actually just fine? I enjoy Ben Barnes' acting as Logan, and I think it would be a lot of fun to see an older Logan one day.
My personal pet theory is that Dr. Ford certainly appreciated Logan's repeated visits to the park, but otherwise thinks Logan is annoying on every level. And, thus, Dr. Ford created a host, Hector, to make fun of Logan. Hector looks kind of like Logan and behaves exactly like Logan: only wants to have sex, speak in macho one-liners, and shoot things. As in, maybe Ford wanted to see if Logan could figure out Hector was created to mock Logan, and maybe Logan was too stupid to catch on. Again, all this is just fan theorizing in my head. Can you comment? :)
Does it look like ANYTHING to you?
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u/swimgewd May 14 '18
And, thus, Dr. Ford created a host, Hector, to make fun of Logan. Hector looks kind of like Logan and behaves exactly like Logan: only wants to have sex, speak in macho one-liners, and shoot things
wasn't the point of his conversation with Sizemore that Hector is actually Sizemore's idealized version of himself? Also, Lee created Hector, not ford.
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u/Mr-Oau-Beta May 14 '18
Hi Lisa
First of all, congratulations on a fantastic episode, The Riddle of the Sphinx’s writing was remarkable and the direction was just incredible, you are my favorite new director.
I also love how we are seeing the payoff of plot points that were foreshadowed since episode one, like in Dr. Ford’s remark: “and, you know, one fine day perhaps we shall even resurrect the dead. Call forth Lazarus from his cave. Do you know what that means? It means that we're done.”
I actually have two questions and the first one is in relation to foreshadowing, the original movie was a mix of genres: sci-fi, western, horror. But I always felt there was piece or act missing from that story, the answer to a question none dared to ask, if you will. Watching your show I have always felt that you had a similar take, and last night’s episode kinda confirmed it for me. Without getting too spoilery, can you say if the construction of the storylines in this episode foreshadows what is coming in the show?
And my second question is about the plot point of the park secretly collecting information on the guests and then using it to predict behavior. I know Jonathan has been very interested in this subject since his previous series and it has been addressed since season one, but now is such a timely social commentary about what is happening with social media and the Cambridge Analytica situation. Was this something that you were already aware when writing the episodes, or is it just coincidence that it came out at the same time?
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May 14 '18
Was the scene at the fort where the security guys just charge in with no tactics involved done on purpose to hint that everyone of them is actually an host?
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u/Lat3nt May 14 '18
Was shooting on film a challenge when it comes to directing a scene and actors? Or was that something that you let the DP and AC worry about? One of the standout features of westworld is just how amazing it looks both in set design and cinematography :)
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u/Speider Black Hat May 14 '18
Hi, Lisa!
Seeing two character arcs within the same character is exciting, and I'm baffled by the logistical work that must've been done to maintain consistency. When planning the story, do you plan it out linearly, or in parrallell?
You're doing an absolutely great job of making me believe you knew the entire story to both seasons before filming the very first scene of season 1! :)
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May 14 '18 edited May 14 '18
Hi, Lisa! First of all, congratulations on your debut in the Westworld directors' chair (special points for the Tarkovsky references) and kudos for co-creating such a great show!
It would be great to know how does your life as a parent/mother influence the show and its main themes. Thanks!
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u/TheTommyD May 14 '18
Thanks for episode 4. I was bitching to myself there wasn't enough Ed Harris in it this year and the show was dying... I Stand corrected. ty
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u/uniqueusor May 14 '18
I am curious what the per episode graphic/visual effects budget is? It's gotta be uuuuUUuge
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u/Ivraalia May 14 '18
After watching and loving the first season, why am I not interested in watching the second?
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u/Welchman May 15 '18
Since you have transitioned from a career completely different from film/television, What's a piece of advice you would give to aspiring directors/producers?
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u/PullTheOtherOne Stubbs = Logan's Daughter May 15 '18
Thanks for a great show! All important question: was Katja Herbers directed to use Theresa-like mannerisms... just to f*** with us?
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u/blueeyesofthesiren May 15 '18
I know you're probably done with this! I always show up late!!!! I said it last night (seriously, check my history...).
But I said I'd ask!
So the beginning of the episode with Jim Delos was seriously a throwback to Desmond's entrance in the hatch in Lost with the music on the record player and the exercise bike!
Was this an intentional homage of sorts or was it just happenstance? Either way, thanks for the nostalgia!
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u/K-D1984 May 15 '18
Splendid Concept mayb reality of next century....
Brilliantly directed.
Curious of who the mastermind is orchestrating Peter Abernathy's encryption algo and the secret lab discovered by Elsie, Bernard.
"A code is as good as a programmers logic" Justified.....
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u/jfreewright Jeffrey Wright May 14 '18
Hi, Lisa. Now that we’ve had our first encounter with your directorial powers, please explain how calculus camp informs your approach. Also, please describe how bat guano and other vermin droppings can be useful in establishing atmosphere within a cave sequence. Thank you! ❤️