>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
FOLKS, AS IF IT WASN'T EXCITING ENOUGH TO TALK TO
STEVEN SPIELBERG, WE WERE JOINED BY A VERY SPECIAL GUEST.
JOHN WILLIAMS HAS BEEN STEVEN SPIELBERG'S CLOSEST
COLLABORATOR. THEY HAVE WORKED ON NEARLY EVERY
PROJECT TOGETHER FROM 1974'S "SUGAR LAND EXPRESS" TO
"THE FABELMANS," JOHN WILLIAMS' 53RD OSCAR NOMINATION.
HE HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THE MOST ICONIC SCORES IN
FILM HISTORY. [LIGHT, DELICATE MUSIC]
>> Stephen: YOUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF WORKING TOGETHER.
YOU MET IN 1972. THE FIRST FILM YOU DID WAS
"SUGAR LAND EXPRESS" IN 1974 WITH STEVEN.
IS IT TRUE THAT YOU MET ON BASICALLY A FIRST DATE THAT
SOMEBODY ELSE SET UP? WAS IT A BLIND DATE?
>> John: SOMEBODY SET UP A LUNCH MEETING FOR US IN SOME
FANCY RESTAURANT. THE HEAD WAITER CAME AND HE SAID
I WILL BRING YOU TO MR. SPIELBERG.
I SAW THIS TEENAGER, I THOUGHT, YOU'VE GOT TO FORGIVE ME.
TELL THE STORY. >> Steven: I'M NOT EVEN HERE.
TELL THE STORY. >> John: I THOUGHT THAT IS
MR. SPIELBERG'S SON. IS SPIELBERG?
WITHIN A MINUTE OR TWO? I REALIZED IT WAS SOME OF THE
VERY, VERY SPECIAL WITH KEENAN WRESTLING AND DAZZLING INTELLECT
WHO REMEMBERED EVERYTHING I'D EVER WRITTEN.
>> Steven: I HAD A HUGE COLLECTION OF SOUNDTRACKS AND
WHEN I HEARD JOHN'S SCORE, I SAID TO MYSELF, IF I EVER GET A
CHANCE TO DIRECT MOVIES, I WANT THIS GUY TO SCORE ALL OF THEM.
THIS WAS BACK IN 1972. >> Stephen: I HAVE A VERY
SIMPLE QUESTION, WHAT IS YOUR JOB?
I DON'T MEAN THAT FICTITIOUSLY. >> John: IT'S A WONDERFUL
QUESTION. IT'S VERY SIMPLE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN GIVE YOU A SIMPLE ANSWER.
I THINK THE FIRST ANSWER I CAN GIVE YOU IS TO INFORM AND
IMPROVE THE PROCESS OF STORYTELLING THROUGH MUSIC, IF I
CAN. DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERS,
DESCRIBED THE ATMOSPHERE, THE AMBIENCE OF WHAT THE STORY
REQUIRES. MY JOB IS TO BE A COLLABORATOR
WITH THE DIRECTOR IN ACHIEVING ALL THESE THINGS.
THE ATMOSPHERICS, EMOTIONAL CONTENT AND SO ON.
>> Stephen: STEVEN, YOU HAVE SAID I DEPEND ON JON MORE THAN I
DEPEND ON ANYONE TO REWRITE MY MOVIES MUSICALLY AND PUT THEM ON
A RUN HIGHER THAN I COULD EVER REACH.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS ABOUT JOHN THAT ALLOWS HIM TO
UNDERSTAND YOUR INTENTION AND AMPLIFY THAT IN NO WAY YOU CAN'T
REACH HERSELF? >> Steven: JOHN PUTS A LOT OF
STOCK IN THE FIRST IMPRESSION OF WATCHING THE STORY ON THE SPOOL.
WHEN HE SEES THE FILM FOR THE FIRST TIME.
HE PUTS A LOT OF STOCK IN THEM. I THINK THERE IS SOME KIND OF,
SOMETHING HAPPENS WHICH IS BEYOND, CERTAINLY WAY BEYOND MY
ABILITY TO SORT OF DO AN AUTOPSY ON THE GENIUS OF JOHN WILLIAMS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT. I JUST KNOW SOMETHING HAPPENS.
THE FILM CONNECTS. JOHNNY HAS IDEAS AND IS WATCHING
THE FILM. HE LET THE STORY ON SPOOLING
ROLLOVER HIM, MAKE HIM FEEL SOMETHING AND HE SOMEHOW ABLE TO
TAKE THOSE FEELINGS, THOSE EMOTIONS, AND IS ABLE TO FIND
THE MUSICAL EQUIVALENT OF EMOTION, OF ENERGY, OF CREATING
A MUSICAL NARRATIVE, BINDING ALL THE DISPARATE PARTS OF A MOVIE
STORY INTO A VERY SMOOTH NARRATIVE MUSICALLY AND HE JUST
HAS A WAY OF DOING THIS UNLIKE ANYONE I'VE EVER SEEN PERFORM
HIS JOB. >> John: WE JUST AGREE ABOUT
AESTHETIC CHOICES. MATTERS OF TASTE.
WE HAVE NEVER HAD AN ARGUMENT. >> Stephen: REALLY?
>> Steven: NO. 29 FILMS WE HAVE DONE TOGETHER.
SPHERE AND THAT IS REALLY SURPRISING QUESTION LIKE IS IT
BECAUSE YOU BOTH ACKNOWLEDGE EACH OTHER'S LANES, YOU
ARE A MASTER SPEAKING TO A MASTER?
>> Steven: I DON'T GET THAT AS MUCH AS WE ARE IN THE SAME LANE
WITHOUT PLAYING BUMPER CARS. WE HAVE A WAY.
I HAVE NEVER NOT LIKED SOMETHING THAT JOHN HAS WRITTEN FOR ONE OF
MY MOVIES. I'VE NEVER SAID "OH, I DON'T
FEEL THAT'S RIGHT FOR MY MOVIE." OR "I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD USE
THIS PIECE OF MUSIC AT THIS POINT."
EVERYTHING JOHNNY HAS WRITTEN HAS FIT LIKE A GLOVE.
THERE'S NEVER BEEN BUMPS ABOUT MY DISAGREEING WITH SOMETHING
THAT HE HAS COMPOSED. EVER.
>> Stephen: WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME AND TONIGHT'S SHOW
WITH MY FULL CONVERSATION WITH JOHN WILLIAMS BUT TUNE IN NEXT
WEEK. WE'LL HAVE MORE WITH STEVEN AND
JOHN ON THEIR FAMOUS COLLABORATIONS AND WHEN WE
RETURN, ASK STEVEN SPIELBERG ABOUT UFOs.
STICK AROUND.