Yahoo! Chat Event

Pearl Harbor:

"Pearl Harbor" Producer Jerry Bruckheimer & Director Michael Bay
For Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay, the making of Pearl Harbor was
a dedicated pursuit. Sometimes an uphill battle, the duo was determined
against all odds to make the film, despite the enormity of the production
and the complicated logistics involved in such an undertaking. Both
producer and director are history buffs and both are fascinated by true
stories and everyday heroes.
On Thursday, May 17th at 6pET/3pPT, join Yahoo! Chat for a special
video interview and live chat with Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay.
Watch the live webcast from the deck of the USS Stennis and then stick
around as Jerry and Michael answer your questions about this summer's
biggest blockbuster!


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Yahoomc: OK, Jerry Bruckheimer is now online!

pearl_harbor_chat: Hi, it's a pleasure talking to you today and I look
forward to your questions from beautiful Hawaii.
Pearl Harbor. Where the sun is shining and the wind
is blowing.

pearl_harbor_chat: We are sitting in the historic site where the war
began in 1941 and across from me is where the
Japanese surrendered.

pearl_harbor_chat: So it's the beginning and the end of WWII for the
Americans and the Japanese.

pearl_harbor_chat: We are on the John C. Stennis battleship.


gilly_cious: Hi Michael and Jerry! Did the movie turn out the way you
envisioned it or were you forced to limit it in any way?
Thanks, Denis


pearl_harbor_chat: The movie turned out much bigger than I ever expected.

pearl_harbor_chat: We had to make some financial compromises, but in
the end, it was bigger than I had ever expected it
to be.

wizard_writer: Who or what influenced you (Jerry Bruckheimer) in order
to produce this war project?

pearl_harbor_chat: You know, you hear a concept and think it's
interesting and want to get involved.

pearl_harbor_chat: Once we got Randall involved, he started pitching us
his vision of the story ... so he was probably the
biggest influence in getting this movie made.

pearl_harbor_chat: Because without his script, there would be no movie.


redknight3: What was it like to work with Randall Wallace as the writer
of the film?

pearl_harbor_chat: He's enormously collaborative.

pearl_harbor_chat: He's a real patriot.

pearl_harbor_chat: Grew up in Tennessee and has strong American roots.
pearl_harbor_chat: Believes in our military and has a passion in writing
about them and their heroics in horrendous situations.
pearl_harbor_chat: He's very romantic, too.

pearl_harbor_chat: Has a real soft touch when it comes to the love story.



frost000: Is there any future projects that involve Randall Wallace?

pearl_harbor_chat: Not yet, but we've talked about working together
again.

pearl_harbor_chat: He's right now in the process of directing a movie
with Mel Gibson that he also wrote.

pearl_harbor_chat: (He wrote Braveheart)



frost000: What made you decide on Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett?

pearl_harbor_chat: You know, Ben we worked with before on Armageddon
and had a great experience.

pearl_harbor_chat: He has classical American looks.

pearl_harbor_chat: Josh is the new kid on the block.

pearl_harbor_chat: Screen tested for us and wowed us.

pearl_harbor_chat: Has the dignity of a Gary Cooper and the heart of
Montgomery Clift.

pearl_harbor_chat: Has the strength and the sensitivity.



filmkid22: How did you convince Ben Affleck to cut his pay down to
250,000 dollars?

pearl_harbor_chat: You know, I don't think it was us.

pearl_harbor_chat: it was the script itself.

pearl_harbor_chat: He saw the opportunity to reach a worldwide audience
with this movie.

pearl_harbor_chat: Michael is a brilliant visualist.

pearl_harbor_chat: Every actor likes that.



deceptikronic: Jerry, was this your first time shooting in Hawaii?

pearl_harbor_chat: Yes, it is and it was a wonderful experience.

pearl_harbor_chat: If you want to shoot a movie, this is the place you
want to go.



wtf_jin: Hello, we are well aware there have been a number of movies
based on WW2, I was wondering what makes this movie stand out
from the rest? Thanx, J

pearl_harbor_chat: You know, it was a surprise attack on this one ....
it's the first time we've ever been attacked on
American soil.

pearl_harbor_chat: It was a devastating loss for us.

pearl_harbor_chat: There's been other movies done on Pearl Harbor, but
none attempted to show a love story and the attack.
pearl_harbor_chat: They were more of a docu-drama.

pearl_harbor_chat: They didn't have the kind of characterizations that
we do in ours.

pearl_harbor_chat: There's always comparisons when you take on a subject
that has been done before.

pearl_harbor_chat: They didn't have the technology in those days.

pearl_harbor_chat: It was done in 1971 and won an Academy for special
effects, and you can imagine how much we have
advanced since that picture came out.



patmcgue: Why did you choose Hans Zimmer to do the score for the Film

pearl_harbor_chat: I've worked with Hans a number of times.

pearl_harbor_chat: He's brilliant.

pearl_harbor_chat: He has enormous heart.

pearl_harbor_chat: He gets the romance.

pearl_harbor_chat: The key to this story was to make sure that the love
story works, and it does.

pearl_harbor_chat: It has themes that involve us and breaks our hearts.



gilly_cious: I am planning on taking my japanese girl-friend to see
Pearl Harbor the first day it opens....Am I safe? Is our
relationship going to change after the viewing?

pearl_harbor_chat: Not at all. We're very respectful of the Japanese.

pearl_harbor_chat: They planned a brilliant attack and we bow our heads
to what they pull off.

pearl_harbor_chat: We don't like it, but we treat them with enormous
dignity.


gtobey1: Any feeling about the film may be viewed by Japanese audiences?

pearl_harbor_chat: We did it early on.

pearl_harbor_chat: We sent it to Disney's Japanese office and had them
read the script.

pearl_harbor_chat: They gave us some minor comments that we addressed.

pearl_harbor_chat: Later we screened it for Japanese journalists and
they liked what they saw and were comfortable with
it.

pearl_harbor_chat: Plus it's one of the most highly anticipated movies
in Japan right now.


frost000: How accurate is the portrayal of the battle in Pearl harbor?

pearl_harbor_chat: Enormous amount of accuracy.

pearl_harbor_chat: We had historians on the set with us.

pearl_harbor_chat: To make sure we got it right.

pearl_harbor_chat: That's not to say it's 100% accurate because it
would take 9 hours to tell the story and the only
people who would want to sit through that would be
us and our parents.

pearl_harbor_chat: I'm so glad I could spend time with you all today.
I look forward to doing it again and would love to
hear your comments about the movie when you see it!

Yahoomc: Thanks to jerry for joining us....