Ask questions about the original LBT script - Stu Krieger writer AMA

[CappyGaming]

Mo-o-o-o is super duper excited! Wow! Certainly did not expect this, but it's a very welcome surprise.

Nice to meet you, Stu Krieger.
I'm happy to know that you found our little niche community and that you are touched by our continued love for the movie. Thank you as well for your contributions to create the movie that have made the childhoods of mine and other people here.

Anyway, since this is an AMA, it is only appropriate that I ask you some questions that I am curious about. May add some more later on.

1. Not exactly related to the original movie itself, but are you still in touch with other writers or anyone else who had contributed to the first Land Before Time movie?

2. Based on the deleted scenes, the movie was supposed to have more gruesome/frightening scenes, especially ones related to Sharptooth and his attack. My question is, was the pressure to keep adherence to a "G" rated movie standard the main reason why the scenes had to be dialed down a bit? Were you guys considering at one point to make the movie "PG" in favor of keeping the movie's integrity intact? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Universal was the main culprit behind the decisions that the team had to make regarding the scenes that were deleted? (Hopefully this isn't too much for your NDA)

3...

1. Yes! Although I never even met the previous credited writers on LBT, I had a long working relationship across multiple projects with both Steven Spielberg and Don Bluth, who I still speak to today. I also recently reconnected with John Pomeroy, a lead animator and producer on the film. We're all pretty proud of how the movie has lived on.

2. Here's the truth: After years of being asked about the fabled "more violent" cut of the movie, I recently went back into my archives and uncovered what is perhaps the earliest cut of the movie in existence. It's so early, in fact, that some scenes aren't fully animated yet. I can now reveal....

Though there are a few extra moments the Sharptooth fight (some shots are held for slightly longer, there's a brief scream from Littlefoot's Mom that's slightly different to the theatrical release, etc), there are no violent deleted scenes! In fact, the early cut of the movie was shorter than the theatrical release.

Don't mind me, just gonna save this for the rest of the community.

[StuKrieger]

Hey Stu Kriegler,

The Land Before Time is THAT kids movie for me. It spawned my Dino love since 5 years old, and I am now an aspiring Paleontologist. It's a movie I have shown my younger cousin, and one I hold very near to my heart. I only have a few, not so insightful, questions.

1. What are some cool inside jokes that happened in the writing room during the production of this movie.

2. Have you had any cute or cool fan experiences, and what's the story.

3. What is being a writer for a movie like, where you have to collaborate ideas between writers, directors, etc. Is there one person who creates a general outline and writers fill in. Or is a finished manuscript brought in to writers, who add or take story elements.

Thanks you so much. I'm so glad I've had this opportunity to ask questions to someone who has impacted my life in a meaningful way. I wish you and your family the best of health and good lucks.

Gratefully,
MoonGoji
 

1. Though there was no traditional writer's room on this movie, Steven, Don and I had a lot of funny conversations and disagreements about what a dinosaur would or wouldn't say!
2. Truthfully, for many years I had no idea of the depth of the love fans have for this movie. It's only since joining social media, and interacting with folks there (@StuKrieger on Instagram), that I've had countless touching interactions with fans.
3. Every movie is different! In this case, working out the story and relationships was very much a collaborative effort between myself, Don, Steven, John Pomeroy, George Lucas, Frank Marshall, and Kathy Kennedy. In the beginning of the process, we spent several weeks around a conference table hashing out big picture ideas for the movie. Then I wrote a draft of the story, got notes from the team, and it all evolved from there!

[StuKrieger]

Wow! What an honour to speak to an official member of the production crew. A true pleasure Mr Krieger!

1. What was it like working with such big names in the industry at the time? I.e. Don Bluth, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas

2. What were some of the highlights of making the original Land Before Time movie? Any interesting stories/ancedotes?

3. Were there any shortcomings or production issues whilst making the original movie?

4. Any thoughts on how LBT has progressed since the 1988 original movie?

5. Did you actually enjoy working on the original LBT movie?

Greatly appreciate Mr Krieger taking the time to chat to this old fan forum. Can't wait to hear what he has to say.

Thank you and kind regards,

Littlefoot-1616 

1. It was my version of grad school, getting to learn from the masters. I'd already worked with Steven on Amazing Stories, so I was thrilled to continue learning from the very best.
2. Don is such a fundamentally kind and decent person, that he made the environment an absolute joy to come to work in every single day.
3. Like any production with big personalities, there were some creative disagreements along the way. But we were always able to put aside our differences to find the best version of the movie together.
4. I'm amazed by its longevity and how many sequels and spinoffs it has spawned. But I have to say, I'll always be biased towards the original
5. Yep yep yep!

[StuKrieger]

Hello, Mr. Krieger! 

Did you have a favourite character from the film?

I've always had a special soft spot for Cera, because she had the most to learn in order to overcome the chip on her shoulder, and become a member of the team.

[StuKrieger]

Hi folks,

Thanks again for all your great questions! This was a lot of fun, and I couldn't be more moved to see your continued love for this very special story.

I'm sorry I couldn't get to everyone, but you can always find me at @StuKrieger on Instagram where I share stories from Land Before Time, and try to answer fan questions whenever I can. If your question didn't get answered, feel free to leave a comment there.

May all your journeys be filled with friendship and tree stars,
Stu

[ImpracticalDino]

Omg! I loovee your sendoff message, haha!

But anyways, thank YOU for answering my questions and for answering as many questions from this thread as you can. I appreciate the time you have set aside out of your busy schedule to touch base with the fans of the LBT movie that have made our childhoods.

Mo-o-o-o is super duper excited! Wow! Certainly did not expect this, but it's a very welcome surprise.

Nice to meet you, Stu Krieger.
I'm happy to know that you found our little niche community and that you are touched by our continued love for the movie. Thank you as well for your contributions to create the movie that have made the childhoods of mine and other people here.

Anyway, since this is an AMA, it is only appropriate that I ask you some questions that I am curious about. May add some more later on.

1. Not exactly related to the original movie itself, but are you still in touch with other writers or anyone else who had contributed to the first Land Before Time movie?

2. Based on the deleted scenes, the movie was supposed to have more gruesome/frightening scenes, especially ones related to Sharptooth and his attack. My question is, was the pressure to keep adherence to a "G" rated movie standard the main reason why the scenes had to be dialed down a bit? Were you guys considering at one point to make the movie "PG" in favor of keeping the movie's integrity intact? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Universal was the main culprit behind the decisions that the team had to make regarding the scenes that were deleted? (Hopefully this isn't too much for your NDA)

3...

1. Yes! Although I never even met the previous credited writers on LBT, I had a long working relationship across multiple projects with both Steven Spielberg and Don Bluth, who I still speak to today. I also recently reconnected with John Pomeroy, a lead animator and producer on the film. We're all pretty proud of how the movie has lived on.

2. Here's the truth: After years of being asked about the fabled "more violent" cut of the movie, I recently went back into my archives and uncovered what is perhaps the earliest cut of the movie in existence. It's so early, in fact, that some scenes aren't fully animated yet. I can now reveal....

Though there are a few extra moments the Sharptooth fight (some shots are held for slightly longer, there's a brief scream from Littlefoot's Mom that's slightly different to the theatrical release, etc), there are no violent deleted scenes! In fact, the early cut of the movie was shorter than the theatrical release.

Dang! Was hoping the community could've gotten all the deep juicy lost content from the archive! But nonetheless, this was more of answer than I thought I was gonna get, so I'm pretty satisfied.

Anyways, I guess this is our goodbye for now. Thanks again for everything. You're always welcome to secretly poke around this community if you're interested, haha. Nobody would know!

Long live Land Before Time!

[Mumbling]

Thank you very much for taking your time to answer our questions, Stu! What a lovely experience for our little corner of the internet 

[Sneak]

Thank you very very much for this Q&A session!

It was fun and informative. Always good to learn something new about our beloved movie! 

Especially, I am amazed to learn how Littlefoot got his name. 

[Rattymon]

Thank you so much for answering my question!