Within Witnesses
Steven Spielberg’s approach to UFO witnesses was neither simple belief nor outright dismissal. While researching Close Encounters of the Third Kind, he listened carefully to people who reported unusual experiences, yet he deliberately filtered out testimony he considered unreliable.
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Why Sincerity Was Not Treated as Proof
A central feature of Spielberg’s witness filter was the distinction between honest testimony and verified fact. UFO reports often come from people who genuinely believe they saw something unusual. Spielberg appears to have recognised that sincerity alone does not establish what was actually observed.
This attitude is visible in his research process. Rather than collecting the most sensational stories available, he sought accounts from people whose observations carried different kinds of credibility. Pilots and air traffic controllers were valuable because they routinely observed aircraft and atmospheric phenomena. Ordinary witnesses mattered as well, but their experiences were weighed as experiences rather than automatic proof of extraterrestrial visitation. According to the AFI production history, Spielberg interviewed a broad range of witnesses while consciously excluding individuals he regarded as unreliable. [AFI Catalog]catalog.afi.comMovie Detailspilots, air traffic controllers, and housewives,” but avoiding what he called “loonies.” A news item in the 29 Mar 1974 HR listed Close E…
The distinction is important because Close Encounters does not portray witnesses as infallible. Characters are confused, uncertain and often struggle to explain what they have seen. Spielberg was interested in how people react to extraordinary experiences, not merely in compiling evidence for UFOs. By focusing on behaviour rather than certainty, he avoided turning the film into a catalogue of claims.
The Line Between Wonder and Credulity
Spielberg’s comments from the period suggest that he occupied a middle ground between scepticism and unquestioning belief. He acknowledged that many reported sightings could have ordinary explanations. In a contemporary interview, he observed that people often spend little time looking at the night sky and may misinterpret unfamiliar sights when they finally do pay attention. At the same time, he remained intrigued by reports that resisted easy explanation. [BFI]bfi.org.ukBFIA close encounter with Steven Spielberg | Sight and SoundDecember 10, 2021 — 10 Dec 2021 — We joined Spielberg on the set of his fourth feature, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, to discuss UF…
This balance became a defining feature of the film.
Wonder is encouraged because witnesses are treated sympathetically. Their experiences matter. Their emotional responses are taken seriously. Yet credulity is restrained because the narrative does not insist that every observer is correct merely because they are convinced.
The practical effect of Spielberg’s filter can be seen in several recurring choices:
- Witnesses are shown describing experiences rather than delivering unquestionable truths.
- Professional observers appear alongside ordinary citizens, creating layers of credibility.
- Government investigators and scientists remain present, signalling that claims should be examined rather than simply accepted.
- The drama centres on uncertainty and interpretation before it reaches confirmation.
Because of this structure, viewers experience the same tension that interested Spielberg during his research: some testimony seems persuasive, some seems doubtful, and the challenge lies in deciding how much weight to give each account.
How Hynek’s Categories Helped Organise Testimony
Spielberg’s filtering process was strengthened by the influence of astronomer and UFO researcher J. Allen Hynek, who served as a technical adviser on the film. Hynek was notable because he tried to impose classification and discipline on a subject often dominated by speculation. Rather than treating all reports as equivalent, he developed categories that separated different kinds of sightings according to circumstances and proximity. [AFI Catalog]catalog.afi.comMovie Detailspilots, air traffic controllers, and housewives,” but avoiding what he called “loonies.” A news item in the 29 Mar 1974 HR listed Close E… [Wikipedia]WikipediaJ. Allen HynekJ. Allen HynekHynek acted as scientific advisor to UFO studies he conducted his own independent UFO research, developing the "Close En…
Hynek’s classification system was valuable because it transformed a mass of anecdotes into a framework. Reports could be grouped, compared and evaluated instead of being accepted wholesale. Spielberg adopted not only Hynek’s famous terminology but also the underlying idea that testimony should be organised before conclusions are drawn. The film’s title itself comes directly from Hynek’s classification of encounters. [AFI Catalog]catalog.afi.comMovie Detailspilots, air traffic controllers, and housewives,” but avoiding what he called “loonies.” A news item in the 29 Mar 1974 HR listed Close E… [Wikipedia]WikipediaClose encounterClose encounter6, Close encounters of the third kind (CE3), UFO encounters in which an animated entity is present—these include humano…
In practical terms, Hynek’s influence encouraged three filtering principles:
Categorisation over accumulation. More stories were not necessarily better. Reports became useful when they could be compared with similar reports.
Patterns over isolated claims. A recurring feature across multiple witnesses carried more interest than a single dramatic anecdote.
Investigation over assumption. The goal was to examine reports systematically rather than begin with a predetermined conclusion.
These ideas helped Spielberg create a fictional world where testimony feels meaningful because it is subjected to scrutiny.
Why the Filter Strengthened the Film
A less selective approach might have pushed Close Encounters towards fantasy or conspiracy storytelling. Spielberg’s witness filter instead gave the film a distinctive realism. The audience encounters people who are uncertain, embarrassed, obsessed or transformed by what they think they have seen. Their reactions feel authentic because the film is built around the psychology of witnessing rather than the certainty of belief.
This approach also explains why the film continues to resonate beyond UFO culture. The central question is not simply whether extraterrestrials exist. It is how people respond when confronted with an experience that challenges their understanding of reality. By filtering testimony instead of accepting every claim, Spielberg preserved both scepticism and wonder.
That balance became one of the defining qualities of his UFO research and of Close Encounters of the Third Kind itself: witnesses deserved to be heard, but being heard was not the same thing as being proven right. [AFI Catalog]catalog.afi.comMovie Detailspilots, air traffic controllers, and housewives,” but avoiding what he called “loonies.” A news item in the 29 Mar 1974 HR listed Close E… [BFI]bfi.org.ukspielberg goes sublime close encounters third kindIs Close Encounters of the Third Kind Spielberg's most…20 May 2016 — Allen Hynek (consultant for the US Air Force's Project Blue Book…
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Endnotes
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Source: catalog.afi.com
Title: Movie Details
Link: https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/67160?cxt=filmographySource snippet
pilots, air traffic controllers, and housewives,” but avoiding what he called “loonies.” A news item in the 29 Mar 1974 HR listed Close E...
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Source: catalog.afi.com
Title: 67160 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND
Link: https://catalog.afi.com/Film/67160-CLOSE-ENCOUNTERS-OF-THE-THIRD-KINDSource snippet
J. Allen Hynek, who created the hierarchy of alien encounters. An item in...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: J. Allen Hynek
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Allen_HynekSource snippet
J. Allen HynekHynek acted as scientific advisor to UFO studies he conducted his own independent UFO research, developing the "Close En...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Close encounter
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_encounterSource snippet
Close encounter6, Close encounters of the third kind (CE3), UFO encounters in which an animated entity is present—these include humano...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_Encounters_of_the_Third_KindSource snippet
Close Encounters of the Third KindThe title is derived from astronomer and Ufologist J. Allen Hynek's classification of close encounte...
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Source: history.com
Title: Meet J
Link: https://www.history.com/articles/j-allen-hynek-ufos-project-blue-bookSource snippet
Allen Hynek, the Astronomer Who First Classified...19 Nov 2018 — UFO expert Dr. J. Allen Hynek holds a pipe and one of his magazine edit...
Additional References
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Source: instagram.com
Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZRhCFXE4mo/Source snippet
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF HE THIRD KIND $5 tickets...... UFO grabbing three people as he is fixing a power grid. Are these... #film #movie #d...
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Source: enigmalabs.io
Link: https://enigmalabs.io/library/6483dd0f-9d12-41fa-842b-c064d636c3bbSource snippet
Hynek's Close Encounters ScaleAllen Hynek devised a sixfold classification for UFO sightings, ranked by proximity to the event. Populariz...
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Source: x.com
Link: https://x.com/vashikoo/status/2062629510273781981 -
Source: bfi.org.uk
Title: BFIA close encounter with Steven Spielberg | Sight and Sound
Link: https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/interviews/close-encounter-with-steven-spielbergSource snippet
December 10, 2021 — 10 Dec 2021 — We joined Spielberg on the set of his fourth feature, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, to discuss UF...
Published: December 10, 2021
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Source: sfcrowsnest.info
Title: steven spielberg close encounters ufo documentary explained
Link: https://sfcrowsnest.info/steven-spielberg-close-encounters-ufo-documentary-explained/Source snippet
Close Encounters Of The Fact Kind: Spielberg's UFO...4 Jun 2026 — New documentary reveals the UFO cases, researchers and real-world myst...
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Source: theankler.com
Title: steven spielberg ufo aliens close encounters third kind
Link: https://theankler.com/steven-spielberg-ufo-aliens-close-encounters-third-kind/Source snippet
UFOs, Aliens & Steven Spielberg's 20-Year Obsession9 Nov 2024 — For one thing, to make Close Encounters as accurate as possible — or at l...
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Source: smithsonianmag.com
Link: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/whats-behind-steven-spielbergs-lifelong-obsession-with-flying-[saucersSource snippet
's in on an intergalactic secret, but because they transport him to a...Read more...
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Source: amazon.de
Link: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Mark-OConnell/dp/0062484176Source snippet
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/washingtonpost/posts/review-every-steven-spielberg-film-about-the-sky-has-felt-like-a-question-direct/1373678404624031/Source snippet
closure Day is finally about UFOs and aliens (the first one left it...Read more...
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Source: bfi.org.uk
Title: spielberg goes sublime close encounters third kind
Link: https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/spielberg-goes-sublime-close-encounters-third-kindSource snippet
Is Close Encounters of the Third Kind Spielberg's most...20 May 2016 — Allen Hynek (consultant for the US Air Force's Project Blue Book...
Published: May 2016
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