LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Thirty-eight years ago, Joseph McGinty Nichol was a boy in Kalamazoo, Michigan, playing with toy robots.



Many of the robots in "Terminator Salvation" are real machines, which increased realism, the cast says.



Today "McG," as he is better known, builds and blows up real robots.



The prominent filmmaker is the driving force behind one of the season's summer blockbusters, "Terminator Salvation," which is filled with very expensive and very explosive robots. The choice to use real robots when possible, instead of CGI (computer generated images), was deliberate, McG said.



According to the director and the film's stars, the decision to use real machines was a testament to the growing sophistication of the moviegoing public, whom they believe can "feel" the difference between actors standing in front of a green screen versus actors interacting with the real thing.



It was also done in honor of the legendary special effects supervisor, four-time Oscar winner Stan Winston ("Jurassic Park," the other "Terminator" films), who passed away during filming last year.  Watch the robots in action »



The director and three of his cast members -- Christian Bale, Bryce Dallas Howard and Anton Yelchin -- took a time out with CNN to explain why gravity and singed eyebrows both played a role in "Terminator Salvation."



Bryce Dallas Howard: That was something that was really important to McG ...  when an audience member sees this film, that they can actually feel what's occurring.



I think that audiences are very savvy now. We can feel when something is CGI and that's no disrespect to CGI -- we couldn't do this movie without it -- but, whenever possible, in the tradition of Sam Winston, he wanted to build the robots. So a lot of what you see is real.



McG: And if you drop something, we've spent our whole lives watching physics in play, and if you say, just have the CGI do that, people can tell something's off, and it releases you from being involved in the picture. So, we built all the robots, we built all the sets, we blew them up for real, a great many of us lost our eyebrows!



Christian Bale: It was kind of comical at times because something that's meant to be so intimidating was actually surrounded by five guys with these kind of puppet rods I had to blank out or I would start laughing. But, the end result is something really formidable and you know, really iconic in movie history.



Anton Yelchin: Now I'm obsessed with the robots! I'm so [annoyed] that this guy or whoever it is that's in charge of it wouldn't let me have one!
What is the name of the movie? What prompted the decision not to use CGI? Who is the special effects guy? What was the reason behind the idea to avoid CGI? Who decided to use many real robots? What series of the film is it? What kind of robots did the filmmakers use/ Who's the director of Terminator Salvation? What is Stan Winston famous for? Who is a special effects master? What did "Terminator Salvation" filmmakers decide to use? What type of robots will be used? Who was the special effects master?
"Terminator Salvation" the growing sophistication of the moviegoing public, whom they believe can "feel" the difference between actors standing in front of a green screen versus actors interacting with the real thing. Stan Winston in honor of the legendary special effects supervisor, four-time Oscar Joseph McGinty Nichol "Terminator Salvation," are real machines, Joseph McGinty Nichol legendary special effects supervisor, Stan Winston real robots when possible, instead of CGI (computer generated images), very expensive and very explosive Stan Winston
question: What is the name of the movie?, answer: "Terminator Salvation" | question: What prompted the decision not to use CGI?, answer: the growing sophistication of the moviegoing public, whom they believe can "feel" the difference between actors standing in front of a green screen versus actors interacting with the real thing. | question: Who is the special effects guy?, answer: Stan Winston | question: What was the reason behind the idea to avoid CGI?, answer: in honor of the legendary special effects supervisor, four-time Oscar | question: Who decided to use many real robots?, answer: Joseph McGinty Nichol | question: What series of the film is it?, answer: "Terminator Salvation," | question: What kind of robots did the filmmakers use/, answer: are real machines, | question: Who's the director of Terminator Salvation?, answer: Joseph McGinty Nichol | question: What is Stan Winston famous for?, answer: legendary special effects supervisor, | question: Who is a special effects master?, answer: Stan Winston | question: What did "Terminator Salvation" filmmakers decide to use?, answer: real robots when possible, instead of CGI (computer generated images), | question: What type of robots will be used?, answer: very expensive and very explosive | question: Who was the special effects master?, answer: Stan Winston