‘First Man': How Damien Chazelle Made That Terrifying Opening Scene
From the get-go, “First Man” shows how Neil Armstrong cheated death
Jeremy Fuster | October 15, 2018 @ 6:25 AM
Last Updated: October 15, 2018 @ 10:52 AM
Universal
Millions of children say they want to be an astronaut when they grow up — but at what cost?
“First Man” shows just what fulfilling that dream entails, as it opens by recounting the first of many instances in which Neil Armstrong cheated death en route to set foot on the moon.
The film starts with a jolt, as we join Armstrong in the cockpit of an X-15 rocket plane, soaring to the highest layers of the Earth’s stratosphere as the plane’s metal rattles and the rushing air roars around him. The camera shakes violently, and the seats in the movie theater shake with it as the noise rumbles through the room. But then, suddenly, a moment of peace, as Armstrong reaches the point where he can see the vastness of space and the curvature of the Earth.
But that moment of peace is short-lived as Armstrong realizes something that will make your stomach drop. The engine’s off … and the altimeter says he’s still going up. He’s bouncing off the atmosphere, and he’s seconds away from falling out of gravity and into space. Yet, a few minutes later, Armstrong somehow finds a way to make it back to the ground, calmly walking away from the beaten-up aircraft while leaving everyone else shaken.
When speaking to TheWrap, director Damien Chazelle and screenwriter Josh Singer both said that they knew they needed to get the opening scene absolutely right to send the message of what this film was about: the risks taken and the price paid by Armstrong to make history. Singer says that in addition to taking info from the James R. Hansen biography the film was adapting, he also looked into simulations and other records from NASA of the X-15 flight Armstrong did in 1962.
“In some respects, that X-15 flight is just as remarkable an achievement as the moon landing was. The plane still holds speed and altitude records for piloted flights 50 years later, and Neil’s flight was the longest of all the test flights done with that craft,” Singer said.
“We talked with people who worked on the test flights with Neil at Edwards Air Force Base, and they showed us diagrams and records from the test flight. I got to try out a simulator that really felt like a fancy video game but gave me a great idea of what it was like to try to land one of these planes,” he added.
Once they had the information, Singer and Chazelle agreed that the best way to show the tension of the scene was to keep it entirely in the cockpit, an approach that also helped keep the film under its $60 million budget as it avoided having to depict the X-15’s flight with costly effects.
But keeping that tension also meant compressing a 12-minute test flight into a five-minute sequence that would put the audience practically inside Armstrong’s head as he flies the plane. To that end, Singer rewrote the scene four times before reaching the final draft used by Chazelle, with the drafts checked by Joe Engle, the last living pilot that took part in the X-15 program.
“Joe helped us make sure that we got the first-person perspective right, and it was more than the script,” Singer said. “He helped us when Damien was doing his prep with the storyboards and animatics. He guided us step-by-step through the process Neil would have done when flying the plane so we’d know what the cameras would focus on in the cockpit.”
Engle’s guidance and Singer’s research also helped production Nathan Crowley faithfully recreate the cockpits of the X-15 and NASA spacecrafts that Armstrong pilots in the film, with Mary Zophres designed the flight and space suits based off of archive photographs and footage from NASA and Edwards Air Force Base.
From there, Chazelle and cinematographer Linus Sandgren filmed the scene in 16mm camera to give it a feel similar to NASA test footage from the 1960s.
“We were able to devise a very efficient way to get everything we wanted for the test flight and for the space scenes as well,” said Chazelle.
“I remember the first time I saw some of the actual capsules and cockpits [Neil] used and thinking about how rickety they looked and how I wouldn’t feel the least bit assured if I flew up into space in one of them, so we all worked together from the production design to the sound team to create that sense of instability, and then we put LED screens in the windows to let the light playing off of Ryan’s face tell the story of how he was flying up into space.”
Armstrong’s 12-minute flight saw him ascend to 207,000 feet above Los Angeles and travel 350 miles, the farthest and longest flight recorded by the X-15 program. Of course, as we all know, he ended up traveling much farther than that a few years later.
The Evolution of Ryan Gosling: From 'Mickey Mouse Club' to 'First Man' (Photos)
From the start of his career, Ryan Gosling has proven that he's not an actor interested in carving out a niche. His filmography is filled with roles that range from romantic heartthrobs to murderers to political and corporate scumbags and back again.
"The Mickey Mouse Club" (1993)
The Canadian youngster's career began with a recurring role on Disney's 1993 revival of "The Mickey Mouse Club." It was here that Gosling became close friends with fellow castmember Justin Timberlake.
Disney
"Goosebumps" (1996)
Kids' horror was another highlight of Gosling's childhood. He appeared on episodes of "Goosebumps" and "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" that involved a radio station broadcasting from the afterlife and a camera that brought misfortune on those who had their picture taken with it.
Nickelodeon
"Young Hercules" (1998-1999)
Gosling traveled to New Zealand in 1998 to film the kids series "Young Hercules," in which he played the titular son of Zeus during his warrior training. Shortly afterward, he decided to move from TV to film and take on more adult roles.
NBC Universal
"Remember the Titans" (2000)
Child actors sometimes have a hard time transitioning to a successful adult career, but Gosling made the jump with ease thanks to his performance in "Remember The Titans." His previous TV work helped him pick up the role in Disney's family movie, while the film's message on race proved that he could handle more thematically heavy work.
Disney
"The Believer" (2001)
In 2001, Gosling burst onto the independent film scene with "The Believer," in which he played a Jewish neo-Nazi who struggles with self-hatred over his heritage. Critics praised Gosling for his thought-provoking portrayal of the film's almost paradoxical main character.
Fireworks Pictures
"Murder by Numbers" (2002)
A year later in 2002, Gosling got a chance to perform alongside a top star for the first time when he starred in "Murder By Numbers" alongside Sandra Bullock. Gosling played a privileged, sociopathic high school student who tries to commit the perfect murder, while Bullock played the detective assigned to track him down.
Warner Bros.
"The Notebook" (2004)
Gosling then found massive mainstream success in the 2004 romance "The Notebook" alongside Rachel McAdams. The two won an MTV Movie Award for their kiss in the film, which has earned praise for becoming one of the most famous smooching scenes in movie history.
New Line Cinema
"Half Nelson" (2006)
Gosling received his first Oscar nomination for his performance in "Half Nelson" in 2006. He played Dan Dunne, a history teacher who forms a unique relationship with one of his students when Dan is caught snorting cocaine.
ThinkFilm
"The Lovely Bones" (2009)
Gosling was supposed to appear in Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones," but was replaced by Mark Wahlberg. Gosling revealed later that he had been removed for gaining too much weight to prepare for the role after it was initially ruled that he was too young for the part.
Paramount Pictures
"Blue Valentine" (2010)
After leaving "The Lovely Bones," Gosling took a three-year hiatus from acting before returning in 2010 with "Blue Valentine." While "The Notebook" was a sweet romance, "Blue Valentine" showed Gosling playing a man in the midst of a chaotic divorce.
The Weinstein Company
"Crazy, Stupid, Love." (2011)
In 2011, Gosling put his acting range on display in three very different roles. First, he played the womanizing Jacob Palmer in the dark romcom "Crazy, Stupid, Love" alongside Steve Carell.
Warner Bros.
"Drive" (2011)
Then Gosling put his minimalist skills on display as an unnamed getaway car driver in the noir crime film "Drive."
FilmDistrict
"The Ides of March" (2011)
Finally, he starred alongside George Clooney as a presidential campaign manager who leaves a dark trail of corruption in "The Ides of March."
Columbia
"Only God Forgives" (2013)
After 2011, however, Gosling fell into a slump with the critics, receiving middling to poor reviews for several years. His most polarizing project was "Only God Forgives," which reportedly received loud jeers when it was screened at Cannes.
The Weinstein Company
"The Big Short" (2015)
Gosling made a big comeback, however, with the Best Picture-nominated film "The Big Short" in 2015. He plays Jared Vennett, a slick bond salesman who decides to profit off the speculative housing market bubble at the cost of the bank he works for.
Paramount
"The Nice Guys" (2016)
Gosling went back to comedy in May 2016 with "The Nice Guys," where he stars alongside Russell Crowe as a jumpy private eye who uncovers a conspiracy alongside his bitter rival.
Warner Bros.
"La La Land" (2016)
In December 2016, Gosling generated major awards attention as a jazz pianist who woos an aspiring actress in Damien Chazelle's modern musical "La La Land." Once again, he displayed remarkable chemistry with his "Crazy, Stupid, Love" co-star Emma Stone.
Lionsgate
"Blade Runner 2049" (2017)
Gosling has often been criticized for being a stoic, reserved actor, but it made him perfect for the part of a replicant in Denis Villeneuve's sequel to the cult classic "Blade Runner." Gosling starred opposite Harrison Ford in the film.
Columbia Pictures Corporation
"First Man" (2018)
Damien Chazelle looked to Gosling again for his followup film "First Man," about the life of Neil Armstrong and his journey to walk on the moon. Gosling's combination of reserved calm and movie star good looks made him a natural choice to play the American hero. Not-so-fun fact: Gosling may have sustained a "mild" concussion while filming.
Universal Pictures
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Canadian actor started out on Disney Channel and then made bold career choices to become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars
From the start of his career, Ryan Gosling has proven that he's not an actor interested in carving out a niche. His filmography is filled with roles that range from romantic heartthrobs to murderers to political and corporate scumbags and back again.