Taglines: Experience the impossible journey to the Moon.
In 1961, NASA test pilot Neil Armstrong is flying the X-15 rocket plane when it inadvertently bounces off the atmosphere. Although he manages to land the plane in the Mojave Desert, his colleagues express concern that his recent record of mishaps is due to distraction and he is grounded. His two-and-a-half year old daughter, Karen, is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor.
Desperate to save her, Armstrong keeps a detailed log of her symptoms and feverishly tries to find possible treatments, but she dies soon afterwards. Grief-stricken, Armstrong applies for Project Gemini and is accepted to NASA Astronaut Group 2. Armstrong, his wife Janet, and their son Rick move to Houston alongside other astronaut families. Armstrong befriends Elliot See, another civilian test pilot, and Ed White.
As Armstrong begins training, Deke Slayton impresses upon the new astronauts the importance of the Gemini program, as the Soviet Union had reached every milestone in the Space Race ahead of the United States. Armstrong and Janet have a second son, Mark. By 1965, the family has settled in Houston, and Armstrong awaits selection for a crew. After the Soviets complete the first extravehicular activity (EVA), Armstrong is informed that he will be the commander of Gemini 8, with David Scott as the pilot.
First Man is a 2018 American biographical drama film directed by Damien Chazelle and written by Josh Singer. Based on the book First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen, the film stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, alongside Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Ciarán Hinds, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, and Lukas Haas, and follows the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon in 1969. Steven Spielberg serves as an executive producer.
The project was originally announced in 2003, with Clint Eastwood slated to direct. After that rendition fell though, Chazelle, Gosling and Singer all signed on by 2015, and principal photography began in Atlanta, Georgia in November 2017.
First Man had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 29, 2018, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 12, 2018, by Universal Pictures. The film received critical praise, particularly regarding the direction, Gosling and Foy’s performances, musical score, and the Moon landing sequence, although its choice to not depict the planting of the American flag on the lunar surface led critics and politicians from both political parties to debate over the film’s stance on patriotism.
It grossed over $100 million worldwide against its $59 million production budget, and received numerous award nominations, including 2 nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Foy) and Best Original Score (winning the latter) at the 76th Golden Globe Awards and 7 nominations at the 72nd British Academy Film Awards.
Principal photography began in Atlanta in November 2017. Chazelle and cinematographer Linus Sandgren chose to shoot the film in three different formats: 16mm, 35mm and IMAX 70mm film for the Moon sequence. The 16mm format was used in most of the scenes that occur inside the spacecraft, with 35mm film being used for the scenes that take place in the Armstrong house and around the NASA facility.
First Man was shot without the use of green screen. Instead, LED displays of up to 10 meters were used. These projected images that would simulate the exterior of the spacecraft, both the earth and space. Next to the screens, several simulators were built, each corresponding to a spacecraft. These were programmed to move synchronized with the images of the spherical LED screens that could be seen through the windows. Chazelle chose this technique, as it allowed the actors to get more into the role, since instead of seeing a green screen they saw the outside environment recreated with visual effects. For several exterior shots of the spacecraft, miniatures were used.
To recreate Armstrong’s home, the production crew built a replica of it in an empty lot. The lunar surface was recreated by building a set on the Vulcan quarry in Atlanta. For the simulation of low gravity on the lunar surface, a balancing system calibrated for the actors was constructed. A single light source was used to simulate the light coming from the sun. NASA historian Christian Gelzer, as well as astronauts Al Bean and Al Worden, were on set as technical consultants.
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First Man (2018)
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Patrick Fugit, Christopher Abbott, Ciarán Hinds, Olivia Hamilton, Pablo Schreiber, Shea Whigham, Lukas Haas
Screenplay by: Josh Singer
Production Design by: Nathan Crowley
Cinematography by: Linus Sandgren
Film Editing by: Tom Cross
Costume Design by: Mary Zophres
Set Decoration by: Kathy Lucas
Art Direction by: Rory Bruen, Justin O’Neal Miller, Benjamin Nowicki, Erik Osusky, Thomas Valentine, Eric Sundahl
music by: Justin Hurwitz
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some thematic content involving peril, and brief strong language.
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Release Date: October 12, 2018
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