The closest most of us will ever get to walking on the surface of another world is watching modern day astronauts navigating the dangerous frontier of space, combing through archival video footage of past generations of star-blazers, or by enjoying cinematic takes on real-life space-faring stories. One such tale is Damien Chazelle's First Man, which retells the riveting story of the first successful manned mission to the Earth's moon. And while that incredible moment in history is worthy of our attention, today's featurette goes behind the scenes of the production itself to see how Chazelle & Co. brought the unbelievable story to life.

In IMAX’s latest “Behind the Frame” installment, director Chazelle, producer Wyck Godfrey, cinematographer Linus Sandgren and star Ryan Gosling offer an exclusive look at how they brought the film’s stunning lunar sequences to life in what Chazelle calls his “Wizard of Oz” moment. To recreate one of the most incredible moments in history, Chazelle chose IMAX film cameras - the highest resolution cameras in the world. Only in IMAX theaters, the scenes also feature IMAX aspect ratio, which gives moviegoers up to 26% more picture on screen. The filmmakers contrast the moon-based IMAX scenes with the Earth-based, emotional close-ups done on Super 16, which is just one aspect (pun intended) that cinephiles can glean from this new featurette.

Go behind the scenes of First Man, courtesy of IMAX, and be sure to see the movie itself, starting October 12th:

The lunar sequences in Damien Chazelle's latest film were filmed with IMAX cameras. The IMAX release of First Man will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience®. Get more info: https://IMAX.com/FirstMan

Here’s the official synopsis for First Man:

On the heels of their six-time Academy Award®-winning smash, La La Land, Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for Universal Pictures’ First Man, the riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong’s perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the film explores the triumphs and the cost—on Armstrong, his family, his colleagues and the nation itself—of one of the most dangerous missions in history.

 

Written by Academy Award® winner Josh Singer (Spotlight, The Post), the epic drama of leading under the pressure of grace and tragedy is produced by Wyck Godfrey & Marty Bowen (The Twilight Saga, The Fault in Our Stars) through their Temple Hill Entertainment banner, alongside Isaac Klausner (Love, Simon) and Chazelle. Steven Spielberg, Adam Merims and Singer executive produce, while DreamWorks Pictures co-finances the film.

For more of our coverage on First Man, be sure to get caught up with the following articles linked below:

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