This is How They Made Superman Fly + More Surprising Tricks

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If you look at the Superhero movie genre today, it's pretty much dominated by Marvel, but it hasn't always been that way.
Marvel didn't actually have a full feature-length movie until 1986 with the unsuccessful Howard The Duck, and that film was the first in a series of flops all the way up until Blade was released in 1998.
DC, however, dominated the superhero genre throughout the 80s and 90s and this began back in 1978 with Superman and the slogan "You'll Believe A Man Can Fly".
Nowadays, modern VFX can not only easily make us believe a man can fly but it can also make us believe he can do it whilst wearing a bulletproof metal suit and being attacked by fighter jets and missiles!
But back in 1978, making the audience believe that a man could fly was a bold statement to make and a complex and seemingly impossible feat to accomplish.
The special effects team began the process by testing numerous techniques.
The first was shooting a model Superman out of an air cannon, but this method lacked controllability and natural movement.
next, they tried a radio-controlled flying model. This gave them control, but again, it lacked natural movement.
Another technique was to have the model fly using wires but this too had the same unnatural movement.
so they tried out animation. This gave them the control and the movement they wanted, but they couldn't get a photoreal look and so it always appeared cartoonlike.
This test was just a stuntman in front of a projected image and although it allowed them to composite any background image they wanted with the actor himself, the actor's movements and those of his cape were very limited.
To try to solve the cape movement problem they did tests using a model on wires and a large fan.
These then evolved into stunt people lying on fiberglass trays that were either attached to a hydraulic gimbal or just a long arm with a counterweight in front of black velvet.
In the end, the special effects teams actually used a combination of all these effects, and some new ones to achieve the illusion of flight.
For the majority of "In-flight" shots, Front Projection was used.
Superman, or anyone who was supposed to be flying, was mounted on a fiberglass mold of their body and attached to a rig with a counterweighted arm.
Behind them was a projection screen made from 3M Scotchlite, this material is capable of reflecting light back at close to 1000 times its original intensity.
In front of the camera was a two-way mirror set at 45 degrees.
A projector, set at 90 degrees from the camera would project the background footage onto the mirror which in turn would reflect it onto the Scotchlite screen.
The camera could then film both the actors and the background through the transparent side of the two-way mirror.
Unfortunately, this method meant that little or no movement could be given to the actors themselves and so, any movement they wanted in the shot, had to be done by moving the camera around the actors, or the footage on the background behind them.
In order to achieve this the filmmakers developed a lightweight front projection rig.
The projector, camera, and mirror are all mounted on one highly maneuverable rig.
This meant that Christopher Reeve could remain horizontal whilst the background moved and revolved around him.
In order to achieve this effect here, of Superman racing toward the camera, Zoran Perisic placed synchronized zoom lenses in front of the projector and the camera.
As the camera zooms in, both Christopher and the background image on the screen become larger.
But as the lens on the projector zooms in, the background image becomes smaller, canceling out the camera zoom and effectively leaving the background plate unchanged.
Zoran named this process, Zoran's Zoom Optic flying rig, or Zoptic flying rig for short.
Now I know what you're thinking,
"If he's lying on a stationary rig, how come his cape is moving?"
well, this movement was achieved with a bit of wind from some fans and this clever device.
a radio-controlled motor drives a camshaft that moves these wires that are attached to the cape, making it appear to flutter
(...)
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[@rixx46]

great info and great video - thanks! Nobody will care but me -- but I worked on the Canadian location shooting for the first SUPERMAN. We did all the Super Baby, Superboy Smallville stuff as well as the missile convoy and the beginning of Lois in the desert earthquake. We shot for over 6 weeks and never did a scene with Superman! I was there when the baby lifted the truck. Donner was great - making little Aaron feel like he was really lifting it! Aaron became an actor and stuntman and still goes to Superman conventions. Richard Donner was a wonderfully gifted guy. Too bad the producers screwed him over. The stuff racing beside and in front of the train was very difficult for Jeff East - hanging off the side of a truck going 40MPH miming running in the air! No CGI in those days! Such fun.

[@FameFocus]

Wow, THE Rick Drew!? I care! Thank you so much for your comment, what an amazing experience you must have had! P.S, BIG MacGyver fan here!

[@MrRezRising]

Those shots of Canada - esp the wheat fields - were amazing. Really beautiful country.

[@rixx46]

@@FameFocus I don’t know about the, “THE“ part! Yes, MacGyver was great fun as well my past keeps catching up with me! Thanks for your reply. You never know when you comment on something if anyone ever looks at this stuff. I was very lucky… Just out of high school at the time working as a production assistant. Fun fact… If you remember the scene where young Clark kicks the football practically into orbit? I kept that football for over 30 years! It was made of wood and fired from air cannon just on the other side of his foot when he made the kicking gesture. I sold it along with some other minor memorabilia at a prop auction in England a few years ago and got over $10,000! The lesson is keep everything you think it’s cool you just never know if someone else may want it someday 😏

[@rixx46]

@@MrRezRising Yes beautiful country - I grew up there. You may want to check out “Days of Heaven” - another film I worked on just before Superman. It won an Oscar for the beautiful cinematography. It really captures house stunning the light is there.

[@Vipre-]

Didn't know that was all Canada. Totally fooled me.

[@1977TA]

If this movie had flopped there would be no Batman '89. The entire superhero movie franchise we enjoy today was made possible because of Superman the Movie. The historic importance this film has is monumental. RIP Richard Donner Christohper Reeve Margot Kidder and all those who worked on this film we have lost over the years.

[@redsabreanakin]

Couldn't have said it better myself

[@armaggon5920]

Look it’s a bird, it’s a plane,. It’s a photo projected screen. 😂

[@unknown403error6]

and the first comic superhero too

[@mitrooper]

The modern Superhero movie genre died in 2019.

[@axebomber2108]

@@armaggon5920 They have to use the technology they have, doofus.

[@Gilbarwaters]

I still choose Reeve’s Superman movies over any other. Just because I was a kid when they came out and it takes me back to my childhood every time I watch them. Reeve is to me the best Superman of all. R.I.P. 🙏🏼❤️

[@dieselblaze6665]

Too bad he spent the last 9 or 10 years of his life in a wheelchair

[@dude-fw7xt]

Yes, Reeve was and still is the best Superman/Clark Kent. The latest by Henry Cavill exhudes a dark aura.

[@zardoz7900]

I remember, I lived in Malta at the time I was working in some 3 star hotel and I was reading in some tabloid magazine that Christopher Reeves had fallen off a horse and broke his neck. Then the poor guy lived for 9 more years completely paralyzed from the neck down and had high hopes in the research in nerve healing and he personally invested money in it and it never paned out. Eventually he died from bed sores. The guy was amazing. His face literally was exactly a copy of the ideal comic version. You can never capture the comic fantasy onto film 100% but he was as close as we ever got. As an example, I have to admit, as a 7 year old kid I did not find him as masculine as I imagined Superman to be but still, it was an incredible experience watching him and no other Superman movie after him never got even close to having that kind of magic. Those were different times too. The US was a different country, Americans were different, Hollywood was different, people were more earnest, naive. I mean just compare the music that was coming out back then to what we have today. Something is lost. I can't explain what that thing is but it's definitely gone. Its gone from the US, and UK too and perhaps other parts of the world too. Whether computers and technology is to blame, politics, greed, maybe all of it together but whatever it is, its gone. Collectively, we valued life a lot more back then and we spent a lot more time in the company of others and we had to entertain each other. Granted things were not as easy and accessible at the whim of a swipe on the phone but maybe we ate from the tree of knowledge and now we are doomed.

[@tedwilliams8879]

Why do we have to make everything a contest? Saying who's best is subjective. Best to you may not be best to me. I like Reeve and I like Cavill for different reasons. I think they both did a great job.

[@tedwilliams8879]

@Richardz Agreed. My main point though was why does everything have to be a competition? Especially for things that can't be measured.

[@vamphyri74]

I love this movie. Brings back childhood memories. R.I.P. Christopher Reeve.

[@childebrand1]

This deserves much respect as they had to invent many shot techniques rather than just generating everything on a computer.

[@fireaza]

CGI also requires the development of new techniques and tech. You think you could just take a copy of RenderMan from 1995, install it on a modern render farm and start churning out modern digital effects? Computers aren't the easy, magical boxes you think they are.

[@wolverineiscool7161]

@@fireaza They are now

[@Guez_art]

CGI has its own challenges, and when pulled off, they give us some jaw dropping scenes.

[@axebomber2108]

@@fireaza I just feel like it's a foregone conclusion that CGI can do anything because in essence, it's drawing. There's no limit to what can be drawn, the only question is whether it will end up looking realistic or like a video game. Most of the time, it looks like a video game that cost $200,000,000 to make. Half the time I don't think they're even trying to convince us that CGI characters and objects are real solid matter and animate it all in ways that calls attention to the unreality of it.

[@MrRezRising]

@@axebomber2108 As usual, it comes down to cost. You can easily get crap cgi in your film if you won't cough up the bucks for a great production house. Cgi is great for some things, not so great with others. The Thing Prequel would be a great example of how cgi won't fix a broken story, or make your movie scarier. Maybe next time DON'T show the monster...

[@MrDannyArroyo]

Superman the Movie is still the best superhero film. Nostalgia plays a big part, but it’s done so exceedingly well. Plus the acting by Christopher Reeve and that EPIC score. It’s iconic.

[@DouglasKaden]

Absolutely! Great movie, and incredible, moving music. I love John Williams' music. Superman is my favorite of his works (followed *very* closely by Star Wars '77).

[@khunt1947]

I don’t know man! Man of Steel was the Superman movie i always wanted. Grew up on the Reeves Superman movies but I look at it now and it seems corny.

[@davidlafleche1142]

The Incredibles was even better.

[@covelus]

yeah, they only screwed it at the end.. ;P

[@m4ttyp4nts]

@@khunt1947 member lois lane's internal monologue while flying with superman? sheesh! gag me with a spoon!!!

[@astronaut2005drummer]

Still my favorite superhero movie of all time.

[@KevyNova]

Same here. It’s perfect in every way.

[@TheEdorizo]

Same here

[@gonnahavemesomefun]

Same. It conjures so much emotion which modern day super hero films fail to do. Then it was about superman the person. Now-a-days it's more about how spectacular the effects are.

[@smartchai]

SAME HERE ! "SUPERMAN: The Movie" started it all for me 😊 !

[@bioshock6935]

Me to i think if it wasn't for this film and superman 2 ever been made i would of liked the man of steel but as it happens i don't think the christopher reeve version will ever be over throne. However as we're now getting the man of steel 2 cavill did say he going to make his take a lot different to the way of the first film and by what he was saying sounded more like the reeves version. i do hope so we need that bit of humour and charm for superman and fingers cross maybe the original classic iconic theme to go with it and not just for the credit or end film but throughout the film i just didn't like the Hans Zimmer score

[@kickballjedi]

Another reason the movie did well was because it was fun. As a 10 year old, I was screaming and cheering in the theater and got a little dust in my eye when Pa Kent and later Lois died. Back when going to movies was a joy. I guess today this Superman would be consider "weak" or not badass enough. I thought he was awesome.

[@biggys481]

Amazing effects in Superman 1978, Christopher Reeve is amazing🙏❤

[@SWLinPHX]

I was 10 years old when Superman: The Movie was released and remember seeing it in the theaters. What a perfect age I was for Star Wars, Superman and almost all the great pop culture, movies, TV and music of the 1970s and 80s.

[@omnipop4936]

Yup. I was nine, and you are so right. Cheers!

[@shadowdramon01]

I’m jealous that I’m not old enough to have seen Superman, Alien or the Star Wars trilogy in theaters.

[@jasonwebb1882]

This movie here is what made me a life long Superman fan. R.I.P Christopher Reeves, Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando and everyone else that helped bring this movie to life. Thank you all for making a kid very happy when times were so bad for me.

[@Gilbarwaters]

You’re so right. Only those of us who were kids back then, know that magical feeling we felt while watching Reeve’s Superman. It’s hard to explain but it was a wonderful feeling.

[@zyxwvut4740]

Agreed. But let's not forget John Williams' rousing score. I prefer it to Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, etc.

[@ricomajestic]

Don't forget the director Richard Donner and John Williams!

[@jamesanderson6373]

*Reeve

[@josepmckoon948]

Same here

[@moviesgalore9947]

And it remains the best Superman movie 44 years later. Part 2 was also great and now the Donner cut is on DVD so you can see how brilliant he was it was crazy to fire him but the Salkinds were lunatics their giant egos hated how Donner got all the credit he deserved.

[@KevyNova]

I haven’t watched the theatrical version since the Donner Cut was released.

[@legome_theog]

this is super interesting, amazing what they were able to achieve in the 70's

[@owie4070]

Right. A lot of hard work and creative solutions went into that movie.

[@bioshock6935]

Yes because they didn't have what we have today so they had to use the old fashion method of creative thinking and making things impossible to possible rather than relay on CGI and computers not saying its a bad thing but go's to show how much hard work went into the movie without it of course they had some help with green screens method and computers but wasn't so sophisticated

[@tomc8157]

If they landed on the moon in 1969 I think they can fake a man flying.

[@morvinh1]

@@tomc8157 That's why I don't believe they've ever been there.

[@dalethelander3781]

​@@morvinh1 Like it's hard? A rocket, a nav computer, no problem. And if we hadn't gone, Russia would've called us out on it. Both Project Artemis and SpaceX are going back. Hell, Elon's setting up a Mars colony.

[@lawrencer.lockington4855]

He is the best Superman ever. Just a simple man , with great passion to the costume he wore. I wish his son had the same passion to carry on his legacy.

[@sajda2766]

Christopher Reeve will always remain my favorite superman. He was my childhood crush. Hope he rests in peace

[@alex-xo1nx]

Christopher Reeve will always be the best Superman. I've always wanted to know how they did the flying effects. Really cool. Have to give them so much credit for being made back in 1978 and having great special effects.

[@Taboweither697]

Hell yeah dude. And I agree with you Christopher Reeve will always be the best Superman no matter what. No one can take his spot!

[@TheSonnyramelan]

Christopher Reeve, the real man of steel..

[@Taboweither697]

@@TheSonnyramelan hell yeah he is

[@user-sl2ng2hr1k]

The real trick to playing Superman is convincing the audience that everyone wouldn't instantly recognize Clark Kent as Superman, and that Reeves did really well.

[@crazyjaybe]

"[They] truly wanted to believe in the story they were trying to tell. And THAT means we all did too" WOW! BRAVO! ENCORE! GOOSEBUMPS! Dang man, go write a novel. I'll read it!

[@profezzorx9131]

Zoran Perisic was the Godfather of the flying process for the Christopher Reeves Superman movies. He won an academy award for his visual effects on Superman and was the inventor of the mirror/gimble contraption that made flying it possible. I had the privilege of working for him as an apprentice in the early 90's, and our credits (while I was employed with him) were Cliffhanger, and Batman Returns. Great guy and teacher.

[@enigma5014]

wow amazing experience

[@dalethelander3781]

The Zoptic Camera System. If you listen to the older guys on the film, like Roy Field, they want to take credit for the entire picture and give Perisic bupkiss.

[@profezzorx9131]

@@dalethelander3781 That's the nature of the business. Some industry people won't hesitate to take recognition for someone else's work if they know that the inventor isn't around to speak up for themselves... and people are gullible enough to believe those claims because they're too lazy to research it themselves.

[@jamesanderson6373]

*Reeve

[@Zuhauseistuberall]

Yes, there are flaws like the cape in space and you can tell by every scene that he is not really flying.. But they look honest, are made with so much love and just makes you feel good. Not one of all the CGI-overloaded Superhero-Movies with super duper choreography in fights etc. can give me that feeling I have with the movies from that time. They just feel good.

[@pedrosura]

Cant believe you didnt mention the Music by John Williams. That brought this movie to life

[@digitalmagicAR]

Yes the greatness of the orginal 1&2 (and maybe 3) movies was a combination of factors, but wouldn't have been nearly as good without the masterful music

[@JD-ul8qu]

It still looks good today. Love these movies.

[@raysmetaltracks6782]

Bravo Christopher Reeve. You made us all believe in heroes again. Love you!!!

[@neiljohnson7914]

And this god damned video has shattered my belief that Christopher Reeves could fly. Thanks, KZbin.

[@shanechannel7066]

Superman '76 still lives to this day as one of the best superhero movies of all time. Better than most movies today.

[@patkmulderig]

78*

[@shanechannel7066]

@@patkmulderig My mistake

[@dalethelander3781]

​@@shanechannel7066 In 1976, Superman I & II were still in pre-production while the Salkinds waited for Cubby Broccoli to wrap The Spy Who Loved Me and vacate the 007 Soundstage at Pinewood Studios.

[@gereminguyen4923]

The ABC’s Version of Superman was incredible. I loved it so much that I could not sleep after watching it. I kept thinking I wish I could see it again. Lois Lane’s death did it for me and how Superman wept because he could not get to her in time. Superman then decided to turn back time and his Father appeared before and telling him that he cannot altered human events. This movie was deep for a Superhero movie. Let’s not forget that he also saved Eve Teschmacher from the lion’s den after Alex Luthor threw her in there. This was the best Superman Movie bar none.

[@joshlouie]

this first superman movie is where i fell in love with the character and superman became my fave superhero!

[@barryosullivan7763]

The creativity back during the practical in-camera effects era' really was inspiring. That and the amazing dedicated actors & crew who really loved & cared about the material. Always a classic! Glad I showed my kids this before they got hooked into Marvel Avengers. As good as those movies are, there's something magical about the Chris Reeves Superman movies that never fades.

[@arrowguy173]

THE definitive Superman still today. No one compares to Reeve. And having worked in animation and compositing I have utmost respect for the effects methods used during this era (original Star Wars too).

[@attentiondeficitsquirrel7660]

It’s corny, it’s patriotic, it’s funny, and it has lots of heart. We need another Superman movie like this.

[@J-Wall]

They need to show boy scout Superman more often. Instead of Superman being dark. Superman should only be dark sometimes.

[@XMattingly]

Good news! Henry Cavill is on record saying that he wants Superman to be an icon of humanity, someone who represents the best in all of us - and they're working on a script for the next movie! It's most likely going to be done with a modern context rather than a throwback to 70's corniness, but it sounds like going to have heart like Christopher Reeve's original.

[@TheEviIOyo]

Ugh we do not need this corniness ever again on the big screen lol

[@Tampabruh]

@@J-Wall I agree! Today's movie version of Henry Cavil Superman is Gothic @ best! Waaaaay too dark for what Superman stands for! Gothic and darkness works for Batman but Superman is supposed to be the polar opposite! Part of Superman's appeal to fans and audiences is that he's a Superhero of hope and inspiration. Someone to be admired. Henry Canvil recent versions DON'T CONVEY THAT!

[@derricklafrance9440]

If they make one, get Gene Hackman out of the retirement home and back to work.

[@joeylee406]

Impressive, didn't realize so much work went into these effects.

[@Bungle2010]

I've seen enough of these behind the scenes things to know that if a film is heavy on VFX, as this is, it takes a lot of skill and hard work to make what we see on screen happen. Back when I was a kid there was a documentary on TV featuring ILM during the production of Return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (it might even be on here). Fascinating stuff.

[@richardhalligan7900]

Plot twist: Christopher Reeves didn't use special effects. He was flying. Christopher Reeves will always be our Superman.

[@jamesanderson6373]

*Reeve

[@Lord9Genesis]

...And he is flying in heaven for reals now

[@mainstreetsaint36]

George was the Reeves, Christopher was the Reeve.

[@richie6921]

Now we have references of how to do all this stuff. But in them days they had nothing. All this was made from scratch. This is genius. Improvisation at its very best. Genius

[@philipberthiaume2314]

I was around ten when Superman came out and it was a magical time for a kid. Star Wars was a couple of years old, Superman came out, Black Hole came out, Space 1999 was on TV and Battle Star Galactica was not far behind. Then came out Indiana Jones, then ET, even Poltergeist... Amazing for a kid to grow up in...

[@NiNo-jo3wz]

No one asked you to list old movies my dear.

[@Outlawstar79]

You have to remember that Christopher Reeve was able to hold his body straight to and could do so for a long time, they covered a good deal of it in some of the documentaries they had done.

[@valnirfigueiredo]

And still smile.

[@heatherduke7703]

I was thinking that, like, jeez look at that core strength! 😅

[@TheNameisPlissken1981]

The only real problem is the miniature work during the third Act. Most other F/X shots were amazing! Superman remains one of my all time favorite films.

[@jasonkoestner4630]

That was because they lost deric meddling he had to work on the spy who loved me

[@ibrahimsyed1033]

Prime example of how those generations where super creative compared to now.

[@BooshmanLee]

The blue screen green suit was recoloured digitally for the DVD release. Prior to that in the theatrical and home versions the suit looked very green in these shots.

[@timsmythfilmsandanimations]

That is true, especially with the shot they showed of him flying towards the dam.

[@jfletcher1029]

Yeah, and as a kid watching this I couldn't understand why his suit was changing. I thought there were two Supermans or something.

[@axebomber2108]

I remember reading about that and noticing the suit appearing slightly turquoise. I don't think you can even find the original unaltered footage on KZbin now.

[@BooshmanLee]

@@axebomber2108 If you look at the theatrical cut bluray, the shot of him flying at screen while he's listening to Luthor's message, the suit is pretty green, it's corrected to blue in the directors cut.

[@rogerpescoran7870]

A beautiful movie. The actors and the way it naturally played out.

[@thelukeofficial9626]

These films are a masterpiece and Christopher is my favourite superman

[@Bluecloudprod]

I saw this for my birthday in 1978 at the Cine Capri in Phoenix. Yo... You believed a man could fly. It was AWESOME.

[@geraldwynter2928]

This film was Epic - I cannot express the levels attained by this movie which in my view can never be met again. I really enjoyed the production secrets you revealed. Thank you, RIP Mr Reeves

[@georged7627]

Christopher Reeve is the best Superman ever in my books 🤘🏾👍🏾🙏🏽💪

[@FloatingOnAZephyr]

It's strange that they made so much effort and were so ingenious, and missed really basic things like his cape position in the burglar scene and the fluttering in space. I always wondered why his costume looked green in some shots, now I know! Thanks! The biggest compliment you can pay to these films is that 45 years later, they're still by far the best Superman films.

[@robertstephen6224]

I saw Superman the movie when it came out. I was so hyped after I saw it (I was about 11 years old) I ran around the outside of the theater pretending I was flying. Understand that nobody had ever seen any thing close to the flying effects in Superman the movie up until then. WHOOO HOOOOOOO! It was amazing at the time. a few years later Starwars came out and I flipped. Thus the course of my life was permanently changed. George Lucas has most of my money but what a great part of growing up in the seventies.

[@Joes45]

With their skills of engineering and their mathematical ingenuity, they didn't just create a great movie, these guys made magic come true. xx

[@patrickvalmont]

As a kid watching this back in the days, of course we believe a man could fly. This was about the movie and superman saving people, nothing else mattered! RIP Christopher Reeves

[@jamesanderson6373]

*Reeve

[@jonq8714]

It's hard to put into words just how important this film was to me as a kid in the early 80's, I was obsessed. The film score still raises goosebumps on my arms to this day and I remember how it made me feel then, it's like a time machine.

[@ernestgamez9794]

Great Job on the side effects. Best Superman movie, God Bless Christopher Reeve and all the actors, directors and team involved.

[@odeon99]

Eterno Christopher Reeve, o melhor Superman de todos.

[@pietroaversa1328]

Kristhoper reew con la tecnologia che hanno usato in man of steel, cavill gli avrebbe solo potuto allaciargli gli stivali a kristhoper reew!!!!!!, (Il mito assoluto!!, Il suo Superman era una cosa inarrivabile!, eleganza portamento espressività carisma!🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝🔝❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️✌️💪💪💪💪💪

[@reflections6807]

Great achievement with manual special effects. This shows how genius brain was working😊 A lot better than CGI overused of today.

[@terrykirk6951]

HAVEN'T SEEN THIS MOVIE IN YEAR'S,AND COULD WATCH IT RIGHT NOW.

[@derkeheath5172]

7:25 That scene of young Superman running was always more than a little wonky. Even as a kid, it was pretty obvious to me that he was hooked up to a rig.

[@marvinjones4415]

Yeah. When I saw it in '78, the audience was laughing.

[@PatTheBatmanFan]

Zorin’s technique was actually nicknamed “Zoptics”

[@Dr.KurtAffair]

The effects were at their best in Superman IV. Their very best.

[@wadevid]

I watched this with the kids last year and it really is a masterpiece of film making. I'm very glad i own this movie.

[@TheRockinDonkey]

Just a note: they didn't color correct the turquoise suite until many years later. I remember watching Superman The Movie back in the 80s on HBO in the scene where he's stopping the flooding after the hoover dam collappsed and the suit was turquois.

[@axebomber2108]

Fortunately since not all the flying shots are blue screen, the suit color isn't an issue in every scene.

[@questfortruth665]

I'll tell you this - having been a Superman freak since the mid-fifties, when I saw this Superman movie, at Mann's Chinese Theater on opening night, I was never more excited! Dwarfed by today's computer-generated effects, this was still a far cry for George Reeves in the tv version of Superman! Worked for me!!

[@danielmarquis5258]

This….is….amazing!! The intricacies of how this movie was made was magical!!

[@Grayson_Phoenix]

There can be Only One SUPERMAN -- Christopher Reeve. He was, is, and forever will be, THE BEST of any Superman wanna-be's. He really embodied much of the best of Kal'El's characteristics, and so his performance rang so true for so many. How wonderful that we got to enjoy seeing him again before he passed, with his cameo appearances in Smallville.

[@reidmason2551]

"There can be Only One SUPERMAN -- Christopher Reeve." That's not only an insult to everyone who came before him and everyone who followed him, but even he was against the notion that Superman belonged to any one actor. He ALWAYS maintained that he was the temporary custodian of the role for his tenure, and to assert otherwise is a disrespect to Reeve himself.

[@darkfeather6857]

The intelligence and creativity of these people to figure out a viable solution for every situation encountered is astounding! Oh, to have a brain that thinks like that.

[@gstapleton]

Cavil is great as Sups. But Reeves? No one will ever replace him. The most spot on character from the comics.

[@jamesanderson6373]

*Cavill *Reeve

[@davidcooper7383]

Fascinating....I loved the flying in Supergirl.... quite brilliant!

[@maundamartin59]

It's a trip how much work went into this.

[@CoZmicShReddeR]

Back in the day my grandmother took me to see the film when it came out and she was blown away but I thought it was just a normal film! :p

[@ddb5736]

This reminds me of how George Lucas did the original Star Wars movies, starting with what was later named Episode IV. If you watch documentaries about how the special effects were made, you will find out that they had such complicated scenes for the space fights that the team had to develop new cameras almost from scratch to be used exclusively to record the sequences. This is how George Lucas had no choice but to create multiple companies for the lighting, audio and video. It was the craziest risk ever taken in Hollywood back in those days, and it was win it all or crash and burn down. Lucky for him and all of us... it was a success and billions of dollars later, Star Wars is the biggest space related franchise followed only by Star Trek, and somehow, Battlestar Galactica both the original series and the remained which was a big success. Cheers

[@Nickthejoker2003]

Back in 1998, my wife and I were in a collector's shop in Las Vegas. They had an original black and gray tunic from the 50's Superman show, and a Chris Reeve "flying suit". It had slits in the back and the cape I assumed for wires. The place was filled with incredible things, but everyone stopped and drooled at the "Super Suits". There is a complete Chris suit on display at Warner Bros. It stands between a Lynda Carter Wonder Woman outfit and a restored 89 Bat suit.

[@Blameless__]

One of my favorite movies of all time. It was the pioneer and was masterfully made during that era. Thank you for making my childhood fantasies Super!

[@DanielReyes-yx7lt]

Chris use to fly as a pilot as well. He was so great as an actor that he recall that background to his flying sequences.

[@jamesanderson6373]

*used

[@laserfloyd]

These movies were part of my childhood and, in my opinion, are still wonderful movies. It was less about bombastic effects and more about the human condition. The irony isn't lost on me. LOL

[@quandovoceleroscomentarios8808]

Best superhero movie ever. Superman was at it's time, and still is, the best.

[@budb.8560]

'Superman the Movie' was an astounding cinematic achievement for 1977 motion picture effects and technology. I was 14 when it was released and it made me "Believe A Man Can Fly". You have to consider the fact that 1970's audiences had NEVER seen anything like it before.

[@hunterluxton5976]

A superb anysis of an interesting part of movie history. Very professionally done and very interesting to watch!

[@icomment2226]

He was very convincing! He definitely enthralled me (I was a kid when I saw his original movie).

[@bjpalm1994]

Awesome vid! I love coming across random movie effects vids like these. Being a huge comic, movie & super-hero fan this was right up my alley, lol. I remember watching the Reeve Superman films when I was little and they were indeed magical. Always cool to see how they did what they did without the modern CGI availability.

[@Bungle2010]

I have to say that, despite some of the VFX aging badly, I really prefer this version of Superman to the modern ones. This seems more "real", where as in recent films you get CGI characters jumping around looking like something out of a computer game.

[@MrTopboy80]

I've just got the original Christopher Reeve Superman 1-3 in 2160p, the opening credits with the cast names flying towards the screen and music gave me goosebumps 😮❤😊❤😮😊❤

[@rajakiani2647]

Brilliant and it was brilliantly executed Loved superman! ❤

[@jimmerhardy]

That is incredible and kudos to those innovative pioneers who made us believe.

[@RavenMobile]

Very cool. I loved Superman movies as a kid, but never saw any behind-the-scenes stuff about them! I watched several shows about making special effects, but never saw even brief clips about Superman.

[@Moshie71]

The irony of having all that CGI, watching it and thinking mmhh! I believed everything about the Reeves Superman, everything - except when he ran alongside the train, that never sat well with me (feet just never felt like they touched the ground). RIP Christopher Reeves, the one and only ❤

[@MP-in4or]

When I was a kid, I loved Howard the Duck. And as an adult, I love it even more because I get the sarcasm. It still brings a smile to my face. I think it is a really funny movie.

[@nyengster]

Damn. i didnt know it was that hard to make that fly effect.

[@abstraction6212]

There was alot of hard work and effort people did back then into making seemingly impossible stunts possible to get the movie to work. Back when Hollywood used to take big risks.

[@rafaserrano4441]

Digital takes the fun out of it ! You can tell when its been digitized,before you could appreciate when it was done the old way you could appreciate the work they did with their hands.

[@alanfrost75]

My fav Superman of all time no question. However, one of the things I always thought looked off with the flying (including back then when I was a young kid) was the cape. It's way too stuck to his body no matter what he is doing.

[@patbeatty9251]

Thank you so much for this. I have love and have watched this movie many times. This was the icing on the cake.🤩

[@davidtsmith33]

The technology advancements blow my mind.

[@fourthgirl]

Five years to go before the 50th anniversary! I really hope it is re-released back to the theaters!

[@razeris3519]

I’m not gonna lie I had no idea that much technology and that many techniques were used to make these movies back in the day it’s actually quite amazing!

[@Jim26D]

They didn't call it movie magic for nothing back then. Cgi has killed that magic

[@razeris3519]

@@Jim26D yeah I was born in the late 80s so I am from the era where they still used a lot of mechanical and physical props and slowly started going towards CGI, I love technology but I do think CGI is way over used and a lot of times not properly to where it still looks really fake, I know it’s mostly used because it saves a lot of time not so sure about money but definitely time, oh the good old film days those are long gone now mostly.

[@digitalmagicAR]

Thanks for this great video. Even though they had some bad shots, I still think overall what they did looks better than the modern CG superhero films. Just like the work on the original Star Wars trilogy looks better than most of the new ones. These guys were masters of their craft. Aside from effects, I think The Greatest American Hero remains the best superhero because he was just a real man trying to deal with the great responsiblity he was given. And the TV series Incredible Hulk was probably #2 due to the similar humanity. Both shows were limited by budget but still great, which is something the new films mostly lack

[@axebomber2108]

I think TGAH used some of the same techniques as the Superman movies for the flying scenes, they just tended to look goofier because Ralph Hinkley didn't know how to fly properly and was a klutz.

[@digitalmagicAR]

@@axebomber2108 Thanks for sharing. Yes TGAH did use a lot of the same techniques and also had to look goofier as you said. They also shot shot flying shots on video instead of 35mm film so there is a noticeable quality difference in the show between the effects shots and the rest of the show. The exception to that was when they did stunt man landings or reverse film launches off a building into a air pad, or trampoline launches or him on top of a vehicle going down the street or the one time they actually used skydivers with concealed parachutes. I really wish that show had gone on another season. Cannell said it cost a million dollars to make Reeve fly which was most of their 1.5M pilot budget but they found a company called Magicam that was able to do it cheap enough. He said he knew budget would always be an issue and the viewer had already seen Superman so he hoped it they really sold the first flight hopefully the viewer would "forgive" them when some of the rest didn't look so good. I think they did a good job considering. Basically looked better than Lois and Clark 12 years later.

[@marvinjones4415]

@@axebomber2108 Yep. By 1982 Zoran Perisic had a Zoptic Front Projection system set up in Hollywood which TGAH used in the third season. Also, see the flying motor cycle bit in Megaforce.

[@meg-k-waldren]

Superman is still the greatest superhero movie that's ever been made.

[@BhaaskarDesai]

For me, Superman was, is and will always remain the greatest superhero of all times.

[@hamarana]

I was about 10 years old at the time I watched it in the theathers... I dreamed I was superman, flying everywhere for many day... perfect time to be a child..!

[@littleaussierippa]

Still the best Super-Man movie ever made.

[@djheijnederland5511]

Nice work accept at the end. When this movie came out the effect where new and high standard as i remember from those days, and everybody loved the Christopher Reeve superman version.

[@Del-Canada]

I saw this at the theatre in 78 and I remember being blown away. All I could think about was the movie for weeks. Was crazy. Back during a time when everybody would be talking about one or two things.

[@Inaworldoflove]

I like the inventiveness of zoom effects. It looked great.

[@gammaechofoundationproductions]

Hey, thanks for this marvellous video! It was very educational, informative, and entertaining! 👏👏👏👏 Many years ago I had a discussion with my friends at school about how did the movie-makers of the Christopher Reeve Superman era movies accomplished those awesome flying scenes, but one of my friends said that he didn't want to know because he felt it would destroy the illusion of movie-magic. I understand where he is coming from, in fact, I know quite a few people who share that sentiment, however, in my case it is an education because I am currently studying film making. Anyway, thanks again for this presentation and I look forward to seeing more of your videos! You just earned a new subscriber! 🙂 P.S. I love Superman 1, but Superman 2 is even better! 😉

[@michelemichelenunes]

The year was 1977/78 and IS still impressive the helicopter scene and How Superman get Lois Lane in the air. Just unbeliveble.

[@raywood8187]

It's amazing seeing the journey from idea to innovation in movie making. I was a kid in the age of watching movies on TV where fins glued to lizards to make them into dinosaurs.😂 Great for an 8 year old in the 60's but it probably wouldn't even pass muster with today's 4 year olds. If you haven't seen the Donner cut of Superman, check it out, they removed some of Lester's silly gags that Donner didn't want and there are some deleted scenes too.

[@javier77street]

To think, Jim Cameron had to wait 10 years for technology to catch up before he could film Avatar, and George Lucas had to build his own cameras for attacking the Death Star. Superman 1978 was the first Superhero Movie I saw in the theater. I was 6 years old.

[@Lord9Genesis]

Same here...I was 6 when my class had a field trip to the theater to go see this in 1978. It was epic but I didn't understand the Lex Luthor or Ned Beatty scenes.

[@ericcoyle3520]

Fascinating Captain.