Editing To Fly! (section)

==Production==

=== Background ===
[[File:Report_"US_NMNH_Evaluation_and_Recommendations_-_Museum_Planning,_1970.".jpg|alt=A sketch of a building with a screen showing footage of fauna|thumb|Illustration of a proposed [[IMAX]]-decorated [[Rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]] at the [[National Museum of Natural History]]; this was canceled for an IMAX theater at the [[National Air and Space Museum]].]]

The [[Smithsonian Institution]] made efforts starting in 1911 to modernize its museums with multimedia content, though this only accelerated since the 1960s. The idea of a giant-screen theater at the [[National Air and Space Museum]] (NASM) was mooted in 1970 in a 153-page report by the [[National Museum of Natural History]]'s (NMNH) curator team, which argued the museum needed a "contemporary medium of communications" that will resonate intellectually and psychologically. It suggested an experiential film that would showcase the American landscape and the country's introduction to technology, ending with predictions of the country's future.<ref name=":16" />{{Rp|198, 204, 219}} Among these giant-screen film formats was [[IMAX]], characterized by its tall screen which fills the audiences' [[peripheral vision]], triggering immersive [[telepresence]] which creates the illusion of being present within the film's setting.<ref name=":42">{{Cite book |last=Seel |first=Peter B. |title=Digital Technology and the Future of Broadcasting: Global Perspectives |date=July 16, 2015 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1138891227 |editor-last=Pavlik |editor-first=John V. |editor-link=John V. Pavlik |page=6 |chapter=Telepresence and Immersion with Ultra-High-Definition Digital Displays: Background and Future Directions for Research}}</ref> The NMNH proposed a panoramic, curved IMAX screen that envelops its [[Rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]], but this was discarded.<ref name=":16" />{{Rp|222}}

In 1972, the deputy director of the Smithsonian, [[Melvin B. Zisfein]], wrote a memo praising IMAX over other giant-screen formats like [[Cinerama]] and [[Circle-Vision 360°]], and suggested making an IMAX film for the NASM. Several [[film treatment]]s were written, the first titled "The Beautiful Mysteries of Flight", though all were rejected.{{Efn|Other treatments include "Flying For Fun" (rejected as only catering to enthusiasts), "The Evolution of Flight" (rejected for excessive animation), "To the Stars and Beyond" (rejected for its monotony), and "Speed".<ref name=":16" />{{Rp|324}}}}<ref name=":16" />{{Rp|224–225}} A year later, IMAX's co-founder [[Graeme Ferguson (filmmaker)|Graeme Ferguson]] expressed interest in an IMAX film for the [[US Bicentennial]], also considering the possibility of it being [[feature-length]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Graeme Ferguson|last1=Gregory|first1=Shelby M.|last2=Wilson|first2=Phyllis|magazine=[[Cinema Canada]]|date=August 1973|issue=9|page=37|url=https://cinemacanada.athabascau.ca/index.php/cinema/article/download/211/284|url-status=live|via=[[Athabasca University]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812143145/https://cinemacanada.athabascau.ca/index.php/cinema/article/download/211/284|archive-date=August 12, 2020}}</ref> In 1974, after hearing about plans for a new building of the NASM at the [[National Mall]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] as part of the Bicentennial, he proposed this to the museum director [[Michael Collins (astronaut)|Michael Collins]]. While Ferguson believed this would enhance the museum, Collins had not seen an IMAX film and initially rejected the proposal. However, at [[Expo '74]], an IMAX representative convinced him to go to the IMAX theater and see Ferguson's film ''[[Man Belongs to the Earth]]''; he became convinced that an IMAX theater would provide a sense of realism to visitors and accepted the idea.<ref name=":38">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/spacefarersimage0000unse |title=Spacefarers: Images of Astronauts and Cosmonauts in the Heroic Era of Spaceflight |date=November 6, 2013 |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] Scholarly Press|editor-last=Neufeld |editor-first=Michael J. |editor-link=Michael J. Neufeld |location=[[Washington, D.C.]] |pages=152–153 |chapter=Origins of the IMAX Space Films |isbn=9781935623199 |access-date=December 9, 2021 |url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

===Pre-production===

On July 1, 1974, giant-screen filmmaker [[Francis Thompson (film director)|Francis Thompson]] joined in proposing a film about the history of flight for the Bicentennial at the NASM theater.<ref name=":21">{{Cite web|last1=Naus|first1=Rainer|last2=Baer|first2=Christopher T.|date=2013|title=Conoco files on IMAX films "To Fly" and "Flyers" Files|url=https://findingaids.hagley.org/repositories/3/resources/1123|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426192139/https://findingaids.hagley.org/repositories/3/resources/1123|archive-date=April 26, 2021|access-date=August 5, 2021|publisher=[[Hagley Digital Archives]]|id=2527|orig-date=1974}}</ref> With a [[US$]]590,000 fund from the [[Continental Oil Company]] (Conoco),<ref name=":49" /> with an additional $160,000 for [[film rights]],<ref name=":16" />{{Rp|324}} they set the production deadline to 1976.<ref name=":32">{{Cite book|last=Eagan|first=Daniel|url=https://archive.org/details/americasfilmlega0000eaga|title=America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry|date=October 15, 2009|publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group]]|pages=728–730|chapter=To Fly!|access-date=December 19, 2021|url-access=registration|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> After writing a third treatment with Thompson,<ref name=":35">{{Cite news|date=August 9, 1976|title=History Of Flight Traced|volume=87|page=15|work=[[Commerce, Texas|Commerce]] Journal|issue=63|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/commerce-journal-aug-09-1976-p-15/|url-status=live|url-access=subscription|access-date=December 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207104423/https://newspaperarchive.com/commerce-journal-aug-09-1976-p-15/|archive-date=December 7, 2021|via=[[NewspaperArchive]]}}</ref> the Smithsonian commissioned filmmaker duo [[Greg MacGillivray]] and James "Jim" Freeman,<ref name=":50">{{Cite news |last=Shepard |first=Richard F. |date=February 12, 1982 |title=Thrills Fly on the Biggest Movie Screen in Town |page=C27 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/12/movies/thrills-fly-on-the-biggest-movie-screen-in-town.html |url-status=live |access-date=March 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411092352/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/12/movies/thrills-fly-on-the-biggest-movie-screen-in-town.html |archive-date=April 11, 2021}}</ref> who had previously made [[surf film|surf]] and giant-screen films with experimental editing; they had also shot aerials for ''[[Jonathan Livingston Seagull (film)|Jonathan Livingston Seagull]]'' (1973) and ''[[The Towering Inferno]]'' (1974).<ref name=":32" /> Collins told them that he did not want the film to be too history-oriented and instead be more fun. With Collins giving them full creative freedom,<ref name=":12" /> pre-production meetings took place in New York City for several months.<ref name=":8" />

[[File:Man Belongs to the Earth opening.webm|thumb|The opening scene of ''Man Belongs to the Earth'' (1974), which convinced Collins to build an IMAX theater, and the highlight of MacGillivray and Freeman's research for ''To Fly!'']]

Collins and Zisfein gave around 30 suggestions, about 20 of which were incorporated into the film.<ref name=":19">{{Cite web |last=MacGillivray |first=Greg |author-link=Greg MacGillivray |title=Inspire Friday Issue No. 19 |url=https://macgillivrayfreeman.com/newsletter/inspire-friday-issue-no-19/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205165845/https://macgillivrayfreeman.com/newsletter/inspire-friday-issue-no-19/ |archive-date=December 5, 2020 |access-date=August 19, 2021 |publisher=[[MacGillivray Freeman Films]] |at=From the MFF Archives}}</ref> MacGillivray and Freeman thought the treatment was imperfect and expanded it into a narrative [[docudrama]] with several moments of comedy.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Gilliam |first=Bret |author-link=Bret Gilliam |date=October 13, 2016 |title=Greg MacGillivray A Lifetime in Film Master of IMAX |url=https://www.tdisdi.com/iti/greg-macgillivray/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116153729/https://www.tdisdi.com/iti/greg-macgillivray/ |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |access-date=July 1, 2021 |publisher=[[Scuba Diving International]]}}</ref> They analyzed the existing IMAX films for inspiration,<ref name=":22">{{Cite magazine |last=Essman |first=Scott |date=April 2000 |title=Mega-Movies: The State of the Art of Large-Format Films |url=http://www.moviemaker.com/magazine/issues/38/38_imax.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060525114258/https://www.moviemaker.com/issues/38/38_imax.htm |archive-date=May 25, 2006 |access-date=August 26, 2021 |magazine=[[MovieMaker]]|issue=38}}</ref> including ''Man Belongs to the Earth'', whose opening aerial shot of the [[Grand Canyon]] enthused them.<ref name=":12" /> Per Collins, they included scenes with [[comic relief]] in ''To Fly!'' in order to not make the film feel like a dry [[historical drama]].<ref name=":4" /> Thompson agreed, saying there were enough fact-based Bicentennial films being made and that people needed more entertainment.<ref name=":40">{{Cite interview |last=MacGillivray |first=Greg |subject-link=Greg MacGillivray |interviewer=Dodge, Mary Jane |title=GSCA Moments with Mary Jane Dodge Series: Greg MacGillivray |type=[[YouTube]] video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clVoxfQKv20 |access-date=December 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209154553/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clVoxfQKv20 |archive-date=December 9, 2021 |url-status=live |publisher=Giant Screen Cinema Association |date=November 1, 2018}}</ref> MacGillivray said IMAX is perfect for the film because it "allows me [...] to impact the audience in a greater way".<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |date=March 20, 2011 |orig-date=July 1, 1996 |title="To Fly" Segment featured on CBS This Morning |url=https://digital.hagley.org/VID_2011320_B03_ID06_02?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=e326e9886512f8d4dfe3&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808075759/https://digital.hagley.org/VID_2011320_B03_ID06_02?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=e326e9886512f8d4dfe3&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=0 |archive-date=August 8, 2021 |access-date=August 8, 2021 |website=[[CBS This Morning]]|publisher=[[KYW-TV]] |via=[[Hagley Digital Archives]]}}</ref> He and Freeman [[storyboard]]ed it with John Divers at their [[Laguna Beach, California]], office, creating "IMAX moments" to thrill audiences and to rely on visuals more than narration.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":4" /> Seven months were spent on research,<ref name=":14" /> with aviators [[Walter J. Boyne]] and [[Donald S. Lopez Sr.]] as [[technical advisor]]s.<ref name=":39">{{Cite web |last=MacGillivray |first=Greg |author-link=Greg MacGillivray |date=January 28, 2020 |title=Remembering Walter Boyne |url=https://macgillivrayfreeman.com/blog/remembering-walter-boyne/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208064338/https://macgillivrayfreeman.com/blog/remembering-walter-boyne/ |archive-date=December 8, 2021 |access-date=December 9, 2021 |publisher=[[MacGillivray Freeman Films]]}}</ref>

Actor and real-life balloonist [[Peter Walker (actor)|Peter Walker]] was chosen to portray Ezekiel due to his comic charm. The character was based upon a balloonist who in 1790 apparently made flights over New England while reciting self-written poems, purportedly to impress young women.<ref name=":49">{{Cite mailing list|url=https://mailchi.mp/macfreefilms.com/inspirefriday_issue_80|title=Inspire Friday Issue No. 80|date=February 4, 2022|last=MacGillivray|first=Greg|publisher=[[MacGillivray Freeman Films]]|via=[[Mailchimp]]|author-link=Greg MacGillivray|access-date=February 7, 2022|section=From the MFF Archives|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205063928/https://mailchi.mp/macfreefilms.com/inspirefriday_issue_80|archive-date=February 5, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> Walker listed ''To Fly!'' among his favorite films to star in.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Peter Walker |url=https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/4096/peter-walker |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316054802/https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/4096/peter-walker |archive-date=March 16, 2022 |access-date=March 16, 2022 |publisher=[[Concord Theatricals]]}}</ref> Through filmmaker [[Randal Kleiser]], whom he knew from his friend [[Basil Poledouris]], MacGillivray partook in courses with actress [[Nina Foch]] to master in directing his cast. Extras were not mandated to speak because they comprise locals, some of whom the filmmakers felt were amateur. Freeman's girlfriend Cindy Huston, MacGillivray's girlfriend Barbara Smith, and production manager-costumer Jeff Blyth made [[cameo appearances]] as different characters.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=MacGillivray |first=Greg |title=Five Hundred Summer Stories: A Life in IMAX |date=November 15, 2022 |publisher=Earth Aware Editions |isbn=9781647227364 |pages=110–117 |author-link=Greg MacGillivray}}</ref> Huston was also [[focus puller]], and Smith was [[production assistant]], [[craft service]] specialist, and [[unit still photographer]].<ref name=":4" /> Other writers were Thompson, [[Robert M. Young (film director)|Robert M. Young]], and [[Arthur Zegart]]; [[Thomas McGrath (poet)|Thomas McGrath]] wrote the narration. Additionally, Byron McKinney was [[executive producer]].<ref name=":32" /> Documentarian and historian Jon Wilkman was briefly involved,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wilkman|first=Jon|title=Screening Reality: How Documentary Filmmakers Reimagined America|date=December 18, 2020|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]]|isbn=9781635571035|edition=1|pages=7|oclc=1132429770}}</ref> alongside [[NASA]], the [[Office of Naval Research]], and the [[California Institute of Technology]].<ref name="MFF" />

=== Filming ===
[[Principal photography]] occurred for five months in 1975. Filming paused two and a half months later during June for MacGillivray and Freeman to film the action scenes of ''[[Sky Riders]]'' (1976), then resumed for two and a half months.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":12" /> They directed and cinematographed the film, frequently switching roles and working seven days a week<ref name=":1" /> with a 5{{Nbsp}}a.m. to 9{{Nbsp}}p.m. [[shooting schedule]].<ref name=":8" /> They often filmed together in a [[multiple-camera setup]], like in one of the barnstorming shots.<ref name=":12" /> According to MacGillivray, ''To Fly!'' was the most fun film that he and Freeman worked on throughout their 11 years of partnership.<ref name=":4" />

At the time, IMAX cameras weighed {{Convert|80|lb|kg|abbr=none}} and felt "crude" to the filmmakers, dismaying them as they wanted to experiment with the cinematography.<ref name=":22" /> Furthermore, they were worried about damaging the only camera available to them, and wanted to minimize the need for retakes. Ferguson and fellow IMAX co-founders, Bill Shaw and Robert Kerr, ideated creating three new cameras with better specifications,<ref name=":4" /> with one of them to be used for Thompson in his other Bicentennial film, ''American Years''. Ferguson granted the proposal.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Remembering Graeme Ferguson|url=https://macgillivrayfreeman.com/blog/rememberinggraemeferguson/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208064242/https://macgillivrayfreeman.com/blog/rememberinggraemeferguson/|archive-date=December 8, 2021|access-date=December 8, 2021|publisher=[[MacGillivray Freeman Films]]}}</ref> When filming an aerial scene in ''American Years'', the camera's parachute failed to deploy, destroying it.<ref name="Catlin">{{Cite web|last=Catlin|first=Roger|date=February 23, 2018|title=Latest IMAX Film Studies History of American Music|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/latest-imax-film-studies-history-american-music-180968243/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129172028/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/latest-imax-film-studies-history-american-music-180968243/|archive-date=November 29, 2021|access-date=November 29, 2021|website=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]|location=[[Washington D.C.]]}}</ref> The pre-existing camera was also modified to be on par with the new ones.<ref name=":8" />

To make the film bright, colorful, and naturalistic, the crew used the [[Eastman Color Negative]] 5254 [[Tungsten film|tungsten]] [[65&nbsp;mm film]] stock, with the opening scene in [[35 mm movie film|35&nbsp;mm]]. The costly stock caused the short duration of 27 minutes. To give a dramatic look, they emphasized the characters with cross-[[Backlighting (lighting design)|backlighting]] or [[wikt:crosslight#Noun|crosslighting]]. Because of IMAX's large screens and where the [[Rule of thirds|perceived center]] would be, many novel techniques were implemented. [[Extreme long shot]]s were treated as wide-angle shots, while the latter were treated as normal shots, and close-ups were treated as [[Medium Close Up|medium close-ups]]. The latter has a wider [[Headroom (photographic framing)|headroom]] for visual comfort. Movement was condensed to ease the switching between an extreme long shot to medium close-up, and a wide-angle lens was used to further expand the film's view. Camera lenses were also carefully chosen, ranging from the [[Fisheye lens|fisheye]] 30&nbsp;mm to the [[telephoto]] 600&nbsp;mm. [[Pentax]] and [[Hasselblad]] lenses were used; the latter had their [[focal length]]s changed, [[Shutter (photography)|shutters]] removed, and [[Lens mount|mounts]] modified. It took three months to test them and the [[camera magazine]]s.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":12" /> However, they had no [[zoom lens]]es which MacGillivray said would have eased filming.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=MacGillivray|first1=Greg|author-link=Greg MacGillivray|date=December 12, 1982|title=Innovative Devices Used on BEHOLD HAWAII|magazine=[[American Cinematographer]]|location=[[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]]|volume=64|issue=12|page=66|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/196338732|id={{ProQuest|196338732}} |via=[[ProQuest]]|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

[[File:DHC_Chipmunk_NX13A_(5012357680).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Art Scholl]]'s "Super Chipmunk" (pictured 1968), used as a camera plane for the filming of ''To Fly!''|alt=Grayscale photo of a monoplane]]

Many shots in the film were time-consuming to make: a 35-second shot of the Blue Angels flying over the [[Colorado River]] and [[Yuma Desert]] took over four months to choreograph. Camera mounts were designed by the [[United States Navy]] for a [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II]] piloted by Kevin O'Mara used to film the shot. [[Nelson Tyler]] spent two months developing two mounts for the camera helicopters to film front and side shots, providing smoothness as the smallest vibrations would be noticeable on IMAX. The helicopters were piloted by George Nolan, Chuck Phillips, and Adrian Brooks. Mounts were also made by [[Boeing]] for the [[Boeing&nbsp;747]]; they used its first prototype.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":14" /><ref name=":32" /><ref name=":26">{{Cite news|last=Alderson|first=John|date=June 27, 1979|title=PICTORIUM brings praise|page=20|work=[[Medicine Hat News]]|publisher=[[Alta Newspaper Group]]|agency=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/medicine-hat-news-jun-27-1979-p-20/|url-status=live|url-access=subscription|access-date=November 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120115022/https://newspaperarchive.com/medicine-hat-news-jun-27-1979-p-20/|archive-date=November 20, 2021|via=[[NewspaperArchive]]}}</ref><ref name=":12" /><ref name="Airspace">{{Cite web |date=June 2004 |title=Cool Blue Hot Rods |url=http://www.airandspacemagazine.com/ASM/Mag/Supp/JJ04/a4ba.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040806080031/http://www.airandspacemagazine.com/ASM/Mag/Supp/JJ04/a4ba.html |archive-date=August 6, 2004 |access-date=September 6, 2023 |website=[[Air & Space/Smithsonian]]}}</ref>}} [[Art Scholl]]'s "[[De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk|Super Chipmunk]]" aircraft was used to film front shots.<ref name=":4" /> The Navy donated helium for the hot air balloon, thanks to the Blue Angels' presence in the film.<ref name=":48">{{Cite instagram|postid=By8Ns6llgDN|user=macfreefilms|title=#TBT to our 1976 film To Fly!|date=June 21, 2019|author=[[MacGillivray Freeman Films]]|url-status=live|access-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/macfreefilms/2070590189852819661|archive-date=March 6, 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The balloon, in shots where it actually flies, was piloted by Kurt Stehling, with whom MacGillivray has collaborated in ''Above San Francisco'' (1973).<ref name=":12" />

[[Aerial work platform]]s were used to support the balloon basket and camera; two platforms supported the basket as it moved in opposing directions to heighten the illusion of flight.<ref name=":8" /> The balloon was decorated with 13 American flags, the number of states in the US in 1831, sewn by a [[vexillography]] shop.<ref name=":49" /> To create a shot in which a [[Sierra No. 3]] train seemingly hits the camera, inspired by the allegedly jolting effects of ''[[L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat]]'' (1895),<ref name=":12" /> the crew placed a mirror in a diagonal position at the rail facing towards the camera, which imaged the mirror for a symmetrical view of the rail as the train approached and shattered it. The illusion of pilots flying was made by filming close-ups of the aircraft backdropped by the sky while the camera dawdles within a rigid [[camera dolly]].<ref name=":8" /> Bob Wills flew a hang glider above the [[Nā Pali Coast State Park|Nā Pali coastline]].<ref name=":12" />

Various kinds of transportation were used. In one scene, a [[stagecoach]] races with the train; previously there is a [[Conestoga wagon]]. Aerials of the 747 were filmed from a provided [[Boeing 737|737]]. [[Frank Tallman]] flew a [[Curtiss Model D]] for the mechanical flight scene. A [[Ford Model T]] was used in the scene talking about the invention of cars; the succeeding scene was filmed above [[Coastal California]]. Meanwhile, the Blue Angels flew [[Douglas A-4 Skyhawk]]s. Other filming locations included the [[Gateway Arch]], [[Lake Powell]], [[Monument Valley]], [[Zion Canyon]], [[Yosemite Falls]], the [[Appalachian Mountains]], and the [[Sierra Nevada]]. The barnstorming scene was filmed in [[California]], and the opening sequence's forests in [[Parsons, West Virginia]]. Filming also occurred in [[Alaska]] and [[Craftsbury, Vermont]]. A [[barn raising]] scene from the opening was cut from the final release. Overall, {{Convert|150,000|ft|m|abbr=none}} of film stock were used.{{Efn-la|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name=":18">{{Cite news|last=Kernan|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Kernan|date=July 1, 1980|title=Flight of the Filmgoer|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/07/01/flight-of-the-filmgoer/45695717-730e-4ed6-9323-988aaa8dd2e2/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417140134/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/07/01/flight-of-the-filmgoer/45695717-730e-4ed6-9323-988aaa8dd2e2/|archive-date=April 17, 2018|access-date=August 18, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=''To Fly!''|url=https://www.si.edu/sites/default/files/imax/to_fly_standards.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020060540/https://www.si.edu/sites/default/files/imax/to_fly_standards.pdf|archive-date=October 20, 2019|access-date=August 5, 2021|publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]]|pages=1, 3}}</ref><ref name=":35" /><ref name=":12" /><ref name=":47" /><ref name="Airspace" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Metraux |first=Daniel A. |title=Craftsbury: A Brief Social History |series=The Hazen Road Dispatch |year=2001 |oclc=3372581 |location=[[Greensboro, Vermont]] |page=1}}</ref>}}

==== Space sequence ====
[[File:Apollo 4 separation of interstage ring.webm|thumb|upright=1.2|Video of the [[Saturn V]]'s [[interstage]] ring, also shown in the film]]

''To Fly!''{{'s}} space sequence depicts the launch of the [[Saturn IB]], before showing a fictional spaceship [[Interplanetary spaceflight|voyaging around]] the [[Solar System]]. Five [[nebulae]] are then depicted before ending with a view of Earth.<ref name=":41" />

The filmmakers were given permission to film the launch, marking the first time such was filmed in IMAX.<ref name=":8" /> They took this part more seriously because it could not be repeated.<ref name=":35" /> After filming {{Convert|1,200|ft|m|abbr=none}} away from the [[launch pad]], they left their camera outside for a day, forming condensation inside and exacerbated by seasonal thunderstorms. It was found wet and jammed, and the crew spent three hours cleaning it to recover the recording. Meanwhile, a shot of the [[Saturn V]]'s [[interstage]] ring jettisonning back to Earth was filmed in [[16 mm film]] from the actual rocket's [[S-II|second stage]], during [[Apollo 4]] in 1967.<ref name=":28" />

With a low budget, they initially conceived the space sequence as merely a compilation of astronomical images but realized they needed some kind of movement for an IMAX film, and thus saved money on the live-action filming in order to achieve a better space sequence. They expected ''To Fly!'' to be compared with the film ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' (1968), and tried to make the sequence as reminiscent of that film as possible. They learned that small objects like stars on an IMAX screen are much smaller on a traditional presentation, and typical small stars would be oversized in IMAX; after some difficulty, they were able to create perfect-sized stars on an {{Convert|8|×|360|in|cm|abbr=none|adj=on}} [[Lith print|Kodalith]] [[Negative (photography)|negative]] [[sheet film]]. Because of the nature of IMAX, filming some scenes at six and twelve [[frames per second]] (fps) was preferred over [[stop motion]]. George Casey and [[Lester Novros]] of special effects company Graphic Films{{Efn-la|They had worked on another IMAX film, ''[[Voyage to the Outer Planets]]'' (1973).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bear|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Bear|url=https://www.gregbear.com/pages/fleet.php|title=The Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater: the Early Years, and Before|access-date=September 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321121036/https://www.gregbear.com/pages/fleet.php|archive-date=March 21, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>}} provided planetary models and a studio, and also assisted the crew.<ref name=":28" />

The spaceship seen was a transparent {{Convert|2|in|cm|abbr=none|spell=in|adj=on}} portion of a larger {{Convert|36|in|m|abbr=none|adj=on}} model built by MacGillivray and Freeman, backlit on a glass frame.<ref name=":28" /> As [[special effects supervisor]],<ref name=":8" /> Blyth designed it to have the same color palette as the 747, and inspired by concepts of advanced [[ion thruster]]s and [[magnetically confined fusion]]s like [[deuterium]] and [[helium-3]]. It took 150 hours to create, with Collins as technical advisor. For a shot in which the spaceship passes [[Jupiter]] and [[Io (moon)|Io]], the crew filmed each object one by one; the film would be rewound back to layer in the next object. The camera was placed on a motorized dolly. Some shots, including the one of [[Saturn]], were filmed at an [[animation stand]]. Others used a faux version of the [[slit-scan photography]] kit used for ''2001: A Space Odyssey'': the sheet film was projected onto a white board, which the fisheye-lensed camera was put close to. Models were attached to a [[peg bar]], near where their glass frame was suspended on. To film extreme slow shots with distinct movement, a [[geared head]] and a zoom-motored gear were used, creating a slight [[Panning (camera)|pan]]. They filmed all these on 16&nbsp;mm first to see if it could be done on IMAX.<ref name=":28" />

[[Bellows (photography)|Bellows]] and close-up lenses by Hasselblad were used for the penultimate nebulae shots; the camera was facing a tray filled with water and a mixture of black ink and white [[enamel paint]] lit by [[color gel]]s. The materials' temperature, thickness, size, and type had to be precise to achieve the reaction. Unable to film at the desired 96 fps, [[mineral oil]] and [[paint thinner]] were poured into the tray to slow down movement; the thinner was favored because it created more interesting 3D-like movements. Often, a short wire was shaped and dipped in to create specific patterns.<ref name=":28">{{Cite magazine|last1=Blyth|first1=Jeff|date=July 4, 1976|title=Filming the Space Sequences for "To Fly"|magazine=[[American Cinematographer]]|location=[[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]]|volume=57|issue=7|url=https://proquest.com/docview/196331873|via=[[ProQuest]]|url-access=subscription}}</ref> [[Special effects]] designers Jim Palmer and Barney Kaelin created laser patterns, the first in any IMAX film.<ref name=":8" /> Overall, the space sequence took four and a half months to prepare, test, and film.<ref name=":28" />

=== Post-production ===
[[File:IMAX split screen mattes revision.jpg|alt=A square split equally to nine, with an X denoting center of attention at the lower center. Another square has bars above and below, only split to six with the X put higher up|thumb|upright=1.5|Illustration of the new [[Matte (filmmaking)|mattes]] for the multi-image scenes]]

''To Fly!'' was edited by MacGillivray and Freeman, with [[Alexander Hammid]] supervising, using a [[Moviola]]. Knowing they would experiment with the editing, the film's shots were directed beforehand to allow them to do so. The pacing of the shots was designed so that audiences can explore the entire IMAX screen. The 35&nbsp;mm opening where Ezekiel is still at ground is [[Windowbox (filmmaking)|windowboxed]] to 1⁄6th of the screen; as he ascends, the scene [[Smash cut|smash]]-[[Dissolve (filmmaking)|dissolves]] and the whole screen is filled, intendedly to intensify the scene's mood and as a reference to aviation, which the narration calls "like the opening of a new eye".<ref name=":8" /> This was inspired by the opening scenes of ''[[This Is Cinerama]]'' (1952) and the first ever IMAX film ''[[North of Superior]]'' (1971).<ref name=":12" />

The placing of multiple images on the same screen were occasionally used; these were inspired by the multi-image films ''[[In the Labyrinth (film)|In the Labyrinth]]'' (1967) and ''[[Tiger Child]]'' (1970), made by IMAX's precursor Multiscreen. In one scene of the Blue Angels, the screen divides into 36 duplicates of the same shot. With IMAX screens having a different focus center, thus making an evenly-divided multi-image scene confusing for audiences, Jim Liles of the [[Optical printer|Optical]] Department at [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] and filmmaker Dennis Earl Moore designed new [[Matte (filmmaking)|mattes]] in which the bottom row is 15% larger than the top. Smith supervised the curation of archival and original footage to be incorporated into these scenes. After four months of editing, two [[Norelco]] AAII 70/35&nbsp;mm projectors were installed to preview in the highest quality possible.<ref name=":8" />

MacGillivray chose the [[film score|film's score]] to be composed and conducted by [[Bernardo Segall]]. It was performed by a 49-piece [[symphony orchestra]] at [[the Burbank Studios]] which he considered "the most professional and experienced" in California that he could find. Segall's works were described by MacGillivray as having "an air of sophistication and elegance, which would maintain the steady rhythm and pulse of the film".<ref name=":8" /> The score was the first in history to use a [[keyed bugle]], which is also depicted in the film's opening scene: at the gathering for Ezekiel's ascent, a small [[fanfare band]] plays a [[Fife (instrument)|fife]], drum, clarinet, and [[B♭ (musical note)|B♭]] keyed bugle.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Dudgeon|first=Ralph Thomas|title=The Keyed Bugle|date=October 20, 2004|publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]]|isbn=0810851237|edition=2|location=[[Metuchen, New Jersey]]|pages=134|chapter=The Revival|oclc=1285644620}}</ref> The score was then [[Music editing|edited]] by Richard R. McCurdy and [[Music mixing|mixed]] by [[Dan Wallin]]. It was recorded in [[Multitrack recording|16 channels]] and then [[Mixdown|downmixed]] to three of the six channels on a 35&nbsp;mm [[sound follower]], which would play in sync with the picture in theaters.<ref name=":8" />

Sound design was done at [[Todd-AO]]'s [[Hollywood, Los Angeles]], studio.<ref name=":4" /> Sam Shaw edited the sound effects while [[Ray West]] and Jack Woltz mixed them. Some scenes in the film were made solely to exploit IMAX's sound technology. For example, a multi-image scene in which two jets cross each other uses the [[Surround sound|surround]] nature of the sound system; MacGillivray expected audiences to "shiver" due to the dramatic shift of attention. In the train screen-hitting shot, the horn and engine noise gradually surround the audience.<ref name=":8" /> [[Don't Go in the House|Joseph Ellison]] also helped with the sound design,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Edwards|first=Matthew|title=Twisted Visions: Interviews with Cult Horror Filmmakers|date=June 19, 2017|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|isbn=978-1476628141|location=[[Jefferson, North Carolina]]|pages=66|chapter=Don't Go in the House: An Interview with Joseph Ellison}}</ref> which completed on June 18, 1976.<ref name=":12" /> After post-production, which—combined with the space sequence production—took six months, Conoco applauded the film's [[rough cut]]. The company's investors and the Smithsonian gave input for the final cut,<ref name=":8" /> which spanned more than {{Convert|8,000|ft|m|abbr=none}} of film stock.<ref name=":50" />