Flight of the Navigator | VFXcool 

Can we just appreciate how he paints his entire body beige just to play Alan?

looks like he finally finished applying his makeup to the rest of his body

characters and lore asside, i think its really cool that cap ditched the costume to talk about something hes actually really passionate about and inspired by. its good to meet the alan behind the captain disillusion

I just watched Flight of the Navigator with my 9-year old son for the first time, and I was a bit scared, as this is one of my favourite movies from my childhood. Thank goodness he loved it, but when it finished he said 'Daddy, how did they make that ship fly?' I came straight here and showed him. You are now an intrinsic part of our shared experience of this movie. Thank you.

Captain Disillusion literally dropped his mascot role to tell us literally how much he, as Alan directly, loved this movie

So I've basically been sitting here with my mouth wide open for 40 minutes, baffled at the sheer effort that went into making both the movie and this video... Just one word: wow!

Wow. How the heck did you get your hands on the original stop motion models for those stairs?! That's insane. I can't believe they're even still around. This is why we love you, Alan.

I hope more people noticed that he did the classic cliffhanger ad-break fade to black bit several times, really nailing the feel of old non-fiction shows like the channel is inspired by. Its executed flawlessly.

Wake up babe, Captain Disillusion posted a 41 minute long video

Thank you for inviting us to be a tiny part of this incredibly awesome project!

Hey! That's my granddad that helped design the ship! Was really hoping to see his name when I started watching this video.

i love that at 12:40 you explain a revolutionary and labor intensive visual effect, by casually using a visual effect you made at home for a fraction of the cost and time that would have had these guys minds blowing clean off their shoulders lol

I am ready to learn a ridiculous amount of technical details regarding the making of a piece of media which I've never seen in my entire life.

The amount of work you do for these videos is exhausting to think about.

1:18 might be the best quote I have heard. "You saw it at the right time and were the target audience. It ignited your imagination, shook you with possibilities." - Alan

Disney, you need to license this documentary for any and all future Flight of the Navigator home entertainment releases. And yes Alan, I would like to hear about Alan Silvestri and his use of the Synclavier.

This video is a masterpiece.

And the Academy Award for VFX explanation goes to...

I still cannot get over the love, time and work that must have gone into this video. I wish we could clone Alan to do every single "Making of" documentary ever. Astounding video.

Anyone seeing this movie for the first time today has no idea how mind blowing the special effects were back in 86. Production values on this video are crazy high by the way, great job.

Every element in this entire video has so much care put into it. It's at the same level as the movie itself. Well done cap.

My man just did x100 VFX shots

Golden age of creativity and making wonders with different tools, so many artists and ingenuity and so much work for the craft

I've seen a lot of videos that try to convey the sense of wonder and awe for a piece of media they experienced as a child, but this just does it like no other. I've never seen someone so perfectly project their own love for something onto me, as I have with this. You can just tell how much he loved making this. It's beautiful.

Not ashamed to admit I never got the VFXcool joke until now

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how he subtly is less confident and stumbles over his words more in this? Not only is he funny, great at CG, and educating us, he's also a good actor!

oh my, ive never heard of this movie but the way alan talked about it was so heartwarming and fascinating ! the effects were indeed impressive for an 80s movie, it makes me wanna look it up and watch it myself

0:19 ''talk like you're certain they care'' how to succeed on youtube pretty much.

An insanely passionate artist using his talents to explain the work of insanely passionate artists just feels so right. Absolutely amazing.

Me at the start: Pft, you really want me to watch a 40+ minute video about a movie I've never seen? Me at the end: Wow, that was incredible. Why so short?

When my 5 year old son and I had coivd, we locked ourselves in my bedroom and watched all my favorite movies as a kid. At the end of the week after watching some seriously awesome well known classics I asked him which was his favorite, he said (without hesitation) Flight of the Navigator - my all time favorite as well. I couldn't stop smiling.

Putting aside the unfathamoble research, editing and graphical prowess that you put into the smallest bits of trivia. Listening to how you talk about a movie that very clearly is special to you just adds that little more to the already extraordinary work you do. I've watched you since the start Alan, do know that the effort you apply does not go unnoticed. Even my tutor from my old college used your work to help us understand compositing. Keep it up you mad genius.

Petition to make Captain D the director of the remake (sequel)! He deserves every drop of it!

Everyone talking about the time and effort it took to do all the effects in this video, and no one even mentioning how HE WENT TO ALL THE REAL LIFE FILMING LOCATIONS. Absolute madman.

Very nice! I am 45 years old and just went back watched this movie for the first time in maybe 20 yrs. As a kid this movie and “Explorers” has had me looking up my entire life. :)

I don’t know what part I should be more awed at. Learning about the amazing production behind this movie. Or the crazy care and skill that went into making THIS video…. This needs to be shown in film schools if it isn’t already.

The legend has returned and my ass is planted for 40 minutes.

This is seriously one of the most impressive RU-vid videos I've ever seen. Alan, this is your magnum opus. INCREDIBLE!

Here we are a year after this video originally aired and Alan's passion to make a sequel still brings me to tears. Seeing people express their love for something is just the most beautiful, inspiring, and human event you can witness. Been a fan for over a decade and this is still my favorite thing this channel has ever produced.

Flight of the Navigator is one of my all time favorite Disney movies. It's highly underrated and a hidden gem. Can we just take a moment and appreciate the MUSIC IN THIS! The SOUNDTRACK is so good! Alan Sylvestri knocks it out of the park

Alan deserves the chance to write and direct the sequel 100%.

I love how he demonstrates how messy bluescreening something highly reflective is while wearing a blue shirt at 17:53... It's such a flex

Crying a bit as it ends, man. Thank you for putting so much work into highlighting how much work others have put in, while giving me a healthy dose of nostalgia and keeping me hungry for more progress and creation. 42 years young, here. I love what you do, sir.

Wow, I'm just amazed into how much effort and brain power was put into creating the visual effects back then

I hope 35 years from now someone makes a 40 minute video about the production and effects in VFXcool: Flight of the Navigator

Y'know, I used to think that Captain Disillusion and Alan were actually the same person in different costumes, but now that I've seen them together in the same room, I can see I was mistaken. You're the luckiest man alive, Alan. Working for the Captain must be the *dream* job.

My late brother and I loved this when we were kids. Thank you for sharing this awesome story. 😔

This film really reminds me of my dad. He knew I’d love that weird little alien thing, and he was right lol. Can’t wait to watch it with him again.

You had me really excited at the end, like you were gonna announce that you were gonna be directing the sequel. That would explain how you had all of those props in your possession. And why Alan was the star of the video.

*The most awaited RU-vid creators' video is premiered finally.*

I rarely comment on youtube, but after seeing how much effort you put into this masterpiece of a video it'd only be right to do whatever is in my power do spread the word about it so as many people as possible get to see it. And I didn't even know the original movie but the attention to detail, the writing and editing are just amazing! Gotta go watch flight of the navigator now! :D

Flight of the Navigator was the film of my my childhood and it was a masterpiece in my eyes. It offered to my young mind a great dream and I could identify with David.

Flight of the Navigator was huge for me as a kid. I was obsessed with it. Now seeing all these practical effects, my mind is blown. I don't even have words. This video was incredible. Alan has got my vote for director of Flight of the Navigator Part 2. You know it will be in good hands.

This was so insanely good. The script is sooooo good. 40 minutes flew like 10 because I was having such a good time. Also now I like the movie x3. But no, seriously, I think this channel has probably the most entertaining scripts in RU-vid.

This is just insanely good quality, Captain! How well it's edited and how much information is squeezed into each minute of this video. Masterpiece. One of the best videos online.

Thank you so, so much for this tribute and breakdown. Flight of the Navigator was one of my all-time favorite films as a child. I haven't seen it in decades. I can't tell you how wonderful it has been watching this fun in-depth video. You're the best of the best, CD. Thank you.

*“Love with your heart. Use your head for everything else.”* - I miss this classical line of *CD* ❤

The man went to the actual filming house of Flight of the navigators for a 5 second clip

There’s something so fascinating about not only seeing how all these effects were done but also seeing the people who created them and the stories behind it all. I would absolutely love more episodes of vfx cool

RIP 🙏 Paul Reubens, your laughter is timeless.

This is one of the best videos I've ever seen. Bravo Captain.

4 months without a single video, then suddenly we get treated to a 40 MINUTES video. You're too good for this world, Captain.

I’ve rewatched FotN several times since seeing your video. It was my fave movie as a kid, but I decided in my early 20s that it was cheesy. Since then I’ve become a professional photographer and had completely forgot the movie existed. Now in my late 30s, you’ve reminded me of it… and now I share it with my kids and can appreciate both the special effects and camera trickery that makes this movie so impressive. I’d love to see some more 80s movie breakdown, or even something like Bedknobs and Broomsticks (hopefully you haven’t already done that one!)

I'm having the best night in a while watching this, halfway through and I realise how much I would enjoy a full series like this. The entertainment and amount of research you do is out of this world, I enjoy a lot.

I like how CD is no longer the main character of his own channel.

The Captain really painted his whole skin pink just for a video. legendary.

Wow this was amazing!!! This has been my favorite childhood movie for years. Thank you for creating this!

Flight of The Navigator needs more recognition, it’s such a good movie

simply amazed by this whole thing

People don't deserve this kind of high quality content for free.

This video scratches the part of my brain that wonders "how was it made". It took me back to childhood while satisfying the technical questions I have as an adult. Great Job!

Watched this video like 5 times now and its still amazing, definitely one of my favs on a the channel, you killed it dude

He thoroughly remade every effect in the movie multiple times over just for graphics in this video. CD is a god.

The fact that you can't trust anything in his set is real until he interacts with it speaks volumes about how good of a vfx artist he is

Incredible episode! So much work has gone into this. I loved this film as a kid and the insights you provide here are fascinating. Thanks CD

Honestly man, every video you put out is on another level. The work you and your team put into this stuff really comes through. Thank you for all of the effort you guys put in to make these. Theyre truely unparalleled on the platform.

I like the subtle flex of using a blue screen while wearing a blue shirt and having it look perfect.

this is one of the most jaw-dropping things i’ve ever seen. i am never complaining about my Premiere workflow ever again lol

So I just watched FOTN for the first time ever, went to find some reddit reviews afterwards, came across a link to this video, and just sat slack jawed for over 41 minutes. The amount of effort and care put into this movie was utterly mind bending, but then watching you remake the stop-motion bit just for the hell of it, and all the other fascinating tidbits throughout this video. Damn Cap, you've done it again. They had better give you the director role for the sequel I swear.

As an 80s kid. As a huge fan. As a man now coming on 40... I was hesitant and worried watching this video would ruin all the magic this film brought to my childhood and still makes me cry in joy now. I could not have been more wrong. Your video is an absolute treasure for fans of the film, new and old, and I will heavily recommend it. Even though you pointed out some of the exposed shots, I still found them hard to see! Plus you've also made me notice one or two things, story wise, that I never knew! That to me is an absolute treasure thank you!! Speaking of effects, I genuinely NEVER knew the amount of effort that went into this film. Of course, it wasn't easy - far from it - with 80s supercomputers, cranes etc but you never heard of many films' FX accomplishments during / post the OT "Star Wars" era for a while. I wouldn't be surprised if James Cameron used some of the ship's effects in this film as some inspiration (along with the Abyss obviously) for the T-1000 in T2 with the effects fluid like motions. This movie created a ship that was always mysterious, telepathic, beautiful, sleek, fast, could change shape as smooth as liquid yet was solid and virtually indestructible and it could even time travel and travel galaxies!! It's nearly 2023 at the time of this post and I honest to God still haven't seen a ship that rivals this one in looks or ability - and I'm a proper sci-fi geek!! I always wanted one or at least a replica during my youth. Maybe one day, when I'm rich enough, I'll be able to afford my own custom built Aston Martin and have it resemble this ship as much as possible!! In reflective silver of course 🙂. We were amazed back then. We have supercomputers at home now and can recreate reality. I really do hope all these incredible practical Special FX techniques, made by these many talented teams of individuals, live on forever. Because we may have our own opinions and methods but we all know one thing - THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING. Excellent video!!

wish I had an intern that cool...

He's giving us 43 hours so we can watch all his videos again

Sigh. I've now watched this whole video *three times* within the last 12 months! I guess this has to be my favorite video on RU-vid. Everything about it is perfect! Bravo!

This is genuinely one of my favorite videos on RU-vid, really it feels so much more polished and detailed than anything else on this website. I come back and watch it every now and then

The amount of work that went into this video 👏🤯

Can we just appreciate that animation has come so far that he just animated substantially portions of their non-animated recording stuff for demonstration's sake?

Came back to watch again. I really appreciate the work you put into this project. You have created one of the best channels on the platform.

This is seriously the BEST (now my favorite) VIDEO I'VE EVER SEEN on RU-vid.

This video is WONDERFUL! Thank you again for letting me help out with the melting stairs stop motion!

Really incredible the lengths they went to to achieve some of these effects. And thanks for going to such lengths yourself to make such an in-depth and entertaining video about it! Need to go watch Flight of the Navigator now...

Thank you for making this video Captain Disillusion 😁Watching this was a _truly_ *INCREDIBLE* experience! I... I... I m... I mean like... I'm literally struggling to put the nuance of it all into text, but I'll try. My dude, this incredible documentary you've made for us right here, which you're somehow allowing us to watch entirely for *free* (and for which myself and probably everyone else currently reading this comment are incredibly thankful for by the way! 🙏) and on which, judging from the result, you likely have had to have spent many, many hundreds (perhaps even thousands?) of man-hours painstakingly constructing every little piece over a period of what must have been years. And I really think all your sweat, tears, and likely RSI (instead of blood, since were talking IT here) have been absolutely worth it because this video here really was a *TRUE F---ING MASTERPIECE!* I truly mean it, this was an amazing watch! I can't believe the 42 minutes are already over; and I'm sad to say that it is a very rare occurrence that I get gripped by a video like this. Everything is just so incredibly well written and you managed to make this video so informative and entertaining that you had me glued to my phone for each and every one of those two-thousand-four-hundred-eighty-eight deliciously entertaining seconds. This is only the second time I've come across your content; and subsequently watched one of your videos, but I think you very well may have a gift. Because it is not often that I become invested into a rendition of a story to such an extent that the minutes fly by like the snap of a finger. And the visual effects were absolutely *suberb!* Thank you very muchos for this masterpiece! 😁👍 Very well done. Bravo! 👍👍

Loved this movie growing up and still watch from time to time. This video is simply amazing. Thank you for creating this for we simple fans. Amazing perspectives and fun presentation by a clear expert.

Somebody please give this man a proper budget and a team so we can have a whole season of this long-form deep dive format.

"it's as if you have to obsess about it your whole life trying over and over to even get close." *makes a perfect replica*

Fantastic. It's a miracle any movie gets finished given all the work and (literally) moving pieces required.. The amount of work put into this video to document all of this is also astounding. Just inspiring all around.

I have to say one of the best behind the scenes I've ever watched a lot of work went into this. Thanks

This was such a fun video to watch. It’s like your love letter to what inspired your background in liking and working with CG 😁

Such a wonderful presentation, using your incredible vfx skills to appreciate this movie's vfx. The love and adoration shines through.

One of my favorite movies from my childhood to today made even better through the appreciation of low-tech VFX that still hold up. Bravo.

What an amazing video. This movie was my childhood. And I always wondered how they achieved all of these effects in 1986. I have an even greater appreciation for it now.