How Cast Away Was ACTUALLY Filmed

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What would happen if a FedEx plane full of cargo crashed into the sea?
This was a question that popped into the mind of actor Tom Hanks upon reading an article about FedEx and is how the initial idea for the movie Cast Away was born.
But we're not here to talk about the background history of this movie, we're here to show you the vast array of tricks, clever uses of CGI, slight of hand, camera moves, ingenious and mind bending sound design that the creators of this epic film used, in order to turn a disaster movie into a complete success.

Join us as we explore the FX, VFX, CGI, sound design and general behind the scenes of this movie.
Not only is this an epic story but the movie is packed full of mind blowing movie making tricks, just see for yourself!
P.S. If you happen to know if Tom Hanks actually made fire for real, please let us know in the comments!



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[TriersTreasures]

This movie was one of the best I’ve seen. The complexity of emotion in the most seemingly simplistic of sceneries. One man carrying 95% of a movie with no music. Getting the world to cry for a ball. Superb acting and amazing directing. Will always be one of my favorites.

[robwilkins]

'Castaway' is a perfect example of properly using CGI to tell a story, not replace a story.

[Myamirah]

This might be Tom Hanks best movie and maybe most challenging. A whole movie shot basically by himself with little dialogue and yet so incredibly interesting.

[apexerman]

The tooth removal scene was brutal. I was cringing every moment he held that skate to his mouth. The excruciating anticipation, the whimpering, the reality of it all... brilliant filmmaking. It occurred to me afterwards how our ancestors had to deal with dental pain. Ever since then, going to the dentist isn't so bad.

[vanevans]

One of the 3 great cinematic moments in history is the zoom in on Hanks weeping on the raft right after the loss of Wilson. Zemeckis captured a feeling of humility we all identify with in our lowest desperate hold of our sanity. The first time I watched it the whole theatre went quiet when this happened. We wept with Hanks, whose acting is unsurpassed in that moment. One gruff man told me it was the first and only time he cried in a movie.

[markozupanc]

To me it was a masterpiece movie. Absolutely amazing, from cast, screenplay, production...everything just works. Great movie in my opinion.

[calebpartenheimer]

I kept choked up and cry during certain parts every time I watch this movie.

Certain scenes just absolutely hammer you with emotion.

[rovhalt]

Cast Away is what we used to know as a film. A lost artform that has been forgotten for about a whole decade now.

[Stenbrotsgatan]

One of the most amazing films ever. How you get people to cry over a volleyball is amazing. Also another interesting fact not a lot of people know about is that they shot the first half of the film...then took a break so Tom Hanks could diet and slim down for 6 months...then go back again and film the 2nd half. During this 'break' Robert Zemeckis filmed an entire other film in between, 'What Lies Beneath', with Harrison Ford.

[johnrowland]

One of the best movies ever made.
Every aspect from the protagonists point of view the fact that there's no needless distractions really focuses your attention.
Tough ask for one actor to carry 99% of a movie

[TroyQwert]

That was quite informative. As someone who has experience in filming and was working in the TV industry, I have finally grasped the technique behind creating a nighttime scene. However, one thing that continues to puzzle me is the apparent fondness that directors or those in charge have for excessively dark screens. It becomes nearly impossible to discern anything in the initial version, not to mention the subsequent copies of the same darkened film. I implore those involved to reconsider incorporating pitch-black scenes. A skilled director understands how to depict the essence of nighttime without resorting to complete darkness on screen.

If you enjoyed "Cast Away" with Tom Hanks, here are some movies that you might find interesting:

1. "The Martian" (2015) - A gripping science fiction film starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars, struggling to survive and find a way back home.
2. "Life of Pi" (2012) - A visually stunning adventure drama about a young man named Pi who survives a shipwreck and forms an unlikely bond with a Bengal tiger while adrift in the Pacific Ocean.
3. "127 Hours" (2010) - Based on a true story, this intense drama follows a mountaineer played by James Franco who becomes trapped alone in a canyon and must find the strength to survive.
4. "All Is Lost" (2013) - A gripping survival film starring Robert Redford as a sailor stranded at sea after his yacht is damaged, battling the elements and facing his own mortality.
5. "Into the Wild" (2007) - Based on a true story, this adventure drama tells the tale of Christopher McCandless, a young man who abandons his possessions and embarks on a journey into the Alaskan wilderness.

These movies share themes of survival, resilience, and the human spirit in challenging situations. I hope you find them enjoyable!

[toddw]

If he had been on a Amazon plane he would have had so much good stuff there would have been no reason to leave

[mbaxter]

This movie was such an underrapreciated masterpiece. In terms of sheer immersion, pulling you into the world of the movie, and nailing every aspect of the emotional sprectrum, nothing surpasses it. Greatest movie of all time, IMO.

[jacktorrance]

I adore this movie and it's one of the movies that I can just think about and I can basically cry on cue. There is so much emotion in how Hanks plays Chuck's sadness at losing Wilson, such that it doesn't feel like a volleyball drifting away on the waves but a friend who is being taken away by the current, unable to swim back to the safety of the raft.

But when he finally gets home, and sits with his friend in his house and tells of how it feels to be back again, with ice in his glass but that he's lost Kelly all over again is just soul crushing.

And when that beautiful score from Alan Silvestri comes in as the credits roll and we see a more hopeful Chuck looking toward what the future might bring it's perfect. What a brilliant choice to hold back on adding music for the whole film.

So yeah, when people praise actresses for being able to cry on cue I always say I can do it to (and I'm a bloke!), I just need to think about this movie.

[deeann]

This movie I have watched several times. Tom was great in this role. You really get to feel what he was going through. And when rescued what he had to face.

[NeonVisual]

And if he had just turned around and walked 200 meters in the other direction along Monuriki island, there's a hotel and tourist resort on the next island he could have paddled to without getting his knees wet.

[jameshoran]

What is amazing is that the ending scene has Lari White (R.I.P.) telling Hanks where the four directional routes go. She was factually correct in her description where each route would take you.

[keysburntgucci]

We already loved this movie with the amazing direction and Tom's one of the best acting and now you're telling me it has some splendid effects- both visual and audio that many failed to notice?
Man, Can I be anymore impressed with this movie?

[WildwoodMaebell]

I think this was one of the most brilliantly directed films I have ever seen. Believable in every scene.

[andreasdesigns]

I never noticed there wasn't music on the island, but that's what's suppose to happen with audio. It blends in so well you don't notice. I'm going to have to watch the movie again.