Close Encounters Air Traffic Control Scene

[abdulrahimify]

what the name of this movie?

[jp3492]

Awesome scene, very realisitic dialogue, great direction - the other controllers talking over the top just adds to the authenticity.

[Jurassicprince]

I love how, at 0:02, the words come out of the radar sweep.

[rodmanb294]

The controller talking to the aircraft was the Deputy Manager of Los Angles ARTCC (a Friend of mine) He was a Center Controller earlier in his career. Accord to him, the scene was filmed at Los Angles Center in Palmdale Ca. on the Mid shift...

[roquefortfiles]

This scene is absolutely brilliant. It creates the mystery of the UFO's in your mind before you even see them. It makes you WANT to see them all the more. Not only that but it is a very realistic scene. There is not one false beat. It sets the stage for the rest of the movie and draws you in even more. When he says.. "Traffic is quite luminous and exhibiting nonbalistic motion" your mind just races filling in the images. Great film making.

[jgmamba]

@roquefortfiles Could not have said it any better!

[Starbuckin]

Thanks for uploading this EPIC scene! One of the most realistic and EPIC scene's of ANY movie! I have posted a vid response of the same scene in HD! ALSO I have attempted to score this EPIC scene with music, for the first time here on YouTube! Enjoy all! This is one of the fiew movies that makes me cry my eyes out when I watch it... It's SO emotional!!!

[konked]

@Starbuckin If you read Joseph Allen Hynek's book Ufo - A Scientific Inquiry you can see that he was consulted for this movie. There's almost identific description of an aerial ufo sighting done from passenger plane. It includes the asking if someone wants to report a sighting.

[cochranexyz]

Awesome. One of my favorite movies of all time.

[herbal1971]

I love this scene. I think they used real ATC personnel, not actors.

[Jourell1]

@herbal1971 According to the IMDB this is correct though that site is not always completely accurate. In any case, this scene has been praised for accurately depicting genuine codes, procedures and equipment.

[pdt1515]

This was back when Spielberg crafted great little gems into his films instead of pumping cash into diarrhea like Transformers 3

[aerodynamic1]

@pdt1515 Or War of the Worlds. Only good thing about that film was the tripods. And the first teaser trailer. As for the above scene, it so closely matches what happened to that KAL jet near Alaska it's staggering, right down to the calls to the military.

[TripleDK90]

From which film?

[TripleDK90]

NICE 5*

[JohnWesleyDowney]

This was the very first scene filmed on this project. It was filmed over two nights, December 29th and 30th, 1975.

[ildanny80]

I hope you know, there are actual audio tapes of real flights in which the same exact thing happened. You can find'em here in youtube. cheers!

[wongtszchungame]

2:49 .........UFO?

[gapedhok]

The scene that gets you hooked into the vid. This was an important part of the movie. It gave credibility at a crucial time and hooked the viewer into paying closer attention while adding a level of tension .

[MajCinematic]

Great way to start the film very suspensful!! ;)

[Mxsmanic]

The magic of this scene isn't in what you see or hear, it's in what you imagine as you watch and listen. That's Spielberg's talent. And his cinematographer makes a big difference, too.

[velveetaslingshot]

Whenever I get caught up in a debate with sceptics who claim that this secret could not be kept, I always make them watch this scene before continuing the debate. The secret keeps itself.... believe are unwilling or unable to accept the truth.

[ogc90]

this was filmed at the real LA center and all the controllers were real FAA, i worked with a controller that knew the radar controller in this clip.this is what the En Route radar looked like untill about 1998 when it was replaced by what is called DSR.there are two thing that are not real, the conflict alert makes no sound and the data blocks only flash, and the lighted key boards were added for affect. the key boards we used are to the left of the track ball.

[jp3813]

Generic Hollywood directors would've intercut this scene w/ the point-of-view of the pilots. Ruining the experience one would have of hearing about a UFO sighting as it happens.

[Frizzo2000]

This has always been my favorite scene in this movie. Thanks for posting it!

Does anyone know if that is a real Air Traffic Controller, or just a REALLY good actor in that role?

[malestock]

@Frizzo2000 The air traffic controller in this scene is an actor (Richard L. Hawkins)... But I agree, he's really good in his role! He sounds just like a pro. I bet he went through extensive ATC training for this role. He definitely fooled a lot of people thinking that he was a real air traffic controller. .... This too is my favorite scene in the movie, as I am a pilot and ATC enthusiast.

[timcp1]

This movie is silly. Three fingered beings are suppose to be able to engineer these highly structured sophisticated space machines? Not with their frail bodies and lack of proper articulation due to having only three fingers and being built like a 7 year old. Also, if they're able to function in the same environment as humans, that means they must exist in the same environment , and there's no way these beings would survive.

[bademoxy]

@timcp1 -with all due respect, there are so many assumptions regarding this phenomena.

for example; why assume that the beings you so describe are the same as those who(or what)build these ufos? if the greys are of a biological construction, then there could be many different species each designed for a special purpose.

astonishing are the absurdly presumptuous statements coming from reputable scientists like;" aliens can't be visiting here because it takes too long to travel here".

[timcp1]

@bademoxy Because I'm going by what I've heard. The "greys" as you put it are from people who have claimed to see them, this is why the movies later follow. You mention "different species each designed for a special purpose" by who? Whichever those species are, haven't been seen from what accounts you hear of.

[bademoxy]

@timcp1 -again yet another assumption. that the species who built these craft would would be of the same type sent to observe earth.

our own societal modernization has within a few centuries produced extreme specialization in skillsets.imagine a world 4 billion years ahead of ours.

[timcp1]

@bademoxy Well then all of what you said is your assumption and dreaming imagination.

[Vejur9000]

The Universe is more like Men In Black than we are "allowed" to be aware. Many races too, not only Greys, and many different levels of technological and evolutionary advancement, likely as richly varied as can be imagined. Earth may have more in common with Grand Central Station than we know. It would be funny (like Men in Black) if it weren't so sad, what we do to ourselves, and to this beautiful planet. Anyhoo... we are being watched from a polite distance by many races.

[VWVVWVVWV]

This is my favorite scene, and I agree - this is when Spielberg made good movies! I always thought it was "Aries 31" until I saw the deleted scene showing the "Air East" logo. Silly me...

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

Does anyone have the scene where they play the five-note tag to communicate with the aliens? You know, there is a choir singing it, one person is playing it on an ARP 2500 synthesizer (and then whistling along with it), and a boy is doing the same on his xylophone.

[VWVVWVVWV]

@ClassicTVMan1981X That's three distinctly different scenes in the film - you must be thinking of some kind of montage or preview trailer.

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

@VWVVWVVWV

OK, now I remember: I am talking about: does anyone have the scene were Claude Lacombe is playing the Yamaha SY2 synthesizer? That is the one where he whistles along.

[VWVVWVVWV]

@ClassicTVMan1981X Oh - that scene is in the film, right after they steal the globe from the county surveyor's offce and figure out the cartographic coordinates.

[pandadardar]

I watched this when I was a child and I still don't understand why won't they report the UFO...why?? lol

[hoss3732]

@pandadardar

Appearing flaky can harm a pilot's career. Reputation is a very important aspect of being a pilot. You want to be known as a rock-solid guy with good hands and sound judgment. You don't want to be known as the crazy guy who sees little green men.

[dmc31400]

@hoss3732 Cops won't report them either.

[Reichenback09]

@pandadardar What hoss3732 is spot on. Nick Pope, formerly of the UK Defence Dept had a little to say about the fate of pilots reporting UFOs...now that a number of pilots have spoken out and produced a book, perhaps more will come in terms of "reporting a UFO" rather than the "negative."

[PsychotronicWar]

@pandadardar : Logical question. Nevertheless, my father was Lieutenant Colonel for Air Force and he told me that if we ever report what we see up there, they will think we are crazy...

[ronallen10000]

Whoever wrote this scene knew ATC procedures and lingo like a pro.

[Zoloft61]

This is my favourite part of my favourite film!

The reality is so intense, the black traffic controller is either a very good actor or a real traffic controller. Think about the fact that thousands of pilots have had similar experiences, Google Richard Haines for these facts.

[Pumpkinrot]

I'll always consider this film a horror film.

Scared me when I saw it in the theaters and it scares me whenever I watch it.

[Cloudjumper]

niina bartel

[gritzah]

documentary-like in its effect.

[OdinsFrigga2]

This featured ATC "Harry" sure looks and sounds like a much younger Morgan Freeman!! Anyone have any info on this fellow? Thanks!!

[OdinsFrigga2]

he sure looks like MOrgan Freeman - I agree!! Even sounds like him!!



[OdinsFrigga2]

The ATC person in this scene sure DOES 'look like' and 'sound like' Morgan Freeman!!

Can anyone suggest any more information about this person/actor? Previous posts say he might be an 'actual' ATC.

[skylord58]

@OdinsFrigga2

He was the Deputy Air Traffic Manager at LA Center in Palmdale. Spielberg would have the writers coordinate with us so we didn't sound like goof balls. He shot up at LA Center for "Always" and used a bunch of us as extras. Was always very polite to us, and went out of his way not to disrupt the operation. Shoots were done on the mid shifts with actual ATC going on in the background.

[ogc90]

this was filmed at LA center and used real controllers, the radar displays are real but the buzzer on the conflict alert and the lighted key boards were added for effect, i used these displays at chicago center untill 1998 when thay were replaced by the DSR which i thought were crap for the money spent on them, this clip brings back good memories of the old days.

[kentuckyhellfire]

classic classic classic CLASSIC!!!

[southbay976]

the guy in the blue polo is my dad!

[oneinsixcom]

Richard Widmark? Are you sure? Don't look like him to me.

[parentearth]

Check out a 3 min. spoof on youtube of the mashed potato scene "Lunch Encounters of the Third Kind"

[OrionEffects]

@parentearth Nice propaganda, comrade...

[Hanglands]

I like listening to ATC. I like the way they speak - cutting out all the rubbish and focussing on whats important, getting it across concisely. A lot of people could learn a lesson from that! Nice clip.

[Crintingnut]

If I remember correctly, commercial pilots who made UFO reports were extremely hassled by officialdon and queried by their peers. hence the reluctance. Is this a fair recollections? It's a great clip, by the way.

[sssoaring2]

is this a movie or a tv show?

[mancrushonhanksnow]

I love this scene. I never knew they used an actual controller. No wonder it's so well acted!

[Rickdd2]

I used to work where they filmed this, at Los Angeles ARTCC (a real air traffic control facility). They filmed it on the midnight shift when it was really quiet. Two people in the background were controlling live traffic. The main guy here (forgot his name) was an actual controller. The only funny thing is at 0:35 where he's staring at a blank screen without datablocks and calling traffic. Only funny to controllers I guess. We actually used those radars and consoles for the next 20 years.

[kabbagehead]

One of my favorite scenes ever in a movie. Something about it...

[Hibbs4Prez]

Modern movie blockbusters can't even give us a simple and effective scene like this anymore

[Kukenango]

@Hibbs4Prez No wonder ADHD is on the rise.

[VWVVWVVWV]

@Hibbs4Prez AGREED

[MattyCreed]

@Hibbs4Prez

i know it's bullshit

[olentangy74]

The grey haired gentleman who asks if the flight crew wants to fill out an incident report is Richard Widmark, who was a well known film actor in the 50's and 60's. He is no longer living.

[klaricemccarron]

spielberg is a genius at getting people hooked in the first seconds of a movie. this scene gives me chills every time just because it is so good.

[boyinthedrain]

@klaricemccarron

This was originally the beginning before Spielberg came up with the opening in Mexico

This is one of my favorite scenes in any movie EVER

[klaricemccarron]

yeah, sometimes i think it would have been better staying as the first scene, but i like the Mexico scene just as much. again with the tension and the WTF IS HAPPENING mentality.

^_^

love it.

[boyinthedrain]

@klaricemccarron

I think you need to have the opening scene where Laughlin has no clue what is happening. It also brings in the global aspect of the story. This isn't just a story about UFOs in Indiana. It is going on all over the world with an international group.

But that being said, if this was the opening scene, we'd probably be saying what an incredible opening it is.

Close Encounters just might be my favorite movie. (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is right up there too)

[klaricemccarron]

and it makes it that much better when laughlin, who came onto this project being a translator, which isn't even his job, ends up being the one who figures the whole thing out by using his cartographer skillz

this is definitely my favorite movie. amadeus is the other one.

[boyinthedrain]

@klaricemccarron Interesting aspect of Laughlin's character. They originally shot it as if he was a professional interpreter and his first scene was the Air East 31 deleted scene. But after the first cut, Spielberg felt he needed to introduce Truffaut differently and explain the pilots and how they picked Devils Tower. So the opening and the globe sequence were shot later... and they are the only two times Laughlin is referred to as a cartographer. Basically that was added later... brilliantly

[klaricemccarron]

that's interesting, I didn't know that. spielberg has a habit of doing things and then realizing they were big mistakes...like when he decided to tack on the scene of roy inside the spaceship, and then almost immediately took it away!

[CoolOrb]

Hope Spielberg makes a sequel soon

for Close Encounters of Third Kind, lol !

Where did the volunteer space personnel

travel to ? What does the alien planet look

like ? C 'mon Steve ! Do it for the fans =0)

[muszles]

great scene

[dazzelknight]

this opening seen  got me hooked. powerfull

[variable495]

While the scene and communications are very good, I think that all the other controllers wandering off from their posts would result in a little discipline, not to mention big, shiny planes falling out of the air.

[davidsholem]

Pilot's communications were also realistic!

[littlelion1972]

MVR. Are you one of those JFK controllers on YouTube? ;)

[MVR326]

I work in the tower at JFK...the dialogue and terminology is ON THE MONEY> I find this scene very chilling because you HEAR the description of what one the flight crews is seeing, so of course, what the imagination does. Brilliant movie.

[Starbuckin]

F&kn' AWESOME, my FAVORITE scene from the movie, close to what It would prolly really be like if something like it actually happened!

[ericberner]

I wanna get a tatoo of that.-

UNK

N

469

[rbatcret]

I was a controller for 27 years and I find it to be the most accurate depiction of ATC I have ever seen short of working traffic myself. They were using a computer generated scenario for the RADS.

[VNVgirl]

still out of all the stuff out there... out of all i've seen... god, i'm serious when i say i love this video. i get instantly interested from what they do. . it's incredibly believable to someone who doesn't work in aviation hehe which is most everyone.. heh video is great if you ask me. it's my fav vid. sad that so many poo poo it for such simple things. im not here to judge , just enjoy. :) when do you enjoy? when they dot their i's and cross their t's ? geez

[knoxvilleguy2]

I don't know if anybody noticed, but " Harry " ( ? ) appears to be a younger Morgan Freeman. Am I the only one that noticed this ?

This movie has its detractors, for obvious reasons, but I freaking LOVE IT !!!

[Mxsmanic]

Even when this movie was made, ATC wasn't saying "over." However, it's still a much more accurate depiction of ATC than you usually see in movies.

[VNVgirl]

so what was the ATC saying?

[hoss3732]

I was watching this scene again and i wondered, How do all the bystanders hear the transmissions from the aircraft being monitored? Obviously they could hear the controller but wouldn't the flight crews be on the controller's headset?

[CousinShmoo]

LOL

[gale212]

the frequencies can be switched from headset to loud speaker.

[JCDaedalus]

@hoss3732 It wouldn't be unusual for controllers to route the audio to an external speaker unit as well. Happens quite often at the tower I'm working at.

[kalixlule]

@hoss3732 Probably they had a speaker right in front of them ;)

[d0rkiishchris]

@hoss3732 every position has a speaker that can be turned on.

[souleater0815]

@hoss3732 Hollywood!

[MVR326]

@hoss3732 not neccesarily. I work in a tower, and we do have the option to play the conversations on small speakers, or, we can listen privatly.

[JumpStartation]

@hoss3732 Centre controller's can have a speaker or a headset while local, ground and clearance have only a headset.

[dieselscience]

@hoss3732 Wow, a year an no answer. The ATC could hit a switch and transfer his headset sound to a speaker.

[jmcbrid0]

@hoss3732 With our consoles, aside from audio being fed directly into our headsets, you can also tap the MON button twice to put a single or multiple freqs on speaker or press HL and have all freqs and landlines on speaker.

[edsmovie]

This is one of my favorite scenes - not in just this movie but ANY movie ever! Like in Ikira Kurosawa films, the actors roll into the frame and there are slight dollies that frame the scene as it progresses. The sound engineering is probably one of the most under-rated pieces of work ever recorded... and harkens to THX 1138. Moreover, a generation has probably, subconsciously, have been referring to this scene when encountering UFO reports.

I had no idea people thought this was a great scene!

[lolwut71]

this is not Morgan Freeman.

[funnyfokker25]

I also found in the credits, that four air traffic controllers were listed, none of them Morgan Freeman......I had also thought that Freeman was the ATC in this scene. If it is him, then Freeman was never credited for the role, anywhere that I have searched

[monk54321]

Masterful direction by Spielberg.

[hoss3732]

And the cinematography ain't bad either! The way the controller is reflected in the radar screen is just brilliant. I wonder if this was Vilmos Zsigmond or the second unit guys.

[Youbian]

@hoss3732 more likely than not, Steven say that first and was on it.

[Youbian]

@monk54321 and don't forget the editor.

[smithpgr]

There is great debate over whether the coloured actor in this scene is Carl Weathers or Morgan Freeman - I can't find any evidence that it is Morgan but that ain't Carl. Hands down that is Morgan Freeman - listen to the voice!

[funnyfokker25]

I found some information that may help courtesy of IMDB. Hope this helps

Real air-traffic controllers were used in the opening sequence. The synthesizer technician/performer was the actual engineer sent by ARP Instruments to install the synthesizer equipment (ARP 2500) on the set. Steven Spielberg watched his expert playing of the equipment and immediately cast him for the role. The name of the ARP engineer is Philip Dodds and he is actually mentioned in the credits

[CoryPea]

The only thing that was bothering me was him saying "Over" at the end of each transmission. But I agree most realistic atc scene in a movie. I am glad they didnt have a bunch of guys holding flashlights on the tarmac. That is what most people seem to think Air Traffic is.

[gale212]

back in the day they used "over." it was WAY back in the day though. id say it was tossed in for effect here. the public doesnt know the difference.

[hoss3732]

Thanks for the comments!

You ATC guys please feel free to point out technical details of this clip.

[tjmady]

I just seen this movie for the first time the other day. I do agree this is probably one of the best parts.

[joshreynor]

this scene is brilliant, best in the movie in my opinion, full of tension and suspense, a lot left to the imagination here which is a great decision, great comments too guys!

[hibob418]

This scene is just incredible. It plays like a great radio drama with voice acting and sound effects creating all the tension and suspense. Thanks for uploading this clip, it just never gets old.

[khalsasikh]

The best Air Traffic Control scene ever made, and unlike in other movies, it was filmed in an actual Air Traffic Control facility. The room they are in was an actual "M-1" ARTCC control room. Not sure which ARTCC it was, but I heard it was Los Angeles Center. Somebody out there might know.

[1053857]

Indianapolis (KZID)

[khalsasikh]

@1053857 In the movie, it was ZID, but in reality it was ZLA, was it not?

[VNVgirl]

psst i still get excited watching it..its funny..it starts so mild... and then they start checking and things become odd and it becomes tense quick due to pilots reports...i was always hoping for close encounters 2 ... Spielberg has to much to do these days to pay respect to the old stuff i guess..either way...this rocks !! its so well done!

[TellySavalis]

Why is Indianapolis Center monitoring R-2508 in Southern California?

[hoss3732]

I've seen this scene many times and never caught that reference, I suppose I assumed it was fictional. The film's technical advisor must of been from socal.

[back2frinky]

Totally agree with all the comments here. The fact that you don't actually see the airplanes, just a representation on a screen, adds so much to the tension. Was that deliberate, or just to save money?

[hoss3732]

Probably deliberate, your imagination can fill in what happens nicely. The DVD has a deleted scene where the Feds board Air East 31 after landing and confiscate all the passengers cameras.

[hoss3732]

"Traffic is quite luminous and is exhibiting some non-ballistic motion"...

This is the line that always creeps me out in this scene. Would really make me wonder what the hell I was looking at!

Non-ballistic motion = zigging and zagging, making ninety degree turns at 500 mph, defying the laws of physics.

Basically impossible in an (Earth) vehicle

without harmful G forces being generated.

[Pinegap07]

Arguably the best ATC scene in a movie. Nice interference touch on the radio as the craft passes the airliner. A favorite. Thanks for posting it.

[khalsasikh]

Amen. That was the best ATC scene ever, and I agree about the interference touch on the radio. That was the M-1 control room. They mocked up the Keyboard simply because the real keyboard was less obvious. Very well done.

[VNVgirl]

this is my favorite movie ever! its so good! and this part...is the best of the best :) i get so excited watching it! thank you!

[christychackojohn]

Which movie is it

[hoss3732]

Movie is "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"

It was in theaters at about the same time as

Star Wars (1977-78).

This was Steven Spielberg's next movie after "Jaws"

[cherryunlimited]

yeah. this has always been a favourite movie scene of mine. thanks.