A striking night-sky photograph taken in Northumberland stars in a key scene of Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later.
The shot from Dan Monk, an astrophotographer based at Kielder Observatory, was provided when the production team wanted to find authentic Northumberland dark sky images for an action sequence on Holy Island causeway.
“They initially reached out for advice on night photography,” he explained.
“They were thinking of sending their team up to Kielder Observatory, but I offered to capture the images myself, and they were happy with that.”
He spent several nights imaging the dark skies and the Milky Way stretching overhead. In total he captured 36 separate images, later stitching them into a high-resolution, 360-degree panoramic view.
“I adjusted the image based on a reference provided by the visual effects team, matching the colour palette and visual tone to reflect the cinematic style of Danny Boyle’s film,” he added.
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The image formed the foundation for a VFX-enhanced sky sequence, which was created by Adam Gascoyne, Lead Visual Effects Supervisor for Union VFX:
“The skies shot formed the base for a magical clear sky during night scenes. We did embellish these beautiful photos, but they were inspiring.
“Kielder offered us a perfect and unique window to the night skies due to the rare absence of light pollution. It’s been a real wonder to behold.”
The production team invited Monk to the set as they were filming the scene.
“He was absolutely lovely,” Monk said of meeting Boyle.
“Watching him work, making these subtle but impactful changes to scenes, was an incredible experience. It was a real privilege to be there.”
Leigh Venus, Kielder Observatory CEO added:
“I was lucky enough to see a preview of this thrilling film at Jam Jar Cinema in Whitley Bay. The action sequence Dan’s images were used for was beautiful, and we’re proud to have contributed to this incredible work which showcases so many stunning North East locations.”
28 Years Later is out in cinemas today.
