In August 2024, astrophotographer Rod Prazeres received an unexpected Instagram message from a “small production company” interested in licensing his images for a sci-fi movie. Initially, Prazeres suspected a scam.

From Instagram DM to the Big Screen

“So the first thing I thought was, you know, it’s a scam,” Prazeres told Space.com. He cautiously investigated the company, creating a “dossier” to verify their legitimacy. After signing a non-disclosure agreement, his images ultimately appeared in the end credits of the critically acclaimed and commercially successful film, Project Hail Mary, released in March.

A Commitment to Authenticity

The filmmakers specifically sought real deep-space images over computer-generated imagery (CGI) for the credits, contributing to the film’s overall sense of authenticity. Project Hail Mary author Andy Weir praised the film’s performance and Ryan Gosling’s acting.

The Astrophotographer's Journey

Prazeres began his journey into deep-sky astrophotography in July 2023, capturing an image of the Omega Nebula. He dedicated himself to learning the craft through workshops and research. His work was even shortlisted for the Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer in the 2024 Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year Award.

400 Hours of Exposure

The images featured in the credits took a cumulative 396 hours to capture using two telescopes – a William Optics RedCat 51 II and an Askar 130PHQ – along with specialized ZWO astronomy cameras, filters, and peripherals.

Removing the Stars

Interestingly, a key element was intentionally removed from the images: stars. The filmmakers used astrophotography software to eliminate stars from the images to ensure they didn’t interfere with the credit subtitles. “It’s relatively simple to do it,” explained Prazeres, “You’ve just got to make sure it’s done without… damaging anything in the image.”

A Dream Realized

Prazeres attended a screening of Project Hail Mary with his family shortly before its worldwide release, having kept his involvement a secret for months. He expressed his disbelief and joy at seeing his work on the big screen. “Never in a million years would I have expected that to happen,” he said.

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