Receiving an email from NBC Universal at Rockefeller Plaza is always a welcome surprise. Since the beginning, the questions have been present. Why are we here? What is reality? 2001: A Space Odyssey was a landmark cinematic moment. A collaboration between Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, it remains one of the most defining and influential films in history.

When NBC Universal approached to capture the cast portraits for their mini-series Childhood’s End, a screen adaptation of Clarke’s seminal novel, it was known this had to be a legacy shoot. Beyond portraiture, the task was also designing the set for the portraits.

The approach was to pay homage to 2001, incorporating design elements reminiscent of the monoliths, so central to the film’s mystery. The cornice pieces designs echoed the elegant room where Dr. Dave Bowman finds himself in the final act of Kubrick’s masterpiece. This felt like the perfect way to bridge Arthur C. Clarke’s legacy into this new adaptation, an honour to be part of.