The Frankenstein Chronicles filmed in Belfast
The Frankenstein Chronicles filmed a second series on location in Northern Ireland, using Belfast as a stand-in for 1830s London.
Production took place entirely on location and was supported in part by the Northern Ireland Screen Fund, which offers an investment of up to 25% of a production’s overall budget, in addition to the UK’s high-end television tax relief.
The production industry in Northern Ireland is relatively small but the combined financial programmes available make it an appealing location for filmmakers.
Producers of The Frankenstein Chronicles made use of Belfast’s multitude of historic warehouses and architecture to achieve the period visuals they were looking for.
The show is a reimagining of Mary Shelley’s classic 1818 novel and follows Sean Bean’s police officer as he investigates the crimes of someone who is reanimating the dead.
“It was never on the table to film the show in a studio setting,” says Catherine Geary, the series’ location manager, in comments to The Knowledge.
“The intention was always to create the story world in real locations, to help give depth to the drama.”
Filming in real locations has helped craft the show’s specific period visuals and identity, even if the team had to respond to the challenges of filming in places that were not designed for production.
The BBC’s period drama The Woman in White was filming in the city at the same time, so the two teams had to communicate their respective schedules against the backdrop of a smaller filming hub.
Belfast’s production industry has grown in the space of just a few years. Low-budget shoots are prolific, but the city is best known internationally as the home of HBO’s Game of Thrones, which starts filming its eighth and final season this week.
Image: ITV
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