Neon-Soaked 'Motor City' Crafted With Astera's Glow

John Matysiak (Old Henry, Winning Time, Big George Foreman) steers the look of Motor City with an emphasis on image and sound over dialogue, fusing a 1970s 35mm-inspired aesthetic with grindhouse energy.

Although set in Detroit, the production largely filmed in New Jersey, pairing bold colour and contrast with period-real lighting that mimics the quirks of vintage fixtures. "We asked ourselves, 'how do we represent that 1970s era in a way that feels authentic and grounded, given these larger-than-life characters?'" explained Matysiak.

Shot on an Alexa 35 with Master Anamorphics and frequent slow motion, the team leaned into neon and multi-coloured gas-discharge looks. "We wanted the images to feel like they could come from a graphic novel," admitted the cinematographer. Location scouting with gaffer Jason Velez focused on places that would naturally host neon; Astera Tubes were then built into sets or used to cast period-appropriate spill so that VFX could replace the practicals with era-accurate signs in post.

A standout case is the diner where Sophia (Woodley) works, dominated by a vivid green-and-orange 'Diner' sign over broad windows framing interior and exterior views. It anchors the pivotal sequence in which Reynolds (Foster) wins back Sophia amid financial strain after her fiancé, John Miller (Ritchson), is wrongfully arrested. The sign itself never existed on set: Hyperion Tubes, tuned to green and orange, lined a three-foot strip above the glass. "We tried some different colors until we found a combination which we really liked. I knew I could work backwards from the orange and green light and reflections and build that into the VFX sign itself," Matysiak explained.

That practical-plus-VFX formula also powers other key moments, including the neon-red rooftop 'Lager' billboard that floods the film's opening action with colour.

Matysiak and team studied the behaviour of period sources to re-create their character. "We spent a lot of time watching films from the 1970s, trying to understand not just what the sources were, but how they behaved," described Matysiak. "Older sources have inconsistencies… Practically, Astera gave us a way to recreate a lot of those imperfect effects. The paradox is that we then used some of the most precise lighting technology available to recreate a world that was much less precise."

That approach shapes the interrogation-room sequence following John's false arrest and 25-year state prison sentence for drug trafficking. Watched through a one-way mirror by Sophia—who screams that she loves him before throwing her engagement ring—John is isolated in a harsh pool of light as Reynolds steps in to twist the knife. "We wanted to try and be authentic to how we would have made a film in the ’70s, and that extended to the lighting," explained Matysiak. "For the interrogation, we replaced the overhead fluorescent bank with Titan Tubes and augmented that with small practical lights in the corners."

Control and speed were crucial on the destructive elevator fight set near the climax, where multiple Hyperion Tubes were mounted overhead. "From the beginning, we knew we wanted the flexibility and control that Astera gives you. That's really the advantage—it’s not only the quality of the light, but also being able to make those intuitive decisions right up until we roll. We were able to refine the lighting over and over again up until the camera rolled. It gives you more choices." Matysiak pointed to the elevator fight sequence, near the climax of the film. The elevator set was built to be bloodied and destroyed, with multiple Hyperion Tubes mounted overhead to light the space. "On a film like this, it was really important to have that across all fixtures, not just the 'neon'-style lights."

With fewer than a dozen spoken lines, Motor City lets performance, composition and sound carry the narrative. The result is a propulsive, violent and emotive ride where lighting and framing do the storytelling, saturating frames with punchy colours and contrast.

Motor City is available to stream on Amazon Prime.