Gaffer Jonny Franklin On Lighting 'Clayface' With Grit And Colour

Gotham's criminal underbelly takes centre stage in Clayface, the DC Studios and Warner Bros feature that traces the villain's terrifying transformation from rising star to shapeshifting monster. Directed by James Watkins, the film marked DC Studios' first step into the horror genre and extended the long-running collaboration between cinematographer Rob Hardy ASC BSC and gaffer Jonny Franklin, working closely with the Panavision group.

Panavision London supplied Hardy's camera and lens package, anchored by C Series anamorphic optics paired with Panavised Sony Venice 2 cameras. Panalux supported the show's northern schedule from its Manchester and London bases, providing lighting and logistics across key locations.

Franklin describes a partnership with Hardy built on trust from previous work, including the feature Men and numerous commercials. In prep, the pair focused less on specific fixtures and more on mood, texture and layered illumination, refining ideas through camera and lighting tests to define a bespoke look for their Gotham.

They aimed for lighting that felt alive and volatile, leaning into unexpected choices. On many streets they killed the existing illumination to start from a blank slate, then built the frame with bold backlight, glowing smoke and haze, and a tapestry of neon and other practical sources wherever the image needed additional complexity.

Old sodium vapour lamps became favoured practicals for their distinctive quality and on-camera flare. As they couldn't be dimmed, the team kept multiple wattages on hand, physically swapping bulbs to dial in levels. A curated collection of neon and other practical fixtures was kept ready to drop into scenes to add yet another layer of visual interest.

The crew also broke from conventional night-exterior methods. Even where overhead rigs and large elevated sources might have been simpler, they often chose to light from ground level, forcing inventive placement and shaping to create depth. The goal wasn't the tidiest or most orthodox solution but something singular to Gotham's character.

Movement and texture were woven into seemingly simple setups. A lamp punching through a window might be modulated with fabrics, strips of gel, wind or rain to introduce subtle flicker and flow, ensuring the light never felt static or predictable.

Hardy's preference for tungsten strongly influenced the package. Workhorses included Wendy Lights in quarter, half and full configurations, alongside 20Ks, 10Ks and smaller tungsten units. Complementary options such as Vortex, Astera, Aputure and Nanlux fixtures provided additional versatility to tailor each scene's palette and dynamics.

Franklin highlights work on Liverpool's streets, where the team could fully layer sources and atmospherics, as well as a tunnel sequence that boldly alternates red and green flashes. Both exemplified the latitude the filmmakers enjoyed to push beyond safe choices.

Executing large-scale city lighting brought familiar hurdles: restricted access, road closures and tight prep windows. Equipment was often staged on adjacent streets and rolled into place mere hours before cameras turned. Power management proved critical, with multiple generators positioned to feed energy-hungry tungsten—particularly the Wendy Lights—while keeping pace with evolving setups.

Panalux's proximity and depth of inventory were crucial. The Manchester hub streamlined rapid turnarounds for Liverpool and other northern locations, with London backing up any additional or specialised needs. Long-standing relationships with both teams helped the production quickly source the right tools at the right time.

For Franklin, the defining quality of Clayface was the licence to experiment. With support from Watkins and the studio, he and Hardy continually resisted obvious answers in favour of bolder, more idiosyncratic solutions. The result, Franklin says, is a world that feels uniquely Gotham—charged with energy, layered with texture and unmistakably alive.

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