Stepping into the head position of a massive blockbuster lighting department is both a career watershed and a monumental logistical exercise. For gaffer Jonathan Spencer, taking the reins on Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks a triumphant progression in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Having previously served as second unit gaffer on 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spencer now steps up to helm the main unit lighting architecture alongside Director of Photography Brett Pawlak.
Spencer’s trajectory to this scale of production is rooted in an impressive, highly technical filmography. From managing complex historical lighting environments on Ridley Scott’s Napoleon to engineering vivid, high-output fantasy setups for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Spencer has honed an innate ability to balance grand physical scale with delicate visual nuance. On Brand New Day, that philosophy is put to the ultimate test across vast soundstages and demanding practical locations.
Illuminating the Web: Departmental Mechanics and Scale
Executing a visual strategy on a canvas this large requires an elite team of technicians working in total synchronization. The combined Grip & Electric department on the film swelled to a 32-person powerhouse, structured to tackle intense schedules and intricate visual effects requirements. Key Grip Steve Ellingworth anchored the rigging and support operations on main unit, while Michael Wacker spearheaded second unit grip duties, supported by Best Boy Grip Peter Hayley-Barker and B-camera grip Jack Mendo.
In modern superhero cinematography, interactive practical light isn't just an aesthetic choice, it's the glue that binds physical set craft to complex digital environments.
A central pillar of Spencer’s approach on the film is the hyper-detailed integration of practical lighting. Led by HOD Practical Electrician Josh White and practical supervisor Dean Hitchcock, alongside chargehand Chris Crook and electricians Luke Field, Richard Follett, and Callum Longstaff, the practical team worked to build illuminated elements directly into the frame. In an era dominated by blue and green screens, believable in-camera practical fixtures provide essential interactive spill that grounds CGI characters and suits in tangible reality.
Data Control and High-Speed Execution
Behind the scenes, modern gaffing is as much about data control as it is about physical fixtures. Console programmer Anton Christopher Sanders operated the lighting desk, running extensive sACN and DMX networks that allowed Spencer and DP Brett Pawlak to rapidly alter color temperatures, cue dynamic chases, and adjust output on the fly. This real-time flexibility is critical when pairing soft LED matrices with high-speed camera moves and heavy visual effects passes.
The rigging operation was equally expansive. Rigging supervisors Paul Holley, Mike King, and Ben Wilks overseen the heavy overhead truss work and advance pre-lights, while Daniel Filmer managed key rigging challenges on location in Scotland. Standby rigger Ken Walters provided agile on-set support, ensuring that continuous camera repositioning never stalled production momentum, while Karl Goff handled additional photography requirements.
With Jordan Spencer coordinating as floor best boy, the lighting department maintained seamless communication between the console, the riggers, and Pawlak’s camera team. The collaborative synergy between Pawlak’s kinetic camera language and Spencer’s sophisticated lighting design ensures that Spider-Man: Brand New Day delivers the tactile, immersive visual spectacle that modern cinema audiences demand.