Lighting Masters of the Universe

DOP Fabian Wagner, ASC, BSC & gaffer Jonny Franklin reflect on crafting the visual world of He-Man’s latest adventure

Words Nicola Foley

Released in theatres this summer, Masters of the Universe brings He-Man back to the big screen in a live-action take on the classic eighties franchise. Directed by Travis Knight, the film follows Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) as he returns to Eternia after years on Earth, embracing his destiny as He-Man to take on Skeletor (Jared Leto) in an epic showdown. In a world that is bold, colourful and mythic, DOP Fabian Wagner, ASC, BSC wanted to make sure the visuals stayed grounded with real texture and weight.

“The look of the film is built around strong silhouettes, dramatic light and a sense of scale, while always keeping the characters at the centre,” he begins. “For me, the most important thing was to create a difference between the world Adam grows up in – our world – and his home planet.”

Wagner and gaffer Jonny Franklin took inspiration from the original source material when cooking up the film’s look, scouring cartoons and classic comics so they could capture the essence of the iconic visuals, with a view to reinterpreting them afresh for modern audiences. From there, they developed their own ‘Masters of the Universe visual bible’, which all departments referred to during production.

When it came to the lighting, “everything started with the story,” says Franklin. “Before we thought about fixtures or tech, we focused on what each scene needed to communicate emotionally.

“We also established colour palettes for every world and major environment, giving each location its own identity while maintaining a consistent visual language across the entire film,” he continues. “As gaffer, my role was to translate Fabian’s creative vision into practical lighting solutions, making sure the visual principles stayed consistent throughout what was a very ambitious production.”

Shooting big action sequences and long dialogue scenes on a backlot in London (principal photography took place at Sky Studios Elstree) caused a few difficulties in terms of controlling the light for long periods, as did maintaining consistency across the practical sets, green-screen stages and location work. But the main obstacle to overcome was the sheer scale of the operation, and how to balance that with the level of control they needed.

“We were creating a world that should feel huge and fantastical, but the lighting needed to feel motivated and emotionally connected to the characters,” explains Wagner. “A lot of the work was about making complex environments feel natural, tactile and believable, rather than seeming overly polished or artificial.”

“From a lighting perspective, flexibility became one of the biggest priorities,” adds Franklin. “Many action scenes involved multiple stunt wires, so we designed overhead lighting rigs that accommodated the stunt department while still giving us the quality of light we wanted. We also knew scenes could quickly evolve into 360° shooting environments, so our rigs had to be adaptable enough to give the camera complete freedom without constantly rebuilding the lighting.”

Aputure’s STORM fixtures were an essential piece of the puzzle, with different fixtures fulfilling different roles throughout production. The STORM 80c became Franklin’s go-to eye light, with a couple permanently on standby mounted to boom poles, ready to be brought in at a moment’s notice for close-ups or to “add that final bit of life to an actor’s eyes,” says Franklin. “Their compact size also made them invaluable for hiding in tight spaces or integrating into sets where larger fixtures simply weren’t practical.”

The STORM 1000c, meanwhile, provided the same colour quality on a much bigger scale, which proved ideal as a key light “when we wanted richer colour rendition while maintaining plenty of output. Both fixtures being built around the same colour science meant they integrated seamlessly into the wider lighting package,” he continues.

Aputure’s proprietary BLAIR light engine – particularly the indigo emitter – truly came into its own when capturing He-Man’s purple-cloaked arch-enemy. “During prep, Fabian and I spent a lot of time camera testing and developing a custom LUT that best represented the worlds, costumes and production design we had created. Everything was looking fantastic, but one colour proved difficult to reproduce accurately on camera: purple. That’s obviously quite important when your main villain is Skeletor!”

The STORM 80c and STORM 1000c handled the colours nicely, providing richer, cleaner colour reproduction and lending Skeletor’s famous costume the appropriate depth and vibrancy. “They’re also just really reliable fixtures,” sums up Franklin, “and on a production of this scale, having lights that could be deployed quickly while consistently producing beautiful colour made them
a valuable part of our workflow.”

The lighting strategy was wholly intertwined with the work of the other departments, according to Wagner. “The light had to bring out the scale and texture of the sets and costumes, while integrating naturally with the VFX. The strongest images came when all of those elements were designed together. Both Jonny and I know the importance of that, so we always work very closely with the other departments.”

“We collaborated with the art department from the earliest stages,” adds Franklin, “discussing where practical light sources could be incorporated into the sets to make the environments feel more believable and interesting. We were always looking for opportunities to introduce lighting as part of the production design rather than simply lighting around it. Alongside the props team, we also collaborated on designing and building practical light fixtures that became part of the world itself, whether that was bespoke fixtures within the sets or integrating lighting directly into the ships and vehicles. It was all about creating motivated sources that added depth and texture to the image.”

That collaboration continued throughout the shoot, with constant communication about every practical light that appeared on camera, how it would be controlled, dimmed, colour matched or programmed, so every visible source worked as part of the overall picture. They also worked with the costume department, incorporating practical lighting into outfits and creating lighting effects for weapons.

“My collaboration with the special effects team was equally important,” continues Franklin. “We were constantly discussing the placement of fires, explosions and atmospheric effects so they not only worked for the action but also enhanced our lighting and helped shape the mood of each scene.”

Both gaffer and cinematographer learned a lot on this ambitious shoot. For Franklin, the film “highlighted the importance of adaptability. Even with extensive planning, things change constantly, and having a crew that’s collaborative, creative and solution-focused makes all the difference. It also reinforced how valuable early testing has become. Time in prep developing camera tests, LUTs, palettes and visual references gave us a solid foundation.”

Wagner’s main takeaway was how much it reinforced the need for trust and communication for a successful dynamic between these two roles. “On a film of this scale, the gaffer has to understand not only how I want something to look, but why. And I want them to have a feeling for the look themselves. That allows us to solve problems quickly and adapt without losing the visual intention,” he concludes. “The best collaboration is when you’re constantly exchanging ideas and pushing each other towards a better image. I’ve done a few jobs with Jonny and he’s one of the best – at running his crew but also creatively. We spend a lot of time talking about both of our ideas and that makes for a great relationship.

“A lesson I’ll carry forward is how important it is to communicate, mainly for being able to stay flexible. Things are constantly evolving, but if the visual ideas are clear you can adapt quickly without losing the heart of what you’re trying to create. Oh… and don’t lose your sword!”

This article appears in the August/September 2026 issue of Definition