Elena was born in a small town in northern Italy, where her passion for the arts began at an early age. Enrolling at ESRA in Nice, France, she discovered her love for cinematography – and the role of the Director of Photography and the broader world of the lighting department.
Since then she has built a career, working as a Gaffer on projects such as the BAFTA-winning Channel 4 mini-series How to Be a Person (2023), the BAFTA-shortlisted short film Gorka (2024), and the feature film Footprints on Water. Her work also includes short films like Dangerous Romance and MARS, as well as music videos and adverts.
Hi Elena, jumping straight into it – what made you want to get into TV/Film lighting? And when did you realise you wanted to become a Gaffer?
The idea of working in the film/TV industry came to me during my psychology studies when I started watching films categorised by directors or by DoPs and I remember thinking that “some people must have made the film” that I was so fascinated by even if back then I didn’t have much of a clue how many people it would take or anything really about a film production at all. Lighting is what fascinated me most in figurative art, and photography brought me closer to appreciate it. In film university I think I was instinctively going in our kit room and setting up stands and lights and always offered to collaborate with my colleagues when they were working on their projects by being in the lighting dept. I remember one of my favourite workshops in university was creating lighting for B&W film.
Why does lighting interest you?
Light interests and fascinates me because in most of the art forms I have had experience with it’s relevant. In paintings, photography and then in filmmaking, lighting serves multiple purposes. At a basic level it gives vision, it allows you to see a subject or a space, then later it allows you to focus on something and understand it more deeply. It gives the subject meaning, the space a feeling or a mood, it opens a door to a metaphysical meaning and the abstract. I love that light is ambiguous, you can use it to say something or leave something unseen, it can leave a subject in the shadows or provide revelation of it. Light is colour, and colour always carries meaning – often deeply rooted in the cultural contexts we inherit. And finally light’s texture depending on its “source” can be hard, soft, direct, reflected, bounced, diffused, refracted, and so on. As an artist, I see light not only as a tool but as a language, one we all instinctively understand through our shared experience of the world and the cultural contexts that shape us.
What would you say has been your favourite project to work on so far?
On a technical level, working for Wise to create a commercial where every scene was meant to be in a totally different country – 10 scenes ranging from a carnival in Rio to a Hong Kong cafe to a Moroccan restaurant – all shot in a farmhouse in Tunbridge Wells on a stormy week.
On an emotional level, working recently on a lighting brand commercial with John Higgins (Biggles) and Rodney Charters – they say never meet your heroes but these guys just confirmed why they are heroes. Technical skills aside, they’re heroes because they are people who embody good communication skills and fantastic on set vibes.
What Astera products do you currently use the most on your projects?
Astera Titan and Helios tubes, NYX Bulbs and the Art7 with the App. I haven’t yet put my hands on the LunaBulbs but am really looking forward to it!
What made you choose Astera lights for your recent projects?
For recent projects I chose the Astera products because of the locations and rigging restrictions. The battery is very good, and I like the “hour” control system. I chose them when colours are also a consideration, and I like to use them when there are close ups that require some enhancement or eye light even by covering the tubes partially with black wrap or cloth – not to get a “cat eye” effect. I also chose them because I know them and I like the versatility of knowing I can quickly grab one and am ready to go.
What are your favourite features of these products?
The colour precision is impressive, the effects and customisation, the battery, the fact that they are easy to handle and take up little space and are self-contained. I like to use accessories with them and modifiers too.
Do you have any stories you can share about the use of our Astera products on a project, on any looks you wanted to achieve and how you achieved them?
I remember running around in a roller disco holding a tube whilst DoP Chris Dodds and the cast were rollerskating. I like using Astera tubes with modifiers like inflatable soft boxes or covering them up partially with black cloth.
Is there a key scene you can share with us where you used our products which you particularly loved the outcome?
There has been recently a scene which has been lit using only Titan Tubes and NYX Bulbs and every light was integrated in the set design. I always find the work of set designing extremely fascinating, so collaborating with them always intrigues me. We found light fixtures that were meant to contain fluorescent lights and would be the right size to fit Titan Tubes inside and the magic happened.
What trends do you see in lighting design?
There is definitely an LED Lighting dominance in the head choice, the use of large light sources, diffusers, and soft boxes, inflatable diffusers and modifiers. I also have noticed an increasing trend toward using practical lights which I appreciate a lot.
Do you have any advice for someone who wants to become a gaffer?
Don’t hesitate to offer your ideas, suggestions, or alternative approaches to your Director of Photography. Your input sometimes is exactly what’s needed for that scene or could even resolve a challenge in a way that hadn’t yet been envisioned. Often, the best creativity sparks emerge through open collaboration and exchange of fresh perspectives. Your insights, whether technical, artistic, or practical, could make the difference and bring the project to a new level. Equally as important is the value of kindness and consideration in your professional conduct. Sets are often intense and high-pressure environments, and a spirit of trust and collaboration make a set more cohesive and productive space.
A few of Elena’s projects she’s worked on as Gaffer.
- The 2023 BAFTA winning Channel 4 mini-series “How to be a Person”
- “Gorka” BAFTA shortlist for British short film 2024
- Feature film “Footprints on water” with DOP: Alagappan Narayanan
- Short film “Dangerous Romance” with DOP: Tristan Oliver
- Short film “MARS” with DOP: Ben Cotgrove
- Music Video “Restless” with DOP: Chris Dodds
- Commercial “Take on The World” x Wise with DOP: Natalja Safronova
- More recently finished working as Gaffer on a TV series “The Inside Man” season 6
Photo Credits:
Mel Brown (@melbrownstudios on IG)
Liam Keown
Inès Hachou