Jonathan Spencer

Lighting

Jonathan Spencer is a British gaffer. He began his career in 1998 at BSkyB (British Sky Broadcasting), where he learned the fundamentals of lighting in a traditional television studio environment. After six years, in 2004, he turned freelance, working as an electrician and generator operator. It was through this period that he gained practical experience with a variety of lighting equipment and production environments, learning his trade from seasoned professionals around him. In 2010, Spencer made the transition into the role of gaffer. Since then, he has built a distinguished career across both television and feature films. His early major credits include working as an electrician on films such as Hugo (2011) and gaining increasing responsibility in projects like Mr. Holmes (2014) and The Sense of an Ending (2016). Over the following years, Spencer served as chief lighting technician or gaffer on a wide range of high-profile productions. His selected credits include Spectral (2016), Pete’s Dragon (2016), American Assassin (2017), Murder on the Orient Express (second unit, 2017), Johnny English Strikes Again (2018), the TV series Hard Sun (gaffer, six episodes in 2018), and Angel Has Fallen (2019). In 2019, he also worked on Waiting for the Barbarians (2019) as chief lighting technician, His House, and as gaffer for second unit on Spider‑Man: Far From Home (2019). In 2023, he contributed to major films including Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) and Napoleon (2023). Spencer was born in Norwich, Norfolk, and educated at Broadland High School and West Herts College. He is known for his passion for family, Chelsea FC, the gym, cooking, and life in general.