Biography
While studying Fine Art at university, Paul Franklin was deeply involved in student theater design, filmmaking, and magazine design. He connected with a group of filmmakers, blending his passion for graphics and animation with moving images.
After graduating in 1989, he worked in videotape editing and video graphic design. In 1992, Franklin joined the innovative UK video game company Psygnosis as a computer artist, creating 3D animations for various gaming platforms, including the emerging PlayStation. During this time, he collaborated with independent filmmakers, producing graphics and effects for several short films. His work caught the attention of the Moving Picture Company, leading him to join their London team in 1994 as a CG animator, working on television commercials, films, and long-form broadcasts.
In 1998, Franklin and several colleagues left MPC to establish Double Negative Visual Effects (Dneg). He founded the company’s 3D department and oversaw CG animation for numerous feature films Dneg contributed to.
In 2003, Franklin served as Dneg’s VFX supervisor on Batman Begins, earning his first BAFTA nomination. He later supervised Dneg’s work on The Dark Knight, receiving both BAFTA and Oscar® nominations. In 2009, director Christopher Nolan appointed Franklin as overall VFX supervisor for Inception, a project that won him an Oscar®, along with BAFTA and VES awards. Franklin continued collaborating with Nolan as VFX supervisor for The Dark Knight Rises. In 2014, he led the visual effects for Nolan’s sci-fi epic Interstellar, securing his second Oscar® and another BAFTA.
Franklin held the role of Creative Director at DNEG for ten years, consulting on and supervising visual effects for projects including Venom (2018), Foundation (2021), and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2023).
In 2017, Paul Franklin made his directorial debut with the short film The Escape, featuring Julian Sands, Olivia Williams, and Art Malik. In 2022, he followed with the short film Fireworks, starring Charlotte Riley, Ivanno Jeremiah, and Denise Gough. Both films premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. In 2024, Franklin directed his first animated short, Dream of the Black Whales, produced by Chris DeFaria (Lego Movie, Gravity).
Also in 2024, Franklin joined the VFX studio beloFX as Creative Director.
13 wins and 14 nominations
