In Memoriam: Danny Franks

	Danny Franks

Danny Franks, a veteran lighting designer, who began his career during television's Golden Age, died from natural causes on July 13 at his home in New York, surrounded by his family. He was 96.

Born in 1923 in Mobile, Alabama, Franks grew up in Montgomery, where he developed the passion for photography, light, and color that became a driving force throughout his life and 50+-year career. Following his service in the Army Air Corps during WWII, he earned an MFA in theatre production at Carnegie Mellon, with the assistance of the GI Bill. He began his career teaching technical theatre production on the staff at Yale, yet seized the opportunity to join the burgeoning television industry, accepting a position at ABC in New York in 1950. Following 12 years as a staff lighting designer, he left ABC to embark on a 40+-year freelance career, creating the looks for hundreds of television projects worldwide, from comedies and dramas to Billy Graham Crusades and Olympic studio coverage to Broadway and other stage shows, reimagined and brought to television.

Franks' diverse credit list includes The Voice of Firestone, American Ballet Theatre, Live at Wolftrap, and Saturday Night Live, to name a few. He adapted many theatre productions for television, including Into the Woods, You Can't Take It with You, Hughie, June Moon, A Walk in the Woods, and Some Men Need Help.

Franks brought his personal aesthetic and love of film and photography to his work, sculpting with light, crafting cinematic, three-dimensional images in 2D on the small screen. This was unique when he began his career: a time when television lighting had traditionally been handled by engineers, simply looking to provide even, flat, illumination -- what he often referred to as "pancake" lighting.

As an artist with a discerning eye and extremely high standards, Franks was equally pragmatic, a master of simplicity and creating on his feet, believing strongly that less is more.

His son Michael commented, "My father's love of movies and the cinematic aesthetic drove his creative approach to early television lighting, which was in its infancy when he started working in 1950 at ABC. Lighting dramatic and variety shows that were broadcast live, Danny took risks and created looks that were unique. He established an aesthetic that would later become the norm in television lighting."

Franks was generous throughout his life -- with his time, his guidance, desire to improve things and create positive change, as well as his financial support to friends and family alike. He influenced many young lighting designers as well as his children, many of whom went into careers in television and film production. In retirement, he founded a scholarship at Carnegie Mellon to support students interested in studying lighting design for the stage and screen as a career.

Like many of his generation, Franks was not overly talkative nor one to complain, and often found a way to infuse humor or a show lyric or two into the conversation. He demonstrated an extraordinarily strong work ethic and an irrepressible drive to create, accomplish, and try new things. He exemplified dedication -- to his professional work, personal projects, as well as his large family and the many close friendships he cultivated.

Franks is survived by his wife of over 63 years, Ruth, his six children, eight grandchildren, one great-grandchild as well as the many lifelong friends and their families whom he also cherished.

Several industry members commented to LSA about Franks' passing:

Jules Fisher wrote, "His talent was a given. More importantly to me was that he was a gentleman, a sweet, kind, honest human with no malice. One of his long-term clients was Billy Graham. I am sure his gospel would not have been as successful world-wide without Danny's lighting. I will miss him and Ruth, his wife (this side of a saint) coming up the aisle at every show I did to give me insightful, perceptive notes on what he had just seen. He was always right."

The noted television lighting designer Bill Klages wrote, "Danny was an early star in the television lighting universe. Like many of the broadcast television lighting pioneers, Danny started working for a network (ABC in New York) in a staff position of lighting director. In the beginning, television lighting was dominated by the system's technical requirements, where the emphasis was on the quantity of the illumination. But that narrow requirement was changed and expanded due to talented lighting directors such as Danny Franks. They elevated the 'lighting man's' status to a higher level of importance, providing advanced aesthetic production values as well as the necessary functionality. This approach was to satisfy a demand to meet the perfection of the visual result exemplified by professional theater and, even more so, by feature film lighting.

"Early on, Danny recognized that the television production structure would change as the industry expanded beyond the limited broadcast networks. One direct result was the position of lighting designer supplanting the more limited lighting director. He was one of the first lighting designers to provide his services on a contract basis rather than working in a staff position.

"Danny Franks was a kind and thoughtful professional. He was interested in all aspects of the entertainment industry and had a deep knowledge of it. Danny set an inspiring example for all lighting designers, not only through the high quality of his work, but through his genuine support of others."

Steve Terry, director of standards and industry relations at ETC, commented, "Danny Franks was a customer at Production Arts [which Terry co-owned] for many years, but more than that, he was our good friend. He was a true mensch in every sense of the word, and someone I always enjoyed spending time with. He was one of the really important pioneers of TV lighting along with Bill Klages and Immie Fiorentino -- they were the people that literally figured out how to make good TV lighting happen starting in the 1950s.

"When we made the move into video lighting, Danny was right there to help with our equipment choices. And the Franks family was also firmly in our world -- his children David and Jessica came to work at Production Arts and became valued members of the team. He and Ruth parked their car in the same garage as me on the Upper West Side, so even after he stopped working, I would get to see the two of them for a warm chat on a regular basis. I will miss him a lot.

"May his memory be a blessing."

If so inclined, the family wishes memorial contributions be made in his honor to the Daniel P. Franks Scholarship Fund at Carnegie Mellon University. For more information, please visit: www.dannyfranks.net/scholarship.