The Space, run by Wayne Imms, is a platform in Brighton where notable figures in the arts are interviewed. This month at 88 London Road, special effects wizard Paul Franklin is in conversation about his work behind the scenes in many blockbuster movies.

SOME names remain in the shadows even if they have played a crucial role in bringing your favourite films to life.

Paul Franklin, a visual effects supervisor, has been involved with Harry Potter films The Order of the Phoenix and The Half-Blood Prince, as well as Batman Begins and follow-ups The Dark Knight and Dark Knight Rises.

His computer wizardry and free-thinking concepts have brought these blockbusters to life – but it still comes down to the script.

Franklin tells The Guide: “If the script is not very good to start with, it’s not going to be a great film. If you’re lucky it’s the combination of that and the opportunity to do something innovative and new.”

Known for his long-running working relationship with director Christopher Nolan, Franklin’s personal favourite films are Inception and Interstellar – both flicks that stretched his skills.

He says: “Chris is always looking for us to push the envelope and do things people haven’t seen before.

“He asked me, ‘What would time look like if it was a physical dimension?’ It took me about a year to work that out. ‘I have no idea what that looks like,’ was my initial response. ‘We are going to go somewhere very interesting and creative.’”

Franklin says Nolan pushed him not just technically but also in terms of how deeply he thinks about concepts. “When we were making Inception, we were very aware of the references feeding into it, but we were turning it into our own.

“If it’s doing something new and interesting I don’t get swept up in the technical aspects. A lot of people get carried away with the technology. Jurassic Park, for instance, still holds up really well. Steven Spielberg [director] made a film that stands the test of time.

“When I went to see Jurassic Park, I was only going for professional reasons, but once that sequence with the T-Rex got going I completely forgot what I was supposed to be doing. I had to go back four times to watch that film and work out what was going on.”

Born in Cheshire, Franklin studied in Bournemouth and got his big break in visual effects with sci-fi thriller Pitch Black in 2000 – one of the first films to feature actor Vin Diesel.

Franklin says, “It was my first feature film and a great bunch of people to work with. We had to invent the techniques that made the monsters.

“The question is not, ‘How are we going to realise this?’ but, ‘What are the right things to put in in the first place?’ If you let the technology lead, you forget about the story. If the audience is spending all its time marvelling over how we did something, you have lost the battle. You want them not to realise we have done anything in the first place.

“If you’re flying into a black hole, like on Interstellar, you want to create a seamless reality so the audience can get really immersed in the film.”

But Franklin sees himself as a bit of a traditionalist.

He says, “My favourite films are all 1940s. They are stuffed full of visual effects but they are 1940s effects. Back in the 1970s you would see lots of gimmicks that have very quickly dated. There is a temptation to use this fantastic new technique, but if you’re not proceeding with how it supports the story you will get found out quite quickly.”

Having picked up numerous awards for his work, the 50-year-old now lives in London. Franklin returns to The Space after appearing before with Mark Gatiss – the actor with whom he worked on the TV series League Of Gentleman. He says: “I always get really amazing questions.”

And Franklin has a message for the next generation of special effects wizards.

“The technology is very important and I owe my career to computer graphics. Over the years I have done very well, but it’s important not to let that define you as a visual artist. I have met people at the top of their game who defined themselves through their software. These things are all transitory – they are not going to be there forever.”

“One of the things I get a bit depressed about is the young men who get excited about space ships, monsters, rockets, etc, and they are drawing on the last Marvel film they saw.

“The key thing to remember is it’s about creativity, being able to visualise something and use the tools to bring it to the screen.”

The Space 88 London Road, Brighton, Thursday, September 27, 8pm, £15, thespace.uk.com