Sandra Valde-Hansen, ASC, LPS Creates Southern Warmth in "Clean Slate" with Tiffen Antique Satin Filters
Sandra Valde-Hansen, ASC, LPS was approached to lens Amazon Prime’s "Clean Slate" (produced by legendary television creator Norman Lear), she knew the show’s look would be integral to balancing its sharp comedy and heartfelt themes. The series unfolds as a sincere but hilarious look into the relationship of an Alabama, old-school carwash owner and his trans daughter trying to reconnect and support each other.
Valde-Hansen ("The Summer I Turned Pretty", "XO Kitty", "The L Word: Generation Q") chose Tiffen Antique Satin Warm Diffusion filters coupled with Sony Venice and Atlas Orion lenses to craft the show’s warm, down-south vitality.
Finding the Right Look
Shot on location in Savannah, Georgia, "Clean Slate" stars Laverne Cox as Desiree returning home to rural Alabama after 20 years. Her return is not without missteps and surprises—especially for Harry (George Wallace) who had expected to be reunited with a long-lost son, rather than a daughter.
“Harry is caught off guard at first, but he proves that the love of a parent surpasses everything,” says Valde-Hansen.
“Clean Slate tells a universal story through a lens you don’t often see in media. It’s about family, identity, and finding your home, while still being laugh-out-loud funny.”
Creating Texture and Warmth
To help ground the comedy, the visual world of "Clean Slate" is layered with texture. Valde-Hansen and pilot director Nisha Ganatra set out to define a rich cinematic style that brings out the best in the quaint Savannah homes as well as the charm of major locations like Harry’s carwash. The cinematographer chose the Sony Venice with Atlas Orion lenses for an anamorphic aspect ratio that calls attention to the production design.
“The lenses are more on the warm side, and I wanted to add filtration that enhances that quality while taking off the digital edge. When I was introduced to Tiffen’s Antique Satin filters, I knew it was exactly what we’d envisioned for that texture.”
The Subtle Power of Antique Satin
Tiffen Antique Satin filters provide a subtle diffusion that maintains contrast and overall image sharpness while smoothing fine details like pores on the skin. “We were dealing with a large variety of skin tones on the show,
“Valde-Hansen explains, “and the filters were great at handling different complexions. They could hold onto overall warmth without pushing skin tones too far into the red.”
The Antique Satins are present throughout the series, dipping the story in hues of humidity, and bringing a special vibrance to some of the more stylized scenes.
Memorable Scenes
The cinematographer points to Episode 7’s vivacious “Fluidity Ball”—a queer Mardi Gras party staged in a local rave/concert venue. When one of the location’s wall projectors broke just days before the shoot, the production team had to pivot, leaning into practical lighting effects.
“We used a lot of colored lighting, and the Antique Satins made the magentas, blues, and yellows pop in this magical way, that I absolutely loved,” Valde-Hansen says. “It felt real, but also fun.”
Another standout sequence is Desiree’s unforgettable carwash baptism. After facing ever increasing obstacles from the pastor when she requests a new baptism, Desiree decides to circumvent the rigmarole of religious school and church institutional rules.
“Instead, she ends up having a baptism in Harry’s car wash,” says Valde-Hansen.
“I wanted to make this mundane car wash something truly spectacular. Like the fluidity ball, we introduced color light.”
Once again, the Antique Satins give the spectacle a colorful push that helps convey the exhalation of this sublime moment.
“The filters helped us bring beauty and meaning to a space that might otherwise feel mundane.”
Storytelling Through Filtration
For Valde-Hansen, filtration is never just a technical solution, but a creative extension of story and character.
“Filtration is another tool in my storytelling kit,” she says."Clean Slate" is available to watch now on Amazon Prime.
“I grew up in the south and understand what it’s like to live there—especially that hospitality and heat. We wanted to reflect that warmth on screen, and the Antique Satin filters provided exactly what I envisioned. With this combination of camera, lenses, and filtration, we could work quickly without ever compromising the look.”