2025’s Greatest Series, Étoile, May Be Gone—But Its Visual Legacy Lives On. Cinematographer David Mullen dissects his favorite shot from the Emmy-nominated episode “The Swap,” and it’s a masterclass in red lights, smoke, and silhouette.
We won’t get into it again. But let’s be real: Étoile—the now-canceled Amazon Prime series and saddest loss of 2025—was a visual symphony of ballerina pirouettes and architectural grandeur.
Via our sources at The Hollywood Reporter, Mullen recalls one standout moment: a negotiation scene intercut with flash cuts of dancers leaping through a black box theater.
“We shot against a lot of smoke and colored lighting… each dance had a strong color scheme—red, yellow, orange—running through the rainbow to pop against the monochromatic restaurant scene,” Mullen shared.
To create a silhouette against a cloud of lit smoke, the effects team built a three-wall steam source. Mullen backlit the scene with ground and top lights, casting a red glare. A Panavision VA lens sealed the visual magic.
Canceled too soon. But crowned forever. Étoile remains one of 2025’s greatest series.
