An Exclusive Online Conversation with Cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, ASC, Exploring Visual Language, Collaboration, and the Craft Behind “Dust Bunny”
Join us for an in-depth Sight, Sound & Story episode on the craft of modern cinematography through the lens of “Dust Bunny.” Cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, ASC, will take us behind the scenes of the film’s visual language, breaking down creative choices and techniques used to shape tone, emotion, and narrative through image and light.
Moderated by Chad Anderson, the conversation will touch on collaboration with directors and crew, technical decision-making, and how cinematography shapes storytelling.
Moderator: Chad Anderson (Manhattan Edit Workshop & Brookdale Community College)
Panelists: Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, ASC (“Bad Sisters,” “One Piece,” “Lioness”)
When: Thursday, March 12th, 2026
Time: 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT
General Admission: FREE!
All attendees who register for this event will receive a link and password before the start of the event. This will gain free access for attendees. This will also give free replays for 48 hours.
By signing up for the event, all attendees agree to receive promotional emails from Manhattan Edit Workshop.
Emmy-nominated cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, ASC, works across all mediums, from fiction and nonfiction to television and commercials.
Most recently, she shot “Dust Bunny,” an American horror thriller produced, written, and directed by Bryan Fuller and starring Mads Mikkelsen, Sigourney Weaver, and David Dastmalchian. The film follows an eight-year-old girl who enlists her mysterious neighbor to help kill the monster under her bed that devoured her family. Whitaker’s work on the film earned her a Best Cinematography nomination at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Before this, Hirsch Whitaker created the look and lensed the first two episodes of Netflix’s hit live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s beloved manga series “One Piece,” alongside director Marc Jobst; the highly anticipated series broke records for Netflix, becoming the number one-ranked TV series in 84 countries worldwide.
In addition, Hirsch Whitaker contributed her skill set to Paramount+ and showrunner Taylor Sheridan’s “Special Ops: Lioness,” lensing episodes 5, 6, and 7 with directors Paul Cameron and John Hillcoat. Previously, she shot the first three episodes of Apple TV+’s dark-comedy series “Bad Sisters” alongside director Dearbhla Walsh and writer Sharon Horgan; in a previous collaboration with Walsh and Horgan, she shot the pilot for Starz’s “Shining Vale,” starring Courteney Cox, Mira Sorvino, and Greg Kinnear.
Hirsch Whitaker has also lensed episodes of Netflix’s “Jupiter’s Legacy,” conceptualized by Steven S. DeKnight; “On the Verge,” directed and written by Julie Delpy; Apple TV+’s “Truth Be Told,” starring Octavia Spencer, Aaron Paul, and Lizzy Caplan; “Perpetual Grace, LTD,” a neo-noir thriller series helmed by Steve Conrad and Bruce Terris; and Amazon’s critically acclaimed series “Patriot.”
Her collaborators include directors Academy Award winner Freida Mock; Academy Award nominees Brett Morgen, Richard Robbins, and Jessica Sanders; as well as Marshall Herskovitz, Wayne Kramer, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, and Jason Reitman.
Hirsch Whitaker began shooting second unit on critically acclaimed feature films, including the Golden Globe–nominated “Thank You for Smoking,” “Running Scared,” “Coach Carter,” and the Academy Award–nominated “The Cooler.” In addition, her documentary work on films such as “Girl Rising,” for which she was Emmy-nominated, and “Cobain: Montage of Heck “has earned recognition. She has also lensed commercial work for clients including Apple, Nike, Pepsi, Toyota, Target, Sony, and Honda.
A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Hirsch Whitaker began her career as a still photographer. Raised by parents who helped establish the Santa Monica Museum of Art, her lifelong immersion in the fine arts informs her unique eye, impressive taste, and drive to create.
Based in Los Angeles, she is represented by Worldwide Production Agency (WPA) and is an active member of the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, Local 600) and the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).
Chad Anderson is a college professor, animation geek, poet, video editor & skateboarder from the Jersey Shore. He has worked on a range of editing and visual FX projects for corporate, educational, broadcast, non-profit, and military organizations all over the country (and once in Korea). Previous clients have included E! Entertainment, “The Charlie Rose Show,” the WB, The Count Basie Theatre and a film that went straight to video with John Stamos in it. He holds a Master’s in Education from NJCU and has been teaching for over 18 years.