Inside Étoile’s most striking scene: David Mullen on crafting a silhouette in scarlet haze

Étoile has no shortage of dazzling ballet sequences, but one moment in The Swap episode rises above the rest. Cinematographer David Mullen revealed how a single figure, swallowed by smoke and lit in blazing scarlet, became his most loved shot of the series.

The secret behind this scene? A blend of bold lighting choices, clever use of lenses, and a willingness to let the atmosphere around do the storytelling.

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How David Mullen built a shot in Étoile Episode 1 that looks like pure stage magic

When David Mullen spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, he didn't hold back about which specific scene from Étoile was his favorite. It wasn't one of the views of the Opéra Garnier or the detailed pas de deux, but a brief segment in The Swap.

He explained,

"The first one was described as a black box theater where the dancer is doing incredible leaps in the air, and that's all I had to work with..."

What seemed simple on paper became something unforgettable on screen. Mullen leaned heavily on colored light and dense smoke to create what he called,

"A silhouette against a cloud of lit smoke."

The production team built a three-wall steam source, and Mullen positioned lights both low and high so that the body of the dancer looked carved out by the red haze. He further noted,

"We shot against a lot of smoke and colored lighting... and because these dances that we see are so brief, each one would have a strong color scheme. So it'd be red, yellow, orange, and it went through the rainbow..."

The choice of equipment mattered here, too. Mullen used a Panavision VA lens, which helped capture the texture of smoke and the sharp edges of the dancer's figure without losing that dreamlike softness.

For Étoile, being immersed in Parisian grandness and backstage drama, this single image carried a raw, theatrical punch that fans won't forget.

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Why the “scarlet haze” became the heartbeat of “The Swap”

The Swap is the first episode in Étoile Season 1 but it is packed with tension. The initial focus of the episode lies in a heated lunch meeting between Jack McMillan and Geneviève Lavigne, as they bargain over which dancers will be exchanged between their troubled New York and Paris companies.

While the conversation boils with old rivalries and grudges, Mullen interrupts it with sudden flashes of dancers mid-performance.

Those cuts, including the scarlet silhouette, weren't just decoration. They mirrored the importance and the stakes of the discussion at the table. Each burst of color hinted at what was truly on the line with the bodies, talent, and artistry of the dancers themselves.

To this Mullen said,

"Because these dances that we see are so brief, each one would have a strong color scheme... so that they would pop in the middle of this restaurant scene, which was more monochromatic."

In contrast to the muted tones of the restaurant in Étoile, the blood-red haze felt like a heartbeat, pulsing through the episode. It symbolized both sacrifice and survival, tying directly to the looming question of whether either company could endure.

The visual rhythm made viewers feel that the art itself was fighting for its life, breaking through the dullness of negotiation with something urgent and alive.

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David Mullen's scarlet silhouette scene in Étoile is proof that sometimes the smallest shots leave the most significant marks.

By layering the smoke, color, and movement into a few unforgettable seconds, he captured the emotional core of an episode about loss, compromise, and fragile hope, and this is why it's his favorite!

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