The 98th annual Academy Awards recently concluded, marking another year of cinematic excellence and celebrating the finest achievements in film. While public attention often gravitates toward Best Picture or acting categories, the visual artistry of cinematography stands as the bedrock of any compelling narrative, shaping mood, defining character, and immersing audiences in constructed realities. This year, the nominees for Best Cinematography showcased an extraordinary range of artistic vision and technical innovation, pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling. From the revival of classic film formats to groundbreaking digital camera developments and masterful lighting techniques, the nominated films offered a rich tapestry for enthusiasts and industry professionals alike to dissect and admire.
The Academy Awards, historically known for honoring both artistic merit and technical prowess, place significant emphasis on cinematography. This category recognizes the director of photography’s (DP) skill in creating the visual aesthetic of a film, encompassing everything from camera choice and lens selection to lighting design and composition. A cinematographer’s work is not merely about capturing images; it’s about translating a director’s vision into a coherent visual language that enhances the narrative and evokes specific emotional responses from the audience. The journey from script to screen is profoundly influenced by the DP’s choices, making their craft indispensable to cinematic magic.
The past year has been particularly notable for its exceptional visual storytelling, featuring films that leveraged cutting-edge technology alongside timeless techniques. As the awards season draws to a close, it provides a unique opportunity to explore the intricate gear and innovative approaches employed by the industry’s leading cinematographers to craft the memorable moments that graced our screens. This analysis delves into the technical blueprints behind some of the year’s most visually striking films, examining the cameras, lenses, and lighting philosophies that brought these cinematic masterpieces to life.
The Evolution of the Craft: A Brief Historical Context
Cinematography has undergone continuous evolution since the dawn of cinema. Early films relied on static cameras and available light, gradually progressing to more sophisticated techniques with the advent of artificial lighting, camera movement, and specialized lenses. The mid-20th century saw the rise of iconic cinematographers who defined visual styles, often experimenting with new film stocks and optical illusions. The transition from photochemical film to digital cinematography in the late 20th and early 21st centuries marked a paradigm shift, offering DPs unprecedented flexibility in terms of light sensitivity, dynamic range, and post-production control. However, as this year’s nominees demonstrate, the industry continues to embrace both the cutting edge of digital and the cherished aesthetics of traditional film, often blending them to achieve unique visual textures.
The selection of films this year highlights a fascinating dialogue between tradition and innovation. While some cinematographers opted for large-format digital cameras to capture stunning detail and immersive landscapes, others deliberately chose analog film — from 35mm to the rare VistaVision — to evoke specific nostalgic tones or gritty realism. This diversity underscores a vibrant period in cinematography where technical choices are increasingly driven by artistic intent, allowing DPs to meticulously craft every frame to serve the narrative.
Unpacking the Visual Language: Nominees and Their Gear
Bugonia: Distorted Realities and Psychological Landscapes
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos | Cinematographer: Robbie Ryan
Cameras Used: Vistavision Wilcam W-11 & ARRIFLEX 435 & 435 HS
Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia continues his distinctive collaborative journey with cinematographer Robbie Ryan, known for their visually arresting work on films like Poor Things and The Favourite. In Bugonia, Ryan employs a visual language that masterfully mirrors the film’s themes of obsession, paranoia, and psychological unease. The choice to utilize extreme wide-angle and fisheye lenses is not merely an aesthetic flourish but a deliberate narrative tool, creating a distorted, claustrophobic sense of reality that keeps the audience off-balance. This approach, which has become a hallmark of Lanthimos’s style, expertly blurs the lines between objective reality and subjective perception, drawing viewers into the characters’ fragmented states of mind.
The use of the Vistavision Wilcam W-11, a large-format film camera, alongside the ARRIFLEX 435 and 435 HS, classic 35mm cameras, suggests a deliberate choice for specific textures and resolutions. VistaVision, known for its horizontal 8-perf 35mm frame, offers a larger negative area compared to standard 35mm, resulting in finer grain, greater detail, and improved image quality. This could have been employed for sequences requiring exceptional clarity or a particular vintage feel, while the ARRIFLEX cameras, renowned for their reliability and versatility in studio and location shooting, would have provided the flexibility needed for dynamic camera movements and handheld work. The combination of these formats, coupled with Ryan’s bold lens choices, results in an expert level of filmmaking that makes audiences question their own reality in a fun and quirky, yet deeply unsettling, way. The cinematography becomes an active participant in the narrative, enhancing the film’s surreal atmosphere and thematic depth.
F1: High-Octane Innovation in Action Cinematography
Director: Joseph Kosinski | Cinematographer: Claudio Miranda
Cameras Used: Sony Venice 2, Carmen (Custom Prototype), DJI Ronin 4D
F1 represents a monumental leap forward in practical action filmmaking, spearheaded by Oscar-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda, who previously redefined aerial combat cinematography in Top Gun: Maverick. For F1, the production tackled the formidable challenge of capturing authentic, high-speed racing sequences by mounting real cameras onto custom-modified Formula 2 cars, driven by stars Brad Pitt and Damson Idris at speeds exceeding 150 mph. This commitment to practical effects over CGI necessitated groundbreaking technological solutions.
To achieve this without compromising the car’s aerodynamics or the driver’s visibility, Miranda collaborated closely with Sony to develop "Carmen"—a bespoke, miniaturized 6K sensor-on-a-stick prototype. This innovative camera, approximately a quarter of the size of a standard cinema camera, allowed for unprecedented placement directly within and around the racing vehicles. The primary camera for other sequences, the Sony Venice 2, known for its exceptional image quality, full-frame sensor, and high dynamic range, provided a solid foundation for the film’s visual fidelity. Additionally, the DJI Ronin 4D, an integrated cinema camera and 4-axis gimbal system, likely offered unparalleled stability and dynamic movement capabilities, particularly for complex tracking shots or scenes requiring intricate camera choreography.
These high-tech rigs were strategically distributed across the car’s "halo" (the protective structure above the cockpit) and chassis, providing up to seven simultaneous angles. Crucially, these cameras featured full remote-controlled pan and tilt functionality, allowing the camera team to adjust framing and capture dynamic perspectives even as the cars hurtled down the track. The result is spectacular, immersive cinematography that places the audience directly in the heart of the action, offering a visceral and authentic experience unlike anything seen before in racing films. Miranda’s work on F1 not only sets a new benchmark for practical action filmmaking but also demonstrates the profound impact of tailored technological innovation in achieving audacious cinematic visions.
Hamnet: Intimacy Through the Ghost Camera
Director: Chloé Zhao | Cinematographer: Lukasz Zal
Cameras Used: ARRI Alexa 35
Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet features a strikingly intimate visual language, masterfully crafted by cinematographer Lukasz Zal, renowned for his Academy Award-nominated work on Ida and Cold War. Zal’s approach to Hamnet embraces a "ghost camera" perspective—an observational, drifting lens that has been described as "death’s point of view." This unique visual strategy imbues the film with a quiet, non-judgmental weight, allowing the audience to witness events unfold with a sense of poignant detachment, as if observing spirits moving through historical spaces.
The film was shot on the ARRI Alexa 35, a camera celebrated for its exceptional image quality, natural color rendition, and impressive dynamic range. The Alexa 35’s ability to capture subtle nuances in light and shadow would have been crucial for Zal’s observational style, allowing for a delicate interplay of natural light that enhances the film’s period setting and emotional depth. The camera’s compact size and robust performance also offer flexibility for the kind of fluid, unobtrusive camera movements required for a "drifting" perspective. Zal’s artistry lies in making the technical disappear, allowing the emotional core of the story to emerge through a seemingly invisible, yet profoundly impactful, lens. The intimacy achieved by this cinematography invites viewers into the characters’ inner worlds without ever feeling intrusive, creating a deeply reflective and moving experience.
Frankenstein: Gothic Grandeur in Large Format
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Cinematographer: Dan Laustsen
Cameras Used: ARRI Alexa 65
In Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, cinematographer Dan Laustsen—a frequent collaborator known for their work on The Shape of Water and Nightmare Alley—employs a sweeping, large-format visual style to modernize the gothic horror aesthetic. The film was shot entirely on the ARRI ALEXA 65, a premium large-format digital camera known for its immense sensor size and ability to capture extraordinary detail and a shallow depth of field, which contributes to a highly immersive and cinematic look. Paired with Leitz THALIA 65 lenses, renowned for their optical quality and ability to render natural, pleasing skin tones, the ALEXA 65 provided the canvas for Laustsen’s ambitious vision.
A notable aspect of Laustsen’s strategy was the heavy reliance on a 24mm wide-angle lens for nearly 90% of the shots. This choice, while seemingly counterintuitive for maintaining focus on specific subjects, allows for expansive compositions that emphasize the oppressive environments and the scale of the gothic world del Toro creates. To temper the inherent digital sharpness of the ALEXA 65 and achieve a more organic, film-like texture, Laustsen utilized custom Black Pro-Mist diffusion filters. These filters, placed behind the lens, soften highlights and add a subtle halation without sacrificing contrast, effectively "burning out" bright areas while meticulously preserving the deep, rich blacks essential to the film’s moody and atmospheric horror. This high-contrast approach, combined with the large format’s immersive qualities, creates a visually stunning and emotionally resonant modern gothic masterpiece.
Marty Supreme: The Painterly Texture of 35mm
Director: Josh Safdie | Cinematographer: Darius Khondji
Cameras Used: Arricam LT, ST, SR, Bolex
In Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, cinematographer Darius Khondji, known for his distinctive work on films like Se7en and Evita, deliberately disregards modern digital aesthetics in favor of a richly textured, "painterly" 35mm film look. This choice signals a commitment to a classic cinematic feel, valuing the organic imperfections and unique color rendition of photochemical film. The film was primarily shot on Arricam LT and ST cameras, workhorses of 35mm filmmaking, using Kodak Vision3 500T film stock. Vision3 500T is a high-speed tungsten-balanced film known for its fine grain, wide dynamic range, and excellent color reproduction, making it ideal for capturing nuanced textures and rich shadows, especially in low-light conditions.
Further enhancing this vintage aesthetic, the production utilized vintage Panavision B and C Series anamorphic lenses. Anamorphic lenses compress a widescreen image onto a standard film frame, which is then de-squeezed during projection, creating the characteristic oval bokeh, subtle distortions, and distinctive lens flares that are beloved by cinephiles. Khondji’s visual strategy centers on tight telephoto shots, employing exceptionally long lenses (up to 360mm) to capture suffocating, expressive close-ups of Timothée Chalamet’s character, Marty. This telephoto approach creates an extremely shallow depth of field, isolating Marty from his environment and making him appear "larger than life" while simultaneously simulating the observational, almost voyeuristic feel of his challenges in the high-stakes world of table tennis. The combination of 35mm film, vintage anamorphic glass, and Khondji’s precise framing creates a visually arresting and emotionally intense experience, immersing the audience in Marty’s isolated yet magnified reality.
One Battle After Another: Revisiting the Gritty ’70s Through VistaVision
Director: [Implied] | Cinematographer: [Implied]
Cameras Used: Beaumont Vistavision, Panavision Millennium XL2
A standout on this list, One Battle After Another revives the venerable VistaVision format to capture a gritty, 1970s-inspired political thriller. VistaVision, a high-resolution, widescreen variant of the 35mm motion picture film format, runs film horizontally through the camera, exposing an image area approximately 2.5 times larger than standard 35mm. This large negative spacing, coupled with a 1.50:1 aspect ratio, was directly inspired by classic 1970s cinema, most notably William Friedkin’s The French Connection, known for its raw, documentary-like aesthetic. The choice of VistaVision immediately signals a commitment to a rich, detailed, and subtly nostalgic visual texture that digital formats, despite their advancements, often struggle to perfectly replicate.
To achieve a specific optical texture reminiscent of the era, Panavision’s legendary optical designer Dan Sasaki developed a custom set of prototype spherical lenses, dubbed "GWs." These lenses were meticulously engineered to emulate the optical characteristics of the glass used by legendary cinematographer Gordon Willis (known as "The Prince of Darkness" for his groundbreaking work on The Godfather Part II and All the President’s Men). Willis’s style was characterized by deep shadows, naturalistic lighting, and a distinct sharpness that never felt harsh. The "GW" lenses likely aimed to reproduce this unique blend of crispness and cinematic warmth, complete with subtle imperfections that add character rather than detract from the image.
The film’s visual narrative highlights detailed California landscapes, captured with a clarity afforded by VistaVision, juxtaposed with suffocating, long-lens close-ups that echo the intrusive, observational style prevalent in 1970s thrillers. The Panavision Millennium XL2, a modern 35mm camera, would have been used for sequences where the bulk and specific requirements of the VistaVision camera were impractical, ensuring continuity in the overall filmic look. One Battle After Another succeeds in making you feel like you’re watching a modern masterpiece that simultaneously feels like a classic from the ’70s or ’80s, a testament to its precise historical emulation and masterful cinematography.
Train Dreams: Photographic Memory and Natural Light
Director: [Implied] | Cinematographer: Adolpho Veloso
Cameras Used: ARRI Alexa 35
In Train Dreams, cinematographer Adolpho Veloso crafts a visual language deeply rooted in the concept of "photographic memory." This is achieved, in part, by utilizing a rare 3:2 aspect ratio, specifically chosen to evoke the feel of vintage still portraits from the early 20th century. This unique framing, wider than traditional 4:3 but squarer than modern widescreen, subtly harks back to early photographic plates and film formats, lending an immediate sense of history and introspection to the narrative.
The film was shot digitally on the ARRI Alexa 35, a camera praised for its exceptional low-light performance and ability to render naturalistic colors and skin tones. Veloso leveraged these capabilities by almost exclusively using natural light, complemented by real campfires and candles as practical light sources. This deliberate choice imbues the film with a textured, organic, and incredibly authentic feel. The Alexa 35’s high dynamic range ensures that even in challenging, low-light conditions, shadow detail is preserved while highlights roll off gracefully, mimicking the nuanced response of film. The combination of the specific aspect ratio, reliance on natural light, and the Alexa 35’s digital prowess creates a visual poetry that feels both intimately personal and historically resonant, drawing the audience into a deeply contemplative and visually unique world.
Sentimental Value: A Dual-Format Journey Through Memory
Director: Joachim Trier | Cinematographer: Kasper Tuxen
Cameras Used: ARRICAM Lt 35mm
Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value (2025) showcases cinematographer Kasper Tuxen’s ingenious dual-format visual strategy, which expertly navigates the film’s complex themes of memory, family, and reconciliation. The primary narrative, unfolding in the present, is captured on 35mm Kodak film using the ARRICAM LT, a lightweight and quiet 35mm camera favored for its versatility and reliability. Paired with Cooke 5/i lenses, known for their warm, naturalistic rendering and beautiful out-of-focus areas (bokeh), this choice imbues the contemporary scenes with a classic, rich, and emotionally resonant filmic quality. The decision to shoot on 35mm Kodak film further emphasizes a commitment to a timeless aesthetic, allowing for a depth of color and texture that enhances the film’s emotional weight.
Crucially, to distinguish the film-within-a-film sequences and historical flashbacks, the production made a deliberate shift to 16mm film and employed a bleach bypass processing technique. 16mm film inherently possesses a coarser grain structure and a distinct visual texture compared to 35mm, immediately signaling a change in temporal and narrative context. Bleach bypass, a photochemical process that retains silver in the emulsion along with color dyes, results in a desaturated, high-contrast, and often grittier image. This technique gives the flashbacks a "crustier," older, and more archival look, effectively symbolizing the fading and distorting nature of memory itself. Tuxen’s masterful use of these distinct formats and processing methods is not just a technical exercise but a powerful storytelling device, allowing the audience to visually differentiate between layers of reality and memory, enhancing the film’s thematic depth and emotional impact.
Secret Agent: Vibrant Oppression in 1970s Brazil
Director: [Implied] | Cinematographer: Evgenia Alexandrova
Cameras Used: ARRI Alexa 35
In The Secret Agent, cinematographer Evgenia Alexandrova employs a vibrant and often oversaturated palette to render the oppressive yet culturally rich atmosphere of 1970s Brazil. This bold use of color is a deliberate artistic choice, designed to visually articulate the tension between the country’s lively spirit and the political turmoil of the era. Shot primarily on the ARRI Alexa 35, the film benefits from the camera’s exceptional color science and dynamic range, which allow Alexandrova to push the boundaries of color grading without sacrificing detail. The Alexa 35’s ability to capture subtle color shifts and maintain fidelity in both highlights and shadows is crucial for such a visually ambitious project.
The camera was paired with vintage Panavision B Series anamorphic lenses, which contribute significantly to the film’s distinctive aesthetic. These lenses introduce characteristic anamorphic qualities such as oval bokeh, specific lens flares, and a widescreen aspect ratio that lends itself to expansive compositions. Alexandrova’s cinematography leans into a "360-degree" philosophy, utilizing wide shots that not only capture the historical textures of Recife and São Paulo but also emphasize the pervasive sense of surveillance and the claustrophobic nature of political unrest. Furthermore, the deliberate use of saturated primary colors and a distinctive reddish undertone in the shadows creates a "woozy," nostalgic heat, enveloping the audience in the humid, politically charged environment of 1970s Brazil. This vibrant yet unsettling visual style effectively immerses viewers in the film’s historical context, using color and composition to evoke both beauty and tension.
Sinners: Towering Dread in IMAX Large Format
Director: Ryan Coogler | Cinematographer: Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Cameras Used: IMAX MSM 9802, MKIV, Panavision System 65
In Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw crafts a gothic aesthetic that expertly anchors supernatural horror in a tangible, historical reality of the early 1900s South. This visually ambitious film was shot entirely on IMAX-certified digital cameras, likely including the IMAX MSM 9802 and MKIV, alongside the Panavision System 65. The use of IMAX cameras, known for their massive sensor size and unparalleled resolution, allows for an ultra-wide 1.43:1 aspect ratio during its most sequence-heavy moments. This expansive canvas fills the viewer’s peripheral vision, creating an overwhelming sense of "towering dread" that is particularly effective in evoking the oppressive atmosphere of the period and the supernatural threats lurking within it.
The large-format cameras were complemented by custom-tuned Panavision Specho spherical lenses. While IMAX is often associated with technical grandeur, Arkapaw’s lighting strategy is rooted in a "true black" philosophy, starkly avoiding the "Hollywood blue" of typical night scenes. Instead, characters are frequently silhouetted against flickering firelight or the harsh, singular glare of period-accurate lanterns. This high-contrast approach creates an effect that visually separates the twin protagonists from the encroaching shadows that seemingly house the film’s monstrous threats. The deep, rich blacks and limited light sources create an inherent uneasiness that permeates the entire film. This stark contrast between subjects and their scenes, combined with the immersive scale of IMAX, elevates Sinners beyond conventional horror, making the visual experience a crucial component of its terrifying and atmospheric narrative.
Overarching Trends and Future Implications
The cinematography showcased at the 98th Academy Awards reveals several compelling trends shaping contemporary filmmaking. Firstly, the resurgence and innovative use of film formats, from 35mm to VistaVision, demonstrate a continued appreciation for analog aesthetics, often employed to evoke specific historical periods or emotional textures. This is not a rejection of digital but rather a conscious choice to select the medium that best serves the narrative’s visual requirements.
Secondly, digital cinematography continues its rapid evolution, with cameras like the ARRI Alexa 35 and Sony Venice 2 providing unparalleled flexibility in low light, dynamic range, and color science. The development of bespoke solutions, such as Sony’s "Carmen" prototype for F1, highlights an industry-wide commitment to pushing technical boundaries to achieve previously impossible shots. Large-format digital cinematography, exemplified by the ARRI Alexa 65 and IMAX systems, is becoming increasingly prevalent, offering immersive detail and a grander cinematic scale, particularly for spectacles and high-concept dramas.
Furthermore, cinematographers are increasingly using lens choices—be it vintage anamorphic glass, custom-designed spherical lenses, or extreme wide-angles—as potent storytelling tools. The meticulous selection of glass, often combined with diffusion filters or specific processing techniques (like bleach bypass), allows DPs to fine-tune the emotional resonance and visual texture of every frame, connecting deeply with the film’s thematic core.
These innovations and artistic choices have broader implications for the film industry. They inspire future generations of filmmakers to experiment with technology and technique, encouraging a dynamic interplay between artistic vision and engineering ingenuity. The pursuit of authenticity, whether through practical effects, historical film emulation, or groundbreaking camera development, continues to drive the craft forward, ensuring that cinematography remains at the forefront of cinematic artistry.
In conclusion, the 98th Academy Awards celebrated a year of extraordinary visual storytelling, where cinematographers deftly wielded an impressive arsenal of tools and techniques. From the psychological distortions of Bugonia to the high-speed realism of F1, and the gothic grandeur of Frankenstein to the intimate memoryscapes of Train Dreams, each nominated film presented a unique masterclass in the art of light and lens. These visual achievements not only captivated audiences but also reaffirmed the indispensable role of cinematography in shaping the emotional landscape and narrative depth of our most cherished cinematic experiences. The dedication to craft, coupled with relentless innovation, ensures that the future of visual storytelling remains as bright and diverse as the films we celebrate.
Sources: American Cinematographer, Letiz-Cine, MotionPictures.org, Kodak, IndieWire, Wikipedia, Lensrentals, Panavision, ARRI Rental, YMCinema, ShotOnWhat.
