Manuel Billeter welcomed as new ASC member

The immersive communal experience of watching films in the cinema inspired Swiss-born Manuel Billeter ASC to pursue a career in cinematography, driven by his admiration for filmmakers such as Michelangelo Antonioni, Federico Fellini and Bernardo Bertolucci. He studied cinema at the Freie Universität Berlin and later attended the New York Film Academy.

Billeter launched his career in the editorial department, and one of his first projects was Alfonso Cuarón’s Y tu mamá también (2001), shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC. Studying the dailies gave Billeter insight into a unique creative relationship, a formative experience that he greatly values today.

Based in New York City, he worked as a camera assistant and then operator for cinematographers John Bailey, ASC, Lisa Rinzler and Benoît Debie, among others. He shot short films during this same period, and then began shooting episodes of Law & Order, Person of Interest and Orange Is the New Black.

He was named one of Variety’s 10 Cinematographers to Watch in 2016.

When Billeter was offered the show Jessica Jones, he was initially hesitant about the superhero aspect of the the Marvel-Netflix series, but quickly won over by the engaging humanistic approach in the pilot script. “I was hooked,” he says. “And after shooting the first season, I was so honoured to be asked to stay on that journey and embark on Luke Cage.“ His success then led to shooting episodes of the related series Iron Fist and The Punisher.

“Each series I’ve shot in this universe requires a distinct psychological approach,” he told AC in April 2017. “To create a unique world for each lead character, I need to embark on each series with a fresh notion. Iron Fist has a more ethereal quality, so I tried to incorporate more elements pertaining to air: atmospheric elements, hues of blue and a more floating camera. However, since these characters all inhabit the same universe, in a very grounded-in-reality New York, there had to be some overlap. The shows share this ‘chiseled,’ cinematic feel. While the neighborhoods, stories and settings change, there is one constant element: nightfall. Except for small adjustments, my approach to night work has probably been, stylistically, the most identifiable common denominator for all of the shows.”

His series credits also include Inventing Anna, Ozark, And Just Like That…, The Affair and The Gilded Age.

Billeter made his feature-cinematography debut on Susanna Fogel’s Cat Person, which premiered at Sundance in 2023.

Most recently, he shot the Apple TV Plus limited series Before, which will premiere Oct. 25.