Creating a Beloved Universe for One Piece.

This article focuses on the cinematographic approach to the live-action adaptation of the anime series One Piece, highlighting the collaboration between director Marc Jobst and director of photography Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, ASC. The production aimed to remain faithful to the source material by balancing the fantastical elements of the story with its emotional core, using innovative techniques such as custom-built MHX lenses by Vantage Film to achieve a distinctive visual style on Arri Alexa LF cameras. Filming took place in South Africa, where the crew combined intimate handheld camerawork with large-scale equipment to capture both character-driven moments and complex action sequences involving visual effects. The article emphasizes the creative flexibility and teamwork that enabled the adaptation to translate the anime's unique world into live action while maintaining a human scale.