Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s ‘Hush’ cinematographer dies at 73

When Buffy the Vampire Slayer released, critics lavished it with praise, and it ended up as the only Emmy nominated episode of the show’s run.

The episode only had a total of 17 minutes of dialogue as the characters had their voices taken by the ghouls known as The Gentlemen. As a result, the entire episode had to tell its story with visuals.

Joss Whedon directed the episode, but the visuals were captured by acclaimed Buffy the Vampire Slayer cinematographer Michael Gershman — the man who received the Emmy nomination for outstanding cinematography for a single camera series (2000).

Michale Gershman has died at the age of 73. According to Variety, Gershman was found dead in his home on March 10, and there is no word on the cause of death.

Gershman worked extensively on Buffy the Vampire Slayer during its run. He directed his first episode of the show with “Passion” (S2E17). After that, he directed nine more episodes, finishing with “Dirty Girls” in season 7. IMDB lists him as the cinematographer on 82 episodes of the show.

When it comes to Hush, Gershman and Whedon crafted one of the best Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes in the show’s illustrious history. The episode approaches what happens to society when verbal communication breaks down, and the two put on a masterful show.

Outside of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gershman also worked on Crossing Jordan, directing 11 episodes and working the camera on 22 of them.

Next: Could a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot be in the works?

Before moving to television, he worked as a camera assistant on some huge films under cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. These movies included Oscar-winning film Deer Hunter, The River, The Blow Out and The Rose, as well as Heaven’s Gate, considered the biggest financial flop in movie history — but remains a beautifully shot picture regardless.