Stanley Kubrick's street photographer sensibilities helped define his signature look. Julian Schnabel's sensational transition from painter to filmmaker shows how abstract artistic sensibilities translate into brilliant, unconventional storytelling. Now, Loic Zimmermann, a French filmmaker and visual artist based in Los Angeles, carries the dialogue between the visual arts into the digital age with A Solitary Mann.
Zimmermann's 40-minute short documentary is a compelling portrait of San Francisco-based master painter Jeremy Mann, who is known for his distinctive work on panels using unconventional techniques including staining surfaces, wiping away paint with solvents, and applying broad, gritty marks with an ink brayer. A Solitary Mann was an official selection at many film festivals worldwide in 2015, garnering a Best Documentary Feature nod from the Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival.
Through his cin ma v rit approach, Zimmermann demonstrated his subject's aesthetic to adapt the visuals to this different medium. How he realized this ambitious aim shows the power and possibilities of today's 4K production tools. Principal photography was done with Sony's FS700 camcorder capturing to a Convergent Design Odyssey7Q recorder in Apple ProRes 4:2:2 10-bit 4K at 24fps.
Mann is a true artist, said Zimmermann. We share a lot of experiences and tools. Black is a major component for him. Deep blacks, rich greys, too. Matching his palette required working with fully gradable footage, real control on (color) curves, real S-log. I needed the capabilities, the look, of working in film but without the burden.
On A Solitary Mann, Zimmermann was the director, cinematographer, editor and colorist, in addition to doing effects and title design for the documentary. Though relatively new to the director's chair, he is well-established in Hollywood as a visual effects/design artist. His recent credits include the hit movie spectaculars Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man and Captain America: Civil War.
Zimmerman has applied his extensive background in illustrations, photography and 3D to his newfound love for filmmaking. Five years ago, he began to cut his teeth on video production with a DSLR shooting music videos. Then, after finishing his first documentary,Gamma Wray, he realized he needed new tools to move forward in his craft.
I decided to step up! he said. There are significant limitations to working with a DSLR, like rolling shutter. I wanted a proper video camera. The FS700 fit my needs for something compact and manageable but also shot in a 4K format that was truly gradable. All these elements converge in the Sony.
Zimmermann had two days to get up-to-speed with the FS700's capabilities, a crash-course to prep for the marathon filming sessions to come.
I had very little practice, but found the camera highly intuitive, said. The menu setup is straightforward. I put it through a full range of testing to see how the grading curves worked on highlights and high contrast shots. The camera's dynamic range really stood out in backlit shots. I have a background in post-production so I really focused in on highlights. In my testing, the amount of control I had over the image was amazing.
On Location, in the Belly of the Beast
Capturing the documentary's subject in his native environment meant working unobtrusively. The shooting schedule was simply to spend four days observing Mann around-the-clock at work in his home and studio outside of San Francisco. The FS700's relatively small size allowed Zimmermann to operate hand-held.
I was filming live, nothing rehearsed, he said. I knew the arc of the story and had the title, but nothing beyond that minimal framework. I needed the camera to be invisible, to not attract attention. I didn't want to set up on a tripod because then things take five times longer and the shots become static. I wanted to respect how he works. Sometimes, we didn't talk for hours.
The Sony's Super 35 native 4K sensor's low-light sensitivity and high dynamic range made it possible to shoot Mann's dark and shadowy painting sessions in existing light with only the occasional use of a light panel for fill. He settled on ISO 1600 for a texture to set the tone. The FS700's ND filter was essential for taking the story from dark sequences to bright sunlight.
The FS700 worked beautifully in low light, Zimmermann said. The grain looked great. Shooting candlelit models that fade into darkness, there's a lot going on. All of this information is in the footage. The ND filter brought out scenes that would have been washed out otherwise. I barely had to change the F stop.
The Proof is in the Post
The task of drawing his artistic concept from the footage frame-by-frame by applying his post production skills consumed months of Zimmermann's time. Using the FS700's S-log 2 gamma curve, he was able to capture the subtle intonations of Mann's paintings, painstakingly working and reworking light and shadow in post to the same effect.
One thing that soon became clear was how shooting in 4K was essential not just for the image quality but for how it enabled the run-and-gun shooting style. With no retakes or rehearsal, framing on-the-fly sometimes misses the marks.
4K is so valuable because it gives you room to crop corners, to reframe without sacrificing resolution for the HD final cut, Zimmermann said. It's an added layer of control over the image in post that was indispensable for creating the exact image I wanted in every scene.
Finally, after feedback from some trusted reviewers, it was time to show the cut to Mann. He posted it online for his review.
There were long hours waiting for his response; would he hate it? Zimmermann wondered. No one should be left wat
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Stanley Kubrick's street photographer sensibilities helped define his signature look. Julian Schnabel's sensational transition from painter to filmmaker shows how abstract artistic sensibilities translate into brilliant, unconventional storytelling. Now, Loic Zimmermann, a French filmmaker and visual artist based in Los Angeles, carries the dialogue between the visual arts into the digital age with A Solitary Mann. 
