Zenn van Zyl (Cinematographer)

Chris Lotz is unique in that he acts as Director and Cinematographer at the same time, which means that when he had a prior commitment to another shoot and needed to move on from our crew two thirds of the way through shooting Food Safari, he needed two people to replace him. Enter Zenn to take on the role of lead cinematographer, who I also met in Prince Albert, as he and our new Director, Riaan arrived on the same day.

Zenn had been carefully hand picked by Chris, and almost effortlessly grasped the concept and look and feel of our show. He’s highly respected in his field, having already won a SAFTA, and it’s easy to see why. He’s calm, cool under pressure, but he’s never not thinking. He’s never not composing and previewing the next shot in his mind’s eye, analsying the next angle, plotting the next sequence. It makes for smooth sailing, and that can’t be emphasised enough when you’re on a tight schedule, and under pressure to deliver the most beautiful shots you can, in the shortest space of time, and often in very unkind weather conditions.

As I’ve only worked with Chris in the past, it was really good for me to spread my wings and challenge myself, and approach things from a slightly different angle. I loved seeing the world through Zenn’s eyes and lens, and admire so much how he so expertly captures colour and light and movement in a way that makes them beautiful, gentle and strong all at the same time.

The guys at Gambit Films say it far better than I do…
“Zenn van Zyl is one of the most talented individuals we know. Period. The Young SAFTA winning Director of Photography is one of Gambit’s go-to cinematographers. With a unique approach to any shot, Zenn has a delicate eye for composition, lighting and movement. His impressive body of work has already earned him industry respect and his fantastic worth ethic, his brilliant understanding of the moving image and his never-ending quest to achieve nothing less than the perfect shot makes him any director’s dream to work with. There’s no doubt about it; Zenn is on his way to becoming one of the greats. It’s only a matter of time.” – Gambit Films

Photo’s from ‘Sarah Graham’s Food Safari’ by Ricardo de Leça.