Olivier Felix Isselin and Maxime Golay · CLIENT: MGOFI Production
Iconic Designs is a short format television series dedicated to the analysis of form. Each episode focuses on a single emblematic object, examining its origin, structure, and impact on everyday life. Through a controlled cinematic approach and minimalist staging, the series reveals design as a discipline of precision. By articulating historical context with formal reading, it transforms perception into understanding, making design accessible without simplification. Each sequence isolates essential lines, proportions, and functions, offering a clear reading of the object.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Iconic Designs is a short-format audiovisual series that examines iconic objects through cinematic precision and minimalist visual language. Each episode combines artistic direction with documentary rigor to reveal the logic and construction of form. The series presents design as a cultural discipline, translating observation into understanding through image, rhythm, and composition.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Audiovisual series of ten episodes, each 150 seconds in duration. Filmed in native 8K resolution 7680 x 4320 px at 25 or 30 fps in 16:9 aspect ratio using a RED Monstro 8K VV camera with Angenieux optics. Captured in RAW workflow with controlled depth of field and precision motion control. Mastered in HDR10 with stereo and 5.1 spatial sound. Set constructed on a 6 m x 4 m cyclorama under calibrated 5600K lighting. Delivered in ProRes, MXF and MP4 broadcast formats for television, museum and digital distribution.
- Tags
- Design, Iconic Objects, Television Series, Short Format, Documentary, Minimalist, Cultural Heritage, Education, Visual Storytelling, Contemporary Culture
- Production Technology
- Filmed in 8K using a RED Monstro VV camera with Angenieux optics on an Atrax motion control robotic arm, enabling sub-millimetric precision and repeatable camera movements. The minimalist cyclorama isolates each object within a controlled spatial environment under calibrated 5600K lighting. Spatial sound is captured with Sennheiser microphones and processed through a unified post-production workflow for consistent high-fidelity image and sound integration.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was to translate the intellectual depth of design into a short audiovisual format without reducing its complexity. This required balancing cultural accuracy, emotional resonance, and cinematic precision. Iterative testing, motion control, and precise editing enabled this balance. The limited duration of each episode demanded absolute clarity in both image and narrative.
- Project Duration
- The project began in January 2024 in Cannes, France, with concept development and early visual research. Filming took place in 2025 across France, including the historic Tolix factory in Autun and the robotic studio Halphastudio near Paris. Post production and mastering were completed in Dublin, Ireland, in October 2025, marking the international launch of the series.
- Operation Flow
- Each episode follows a three-part structure: introduction, exploration, and reflection. The host presents the object through concise narration while the camera reveals its form in continuous motion. The viewer is guided by rhythm and image rather than explicit explanation. The short format creates an immediate and intuitive engagement, leading to both emotional and intellectual understanding.
- Research
- This research explores how design culture can be communicated through short-form audiovisual language. The objective is to combine clarity, accessibility, and emotional resonance. Methods include visual analysis, expert consultation, and audience testing. Results indicate that minimalist imagery and precise narration improve comprehension and retention, supporting design as a cultural medium.
- Inspiration
- The project is inspired by the pervasive role of design in everyday life. Beyond aesthetics, design expresses reason, proportion, and purpose. The series reveals this underlying structure through image and sound, drawing from architecture, art, and philosophy. It transforms observation into knowledge and positions design as a fundamental cultural language.
- Image Credits
- Olivier Felix Isselin
Maxime Golay - Patents
- Copyrights belong to Olivier Felix Isselin and Maxime Golay, 2025.
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