How long have you been working with ACrew4U?

Oh! It’s been a long time, probably over 15 years ago. I’m not entirely certain though, I could also say that it’s been around 16 or 17 years ago.

How did you start working with ACrew4U?

Well, I believe there was a phone call from London, and it was you. There was some kind of event, possibly in Eindhoven or Amsterdam, but I’m not entirely sure and you needed me to work on that gig, that marked our first contact. It felt a bit strange to me because it involved a client of mine, Phillips, and typically, I receive phone calls from Eindhoven when there are gigs to be done. Getting a call from London was odd but also a new experience for me. However, it makes sense that when agencies are based in London and they collaborate with your company using your company’s billing, they eventually come to the Netherlands, which includes my location.

How long have you been doing your job in video production?

Well, I believe it has been more than 30 years already. During that time, I had been heavily involved in filming for the Technical University here in Eindhoven. Our work encompassed curriculum films and promotional films, all focused on technology since it’s a technology university.

As time went on, more and more companies approached me, seeking my services to film various projects, be it for promotions or specific purposes. I began receiving gigs from these companies as well. Eventually, I made the decision to switch gears and work for myself. Subsequently, I started creating films for various multinational companies in the Netherlands, such as Phillips, and even some Arabic companies. This must have been in the early 1990s, marking the beginning of my self-employed journey, which has now spanned over 30 years.

How did you sort of get into video and video production? What did you do before you got into video?

Well, that’s an even longer story. Back in the 1980s, I became a certified photographer. However, I always found moving pictures fascinating because they offered a different dimension beyond the static nature of still photographs. The idea of capturing images that were in motion intrigued me, making it even more interesting. Unfortunately, at that time in the Netherlands, there were no specific curricula focused on this field, except for the Filming Academy, which was the sole option available.

In the early 1980s, there were limited educational opportunities, and the only place that provided some education in this area was the national broadcaster, NOS, which could be compared to the Dutch equivalent of the BBC. Some individuals in the broadcast industry offered education for their own people, including those involved in video and television production. This was the avenue I chose to learn the necessary skills and gain experience in producing moving pictures for video and television.

When you talk about images, what is it that you really love about working with images be they still images or be they moving images?

Well, it wasn’t all that difficult for me to fall in love with my job because, as they say, “an image speaks more than a thousand words.” That’s precisely what it is. When you create a complete story through a single captivating image, it often surpasses the impact of a lengthy written narrative. This aspect of visual storytelling is what truly fascinates me. My interest in images began early on, influenced by my father’s amateur photography. He presented me with some photo books around 1970, and from that moment on, I was hooked. I have never parted with my camera since then. Initially, it was solely focused on photography, but later, I ventured into the realm of moving pictures as well.

What do you like about doing corporate projects/corporate shoots?

Well, the interesting thing, if I may put it this way, was when I began working for myself in the field of moving pictures, people asked me, “Why don’t you go to Hilversum, which is the broadcast centre of the Netherlands, as that’s where the major broadcasters are?” They wondered why I was staying in the Southern region. I explained that in Amsterdam, in the broadcast industry, there were already hundreds of people working, whereas here in the South, there were only about five individuals working in this particular segment of the industry. Moreover, the region I was in, with its abundance of technology-driven businesses, offered many opportunities, and that’s what I appreciated. Why should I have gone elsewhere, where there was a lot of competition in this field, while where I had plenty of work with little competition.

Aside from that, I found it much more intriguing to immerse myself in these companies and create captivating films for them rather than being a small part of the television production scene in Hilversum, as I wasn’t particularly fond of television. I truly enjoyed being involved in the filmmaking process, especially when it revolved around technology-based companies. So, I ended up doing a lot of filming for such companies in the region.

Image: Wim