Hello, this will be my first blog post. I decided to open this blog on my personal website as a means of sharing my thoughts, experiences, ideas and knowledge in a free format that I wouldn't be able to share on my other platforms. In many ways, writing here feels like another form of recording: stepping back, observing, and putting it into words. I want this blog to be a space where I can use my words freely, without constraints of style or form. And I hope to provide valuable information to any readers.
Over the past 13 years I've gained a lot of experience in various fields of media production. Starting out as a 19-year-old student at RITCS School of Arts in 2013, then working in the Belgian film and television production industry, and now for the past three years working as a videographer in Seoul. I've been exposed to many different styles of production, from the nature of the projects themselves to the character of the crew and even the society I'm working within. I feel like I've accumulated a lot of stories worth sharing. Stories that I may have told others before, but also stories I've never told.
Even before I started my career, when I enrolled in film school, I was always interested in recording. I got my first handycam as a gift from my dad on a vacation overseas. I used it throughout most of high school to film the daily life of my friends and me in boarding school. At the time I was one of the first vloggers in Belgium with that kind of slice-of-life format. My friends weren't always on board with the idea back then, but a decade later they're thankful I kept a record of some of our most iconic memories.
But even before that, in elementary school, I found my dad's old VHS tape recorder at home. It was a bulky, heavy machine that had to be carried on the shoulder, almost too heavy for me to wield. I primarily used it to film my fantasy stories while playing with LEGO, but from time to time I would also film my family at home.
There was something about the camera that always lured me to it. Regardless of the camera, I've always been someone who prefers to observe people rather than interact with them. On the playground, both in elementary and high school, I found more enjoyment in watching how other kids played rather than joining in. I think that was the foundation of what attracted me to the camera. It's an observation of interaction and of a moment. And I feel like it's my calling to record and preserve those observations.
Sometimes I get asked whether I'm able to enjoy being in the moment if I'm always experiencing everything through a screen or viewfinder. But that's somewhat of a misconception. While recording, I'm hyperfocused on what's happening around me. I look in great detail at how people move, their expressions, their interactions, where the energy is going… I feel more connected to the moment because I'm observing it. Being in it, on the other hand, can actually be rather overwhelming, more of an internal experience than one that feels connecting.
With my current main work as an event and nightlife videographer, the irony is that before I did this line of work, I didn't really enjoy going to social events or clubs. In fact, when I'm not shooting, I still don't. When I go without a camera I feel like there's nothing for me to do. It's uncomfortable, with some exceptions of course.
Working in Seoul has added another dimension to all of this. Operating in a culture that is not my own means I'm observing on two levels at once: the moment itself, and the world it's taking place in. There's a particular kind of alertness that comes with that, and I think it keeps my perspective fresh. It's one of the reasons I'm especially motivated to write about this chapter of my life. There's a lot to unpack.
The camera, the recording, the observing. It feels like it has become an essential extension of my mind and body, a way of interacting with the world around me that brings out the best in me. That's why I love my work. And this blog is where I want to share that.