How do I commission a brand film?

The process starts with a 20-minute call. You bring the brief — or the beginning of one. From there Bas works as a senior production partner: taking your brief, building the right team around it, and delivering the finished asset. You own the strategy. He executes the vision.

What does a brand film production cost?

Day rates for direction start around €1,000. A complete brand film — including pre-production, a shoot day, edit, and grade — typically runs from €8,000 upward depending on scope, crew size, and deliverables.

What is documentary-style brand filmmaking?

Documentary-style brand filmmaking means treating a brand story the way a documentarian would treat a real story — with patience, observation, and a small crew that earns trust rather than demands performance. Instead of staged setups and scripted talent, we find the real moments, the real environments, the real people.

What is the difference between hiring a freelance director and a production company?

A production company brings overhead, account managers, and layers of process. A freelance director/editor brings creative accountability — one person who owns the brief from concept to final cut, with the agility to move fast and the experience to move well.

What kind of brands does Bas Verwoerd work with?

Bas has worked with Nike EMEA, Heineken, KLM, Albert Heijn, McDonald's, Adidas, Johnson & Johnson, Rabobank, and Vattenfall. The common thread is ambition — brands that want cinematic quality without production house bureaucracy.

Is Bas Verwoerd based in Amsterdam?

Yes. Amsterdam-based, working across the Netherlands and internationally. Previous projects have taken him to London, Madrid, and various European locations.

DIRECTOR / EDIT / RESEARCH

I research, direct and edit films.
Preferably with real people.

Nike -

Johnson & Johnson -

McDonald's -

Visa -

Adidas -

Center Parcs -

NS International -

Vattenvall -

Nationale Nederlanden -

Rabobank -

KLM -

Heineken -

Nike - Johnson & Johnson - McDonald's - Visa - Adidas - Center Parcs - NS International - Vattenvall - Nationale Nederlanden - Rabobank - KLM - Heineken -

Client:Nike / This Memento
Project:Ma'Kel

Client:Johnson & Johnson / PassionBrand UK
Project:The Dancer

Client:Nike / This Memento
Project:Basketball is Like a War

Client:Joep Beving
Project: Trilogy

Client:Rabobank / Ogilvy
Project:Hypotheek binnen een Week (Mortgage within a Week)

Client:Adidas
Project:Triple Black
Role: Executive Producer / Production Partner
Director:Billy Pols

Branded Web Series:
original stories made with and for brands

Client:Craft
Project:Op Zoek Naar Smaak (In Search of Taste)

Client:Adidas / EuroLeague
Project:The Euro Game

Client: Self-Initiated / Published in Het Parool
Project: Garagevrienden

The Initiative: This didn't start as a commission; it started as a passion project to work on learning documentary photography. I wanted to capture the final days of the 'Klaprozenbuurt'—an industrial enclave in Amsterdam-Noord facing demolition—before it disappeared forever.

The Approach: I spent four months embedded in the garages. Drinking horrible coffee but having a great time and meeting amazing people.

The Output: A comprehensive photo essay that was picked up and featured as the cover story for PS Magazine (Het Parool).
Article written by Kees van Unen

Documented the soon the be extinct car garages in the Klaprozen buurt.