Arjen Schotel

As a child Arjen preferred to play on his own with a whole arsenal of toy dolls, knights, Playmobil, G.I. Joe’s, cars and created all kinds of epic stories. He dreamed big. He dreamed of saving whales at sea and at the same time fantasized about the most spectacular action scenes that he could realize in the meadows around the village where he grew up.

Nothing was too crazy. And when he saw similar fantasies brought to life in feature films, from real-life dinosaurs to spectacular car chases, he knew: ‘I want this too!’

After studying film, Arjen worked as a TV editor and learned the art of the perfect cut and building suspense. ‘In my view, a successful commercial is one that stands out from the crowd. This can be visual, or through the impact of a great story, or both. Ideally, I bring out strong emotions, create great contrasts and stimulate all senses. From the first frame the viewer must be curious and triggered. By doing so, the commercial, and therefore the sender of the message, will stand out.’

In other words, Arjen feels very comfortable seeking out intense moments and authentic experiences. The same goes for the cast, locations, and visual effects: Arjen knows no boundaries when it comes to the film’s impact. ‘I want to feel something!’

As a commercial director he won a Dutch Creativity Award for ‘A letter to Brabant’, for the Van Gogh Museum & high-tech multinational ASML, and he’s hungry for more – not so much for prizes, but for high-level commercials. That’s why chose Hazazah.

‘I see great opportunities, especially in the areas of edgy commercials, exciting storytelling, automotive, fashion and drama. Secretly, I would also like to develop myself more in the field of fiction, which is also possible at Hazazah. Because one day I would like nothing more than to make a beautiful feature film every year and fantastic commercials.’

He smiles: ‘I haven’t stopped dreaming.’