Business Excellence Awards 2020

32 Acquisition International - 2020 Business Excellence Awards Mar20232 elgium-based Velvet Films has quickly established a name for itself in the production, and co-production of feature films for theatrical release and TV series. In the last three years it has made extraordinary progress. With the team working on such high- end international series as “The Window” with Boogie Entertainment, ZDF Enterprises and Fuji TV as well as features such as Bruce McDonald’s Dreamland and Wolfgang Becker’s Me and Kaminski, there is a clear pedigree that speaks for itself. Velvet Films operates in an exciting industry where each project is unique and, although constantly evolving, the art of storytelling at its core remains the same. Projects that excite the small, but close-knit, team are what the business focuses on, especially those with a strong vision and an innovative take. The nature of the film business is such that an idea can be a number of years in development, so finding something to enjoy is crucial. The team has been fortunate enough to handle all sorts of work, capable of handling big and demanding projects with the minimum of staff. Versatility is the order of the day. Each member of the team has their own core competencies but is able to overlap with others as required. It’s a necessary part of working in such a varied and creative field. The excellent team spirit that has bonded the company together is due in no small part to this effort, with the result being a lean and adaptable business that can quickly change to suit the situation. Much of this success also is due to automation, which has been applied where feasible. This step has allowed the team to keep its staff at a minimum. The team are fortunate to be able to see many of their projects all the way from initial idea through to finished film. Velvet Films’ ability to work internationally has allowed the team to seek and provide financing from Belgium to international projects that do part of their production work in Belgium. In a world that is shifting from theatrical released to online and subscription-based platforms, the nature of the industry is changing too. While feature films used to be the norm, preference has shifted to serial formats with continuous storylines. Velvet Films has already proven itself able to make the jump, transforming its production processes from shooting high-end feature films to high-end series. As the company now straddles both aspects of production, they are able to apply techniques from one form into the other. The work of film and television production is the perfect combination of the artistic and the technical, the glamourous and the dowdy. Behind every movie or TV series are hundreds of people working towards the goal of entertaining an audience. The team at Velvet Films are masters in this arena, taking on a variety of projects. We look a little closer at this company to see just what lies behind the silver screen. Best International Feature Film Producers 2020 B Looking forward, Velvet Film is looking to engage with projects that have increased relevance to an everyday audience. Instead of taking on more projects, the team wants to make better ones. As always in the film industry, these are being kept strictly under wraps, but involve some high-profile names and are quite exciting. Film has a magic all its own, and companies like Velvet Films bring that magic to life. Operating leanly, working keenly, the team has managed to make an impact in the market, drawing partners from across the world to Belgium and beyond. Some industries change and leave businesses behind, but Velvet Films has its eyes set firmly on future success. Contact: Sebastian Schelenz Website: www.velvetfilms.be/home/en