In The Frame: Eva Oosterveld

We managed to grab a few minutes with our freshly signed new talent to gain some insights into their creative process. We explore what their ideal setup looks like, how they mentally and physically prepare for a shoot and what inspired them to pursue a creative career.

What’s your ideal gear setup?

My ideal setup for a shoot is one that allows me the freedom to act in the moment and play. The feeling that there is still something to be gained during a shooting day is very thrilling for me. Combine this with shooting on analog film and you definitely have my interest. The combination of focus, play and the trust you need in your crew as well as the process is most exciting for me.

What’s your favorite pastime activity?

It’s too hard for me to pick one. But if I had to choose three I would say: singing classical music, cooking and tinkering, and crafting. These are all things I can do on my own but are even more fun when I do them with family members or friends. With tinkering I try to assign myself to make something every month. That can be a print of an analog picture I took and scratched with sand, a dyed shirt, or a homemade stamp. Something that I don’t need but love to have.

Who or what inspired you to pursue a creative career, and why did you eventually decide to focus on directing?

As a kid, I thought I wanted to be a journalist. This was because there were hundreds of things that I found interesting and important—I could never choose which one was most important. Additionally, I liked to poke around in other people’s business, which I thought would be my job if I was a journalist. Later when I finished my studies and became a journalist, I missed being creative. That’s when I discovered I wanted to make documentaries.

How would you describe your style as a director?

I would say my style is intimate, social, and crafted. For me, my work is successful when it has an intimate connection with the characters and a design that brings their inner world to the surface. A lot of my works have a journalistic approach or a documentary angle but with imaginative looks. My perfect combination. I work primarily with young target audiences in mind, as well as young characters. Especially when a work is about our future, I find it interesting and important to take this perspective.

Why does a graduated documentary director want to get into commercials?

While studying at the Dutch Film Academy I made my first commercial works and I discovered that I used a lot of the same skills I use while making documentaries. My documentary work inspired my commercial work and vice versa. The creative possibilities of commercials and the fast pace at which they are made attract me. They form a welcome contrast with the mostly long-form documentary projects I work on.

What is a personal ambition for your commercial work?

To become more skilled in making intimate, imaginative commercials of personal and unexplored stories. And to connect the commercial world and the outside world, and the people in it.