When I had the opportunity to make a video for Johan’s Day is done I had myself a new challenge: how to make a ambitious video as a graphic designer? What do you need for that? How does that work? What problems will I face? Stuff like that. Up to then I did some really small video projects, but this was different. So I thought on who to call for advice. First I called some production companies. Some of them were willing to share some info, but for them it was business as usual. For me it was business as unusual. So it wasn’t that helpful.

So, different strategy. What graphic designer of design studio also made a music video before? What I read somewhere, Fabrique was responsible for the video of Onderweg by Abel. That could be helpful. The website showed that the contact person was Jeroen van Erp. So I called Fabrique and asked for Jeroen and also got him on the phone. But, he was busy, had to drive to Groningen so he said that he would call me back. Right. Whatever. But he did. And we had a talk for over an hour. Probably from Delft all the way to Groningen. I told him my ideas, he told me about the proces of the Abel video. Just like that. Then we hung up. I was amazed. That was so kind. And helpful. In a way. I made that video. Immensely ambitious, shot at three locations with 50 extras and did everything myself except for some camera. It was scary and great.

Since then, we kept in contact. Quite unique and great at the same time. Fabrique was and is a big agency so I could mirror my work and ideas to theirs, while Jeroen also gave feedback of stuff I did. When I worked at Mattmo we met for the first time, up to then we talked on the phone mostly. I skipped lunch and had lunch with Jeroen for the first time at Harkema. That such a great guy can be so small. We had a great lunch and talked about life. And that became a quarterly habit. I shared my thoughts, reflected on the work of Fabrique, Jeroen did the same on mine. I learned a lot from that and was still amazed that he took the time for that. So great. We also learned that we had a lot in common. A love for music and everything that has to do with it, love for design, love to do fun stuff.

Since then we did a lot together. From radical ideas like the sms-novel at the Texelse Boys Playground at Lowlands to passionate discussions about anything. From ‘we don’t have a place for a guy like you at Fabrique’, to me working at Fabrique, to me leaving Fabrique. From The Naked Poodle in Hong Kong to inviting me to join a group of people to think about a new study which resulted in me starting up I/M/D. And so much more. Thanks Joen, for being open, critical, honest, challenging, creative, an idiot, passionate, supporting, vulnerable and kind.