ArtClass Adds Dutch Documentarian Bas Berkhout To Roster

Dec. 13, 2018

Bas Berkhout, the award-winning filmmaker known for his intimate short films, is the latest director to join ArtClass, a next-generation production company based in LA and New York.

Berkhout got bit by the entertainment industry bug at an early age. At age 11 in the Netherlands, he applied to host a kid’s TV show. It was just a one-weekend onset, but the flurry of activity and “the whole vibe and creativity of the experience” opened Berkhout’s eyes to the possibility of an artistic life. Berkhout went on to go to school for advertising and marketing, and when an internship took him to a TV network, he was reminded of the creative collaboration he saw as a child, and knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life working in TV and film. From there, Berkhout began working for a travel agency, filming documentaries around the world. He continued to stretch his creativity and began exploring journalism, reporting, and documentaries at a local TV network.

At a certain point the corporate work made Berkhout feel creatively depleted, so he co-founded the “Like Knows Like” series as an artistic outlet. The program focused on the personal stories of popular artists, creatives, and bloggers through film and photography. It was through this series that Berkhout’s signature visual style fully took shape, and its popularity is what drew him from the Netherlands to New York.

Whether helming independent work or branded content for clients like ASICS or Charles Schwab, Berkhout approaches the projects in the same way—humanity first. He frequently eschews the use of music and incorporates archive footage, stop-motion, stills, and other visual techniques to tell intimate stories of his subjects.

Bas Berkhout says: 

“I love to break down walls by showing honesty and vulnerability, and to find the deeper meaning in everyone.I accomplish this by putting the Story, location and sound first. I want to bring the viewer as close as possible to the events in the film.”

 

This focus on authenticity has resonated with a range of clients including ESPN, Facebook, H&M, Samsung, Asics Europe, TimeInc, Condé Nast, The Atlantic, Honeywell, and many more, as well as earning him Vimeo Staff Picks numerous times.

ArtClass is Berkhout’s first U.S. representation after five years of freelancing in the States. After meeting Executive Producer Geno Imbriale, Berkhout knew ArtClass would be the right fit. The two worked an ESPN and Facebook project that further cemented the partnership.

Berkhout says: 

“How Geno goes out of his way to explain things is just amazing. He takes people’s hand and makes the time to nurture a partner- and a friendship. That felt good, so we decided to join forces and run through walls together.”

 

On becoming part of the ArtClass roster, Berkhout remarks: 

“They have so much momentum right now. With that trajectory and my network of clients, we’ll be unstoppable.”