What exactly do you do at Signpost?

Joeri: As a video expert, I create virtually all visual material. Think of photos, videos, screencasts, demos, animations, trade show visuals, testimonials, etc. I am part of the marketing team and support them with visual content. If you see visual material anywhere, it is almost certain that it was produced by me.

What does your day look like?

Joeri: My days are always very varied. Essentially, there are two main parts. On the one hand, there is the preparation for filming. During that phase I meet with many colleagues and stakeholders. It is important to gather enough background information to know what the message should be. Once I feel I have enough input, I translate it into visuals. The second major part is the editing work; creating the first version, translating, adding subtitles, etc.

My days are not only varied, but they also often turn out very different from what I initially expected. It is an art to make adjustments to still be able to tell the story.

I find the creative aspect fascinating and challenging. This means being creative in terms of content, technically, and practically. Additionally, I always view my work through the eyes of the viewer and strive to critically evaluate whether the message is clear.

Actually, thinking about it now, I am really like a Swiss knife. Every day I need to decide what action to take in (sometimes unexpected) situations. I can count the number of times something goes as expected on one hand.

My job brings me a lot of satisfaction: the variety, the creativity, working with visuals.

How did you end up working at Signpost?

Joeri: I worked in the media/video sector for 20 years. This was mainly for the news, where you had to be super flexible. As soon as something happened, you had to jump in the car to go to the news event. It was impossible to spend time with my family or build a social network as I often had to leave dinners or private appointments. Just before Signpost, I worked as a gardener for a while (another passion of mine) to recover from the hectic years and rebuild the bonds with family and friends. During that time, I made a video for a walk for 'de Warmste Week', and that video turned out to be a huge success. We raised 8 times more money for charity as we normaly do, the video was picked up by the tourist service of the City of Lokeren, etc. This made me realize that I couldn’t just leave my passion for video behind. That you can trigger people to take action with visuals, that you can have such an impact with visual material, that touches me and I love it. That's why I went back to look for a job in that direction. Then Signpost came my way. Perfect timing.

What are your interests besides work?

Joeri: After work, you can mostly find me in my garden. Additionally, I have a wonderful family and try to spend as much time with them as possible. I am teaching my son to drive, and we often go out together to fly the drone. My daughter has also caught the visual bug, and together we search for beautiful places to capture on film or photo. And together with my wife, we try to do a city trip regularly. I missed this family time for so long that I am so grateful that I can now do this.

Sidenote: The beautiful photo of the Northern Lights (do you also notice that the color pallet is the same als the logo from Academic Software?) was taken on a nocturnal outing with his daughter.