About me

I'm Wendel, born and raised in the small village of Ruinerwold in Drenthe. After secondary school I studied at Fotonica, where I trained in photography and video techniques.

That's how I first got into television production, completing my internship at United Broadcast Facilities in Hilversum as a cable assistant. It worked out so well for both sides that I joined the company, and I quickly grew into the role of ENG sound engineer. In that role I worked on some incredible shows and travelled the world.

After more than eight years, the travel bug got the better of me, so a friend and I set off on a six-month trip through Asia, ending the journey with a train ride back to Europe on the Trans-Siberian Express.

Back in the Netherlands, I went straight into freelancing and specialised in small cameras too. GoPro action cameras were just taking off at the time, and I dove straight in, building up expertise alongside my sound work. A few years later I did the same thing with drones.

Since 2016 I've been shooting drone footage for various TV shows, films, series and live shows or concerts on national and international platforms. I still travel abroad regularly to shoot drone footage for productions like Wie is de Mol?, Race om de Ringen, Special Forces, Pandora and The Bachelorette. I often plan my own day around the shoot, so I can catch a stunning sunrise or visit another beautiful location alongside the assignments the programme needs. Or I'll end the day somewhere else entirely, chasing a great sunset. Always in consultation with the director and editorial team, but I also bring my own suggestions for the best locations to add something extra to the footage.

But I also fly regularly here in the Netherlands, for great shows like Denkend aan Holland, Hunted, Heel Holland Bakt, Te Land ter Zee en de Lucht, Love is Blind, the Rotterdam Marathon or football matches. Sometimes I'm live, connected directly to the director's truck. Other times we follow the script, and I help think through high-quality shots that add something to the show. That's how I try to make myself as versatile as possible, thinking flexibly alongside the team for the best result for the production.

Projects that really stuck with me? Hard to pick, I enjoy the Dutch landscape just as much as the jungles and waterfalls abroad. But if I really have to choose: a few years ago I stood on the Citadel of Amman in Jordan, flying the drone for a live sunset and sunrise concert by Coldplay. That was pretty special. Millions of people around the world watched it live on YouTube.