Story developer
I’m passionate about storytelling and love helping writers bring their story to the page in the best possible way.
As a story developer, I prefer to get involved from the very first idea. That’s the biggest difference from my work as a dramaturg or story editor. As a story developer, I dive into a project creatively and work together with the screenwriter, director, producer, distributor, or streaming service to find the core: what do we want to tell, and how can we best do that?
As a dramaturg, I receive documents (pitch, treatment, script) that I read and analyze. In these projects, the vision and core are already established, and I often join as a fresh outside perspective on the creative team.
When I’m part of the creative team on a project in development, I keep an overview, ask the right questions, and make the creative collaboration as effective as possible. I safeguard the established core and vision and act as the point of contact for planning and progress. Every version passes through my hands, allowing us as a team to already make substantial content improvements before delivering to the producer, distributor, or streaming service.
In addition to my work at Meerkat Stories, I’m available as a freelance story developer or dramaturg. Producers, broadcasters, and streaming services can bring me in for the development phase, guidance of writing teams, or support with funding applications and pitches.
What I do
- Guiding the process of establishing core and vision
- Safeguarding vision and progress within the writing team
- Structuring and guiding the development process (planning)
- Assembling and directing creative teams
- Supporting pitch documents and funding applications
- Available for the full pitch and development phase, or exclusively the first phase toward a funding application or pitch
Background
In 2005, I completed my master’s degree in Film at Utrecht University, specializing in dramaturgy. Already in the final year of this master’s program, I started at the Netherlands Film Academy (production), which I completed in 2008. After that, I worked on sets of various feature films, short films, and TV drama series, as an assistant, production manager, and junior producer.
In 2011, I became Head of Programming at the Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht, responsible for the full programming of the festival — from special programs and public events to industry program components. In 2016, I moved to KPN, where I worked as a dramaturg within the newly established original content department. In 2017, I joined Lemming Film, where I developed TV drama series and worked on projects such as Heirs of the Night and Zenith II. In 2019, I completed the Torino Film Lab Extended – Story Editing program. In 2020, I started at Big Blue as Head of Development, working on projects such as The Crash, This Is Gonna Be Great and Don’t Fall, Dance. From 2024 I’m working as a freelance story developer and script/ story editor.