Dutch studio From Form is based in the arches of a former elevated railroad, known as Hofbogen, which is part of an early 20th century viaduct that was declared a National Monument in 2002. "It's a beautiful space with high ceilings," says Jurjen Versteeg, who runs the studio with partners Ashley Govers and Wouter Keijzer.
A large metal sliding door divides the studio into two spaces. At the back, the team have built a small wood and metal workshop, which doubles up as a film studio. "We built a lot of furniture ourselves," continues Versteeg. "As soon as Wouter [Keijzer] joined and we took on an intern, we decided to build the big centred desk for the four of us."
The sliding door was a challenge to make: its purpose is to suppress the sound of the workshop, yet it can be opened and closed with just one hand. "It also serves as a giant canvas and brainstorm board," explains Govers, adding that the marimba was a gift from sound designer Ben Lukas Boysen, who used it to compose the music for From Form's 2013 OFFF Main Titles (1). "It's a small instrument but reminds us of a great time. Then there's the Kaiser Idell light (2). Jurjen is a sucker for these classic lights."
"When I see one, I can't resist the fact that it will stay on that flea market," he says. "So we try to incorporate one in every production."
Gover continues: "We got the idea of name-engraved sketchbooks when our intern joined us. Now everyone has their own custom sketchbook (3), so there is no confusion during brainstorms!"
Versteeg and Gover are huge fans of Wes Anderson – particularly the way he works with custom set designs. "This book (4) is a tremendous inspiration," she says.
"The Vimeo Staff Pick frame (5) is a little inside joke," adds Versteeg. "We often play with it on set to see if the work we're making is Staff Pick material."
This article originally appeared in Computer Arts issue 229.
