GALA VAN DE FLANDRIEN

fiction

This year the Flandrien Gala, the annual meeting for cyclists and cycling supporters, took place in Ostend. The city of the sea, of the port... and of shrimps. But what the hell does the race have to do with shrimps? Together with Het Nieuwsblad, we investigated.

Our approach

the shrimp: from the sea to
your plate in 4 mini docs

At a first kick-off with Het Nieuwsblad, we defined the common thread and the general atmosphere of what the videos would look like. The customer also immediately got to know the place where almost all magic would happen and saw the faces behind the name and work for the first time.

Our solution

4 authentic mini docs

We then took care of all the pre-production work, which led to 2 days of recording in Ostend. In addition to making shrimp croquettes, we also assisted Dominique Persoone in interviewing 4 unknowns in the cycling world. That's how we got a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a cyclist. This resulted in 4 mini-documentaries that show that cyclists and shrimps have more in common than you might think. We opted for raw cinematography and vintage lenses to reinforce the analogy.

“The Bataljon team took great care of us. The shooting days were arranged down to the last detail. That really was a breath of fresh air. We had nothing to worry about. Everyone on the team, actors, partners (etc.) knew what was expected. No surprises, which is not easy in such a production. This is extremely valuable when you, as a customer, are busy with so many other things at the same time. We have even learned our lessons from this internally (at Nieuwsblad) and are also going to implement their way of working in productions.”

Guy Fransen

General Chief Sports, Media House

Finalize

Chippy?

Before these documentaries were shown at the Gala van de Flandrien 2023, we invited the customer to take place on our coach with a chip to view the videos on the big screen. This allowed us to make quick edits and try out different shots to achieve a perfect end result, which both the customer and we fully support.

The result

The link between cycling and shrimps

The result? A Kursaal full of shrimp croquettes, cyclists and cycling sympathizers, a fantastic show and 4 highly acclaimed mini-documentaries that gave the audience a glimpse into life of a cyclist and made them want a shrimp croquette. Tasty!

“I've rarely worked with an agency that engages the customer so actively and isn't satisfied until it's “right”. With clear agreements and deadlines. During the vision moment on the big screen, we were able to give feedback while sitting on the couch with a coffee. They immediately started working on our suggestions. As a result, we immediately saw the adjustments. That was a special experience that really makes a difference.”

Guy Fransen

General Chief Sports, Media House