Tom Smail

I lead the creative direction and production of an episodic documentary series capturing Aquablu’s evolution as it works to disrupt the trillion-dollar beverage industry through tech-enabled hydration. This long-form series blends cinematic storytelling with real-time business transformation, spotlighting key milestones like international expansion, product innovation, team culture, and personal leadership arcs. My role includes: Directing, filming, and editing a multi-episode brand documentary series Developing a narrative framework around Aquablu’s mission and values Conducting interviews with founders, engineers, sales, and cultural leads Translating long and complex growth moments into accessible, human-driven stories Capturing both behind-the-scenes team dynamics and product evolution Bridging personal ambition with brand identity through thought leadership arcs It's a pleasure to work with a company that is on such an important wellness and sustainability mission - especially when our creative goals align so well!

APERÇU Studio is my own filmmaking and creative consultancy company focused on creating cinematic brand documentaries and visual content that tell real, resonant stories Some of the brands we’ve worked with are Adobe, Polspotten, Aquablu, Finch Buildings, Dopper, Musicbed, Ratpack Travel, Uppbeat, and K&F Concept For them and many others, I have taken on the role of filmmaker, videographer, or creative strategist. My work has centered on two main areas: creating dynamic, cinematic content for social media — where storytelling, retention, and engagement are key — and documenting meaningful chapters in a brand’s evolution, such as the design of a new collection, a campaign launch, or product development. In every project, we aim to tell authentic, emotionally resonant stories while helping brands define and refine their narrative, content strategy, and visual identity to ensure their message aligns with their values, resonates with audiences and leaves a lasting impression.

What started as a part-time role quickly became a primary focus. I found myself thriving in the freelance rhythm, valuing the freedom, responsibility, and especially the consistent, high-level feedback from Synergium. Working with global clients like Google, Spotify, and Twitter has been a real privilege. Thanks to my multilingual background (fluent in French, Swedish, English, proficient in Dutch), I stepped naturally into the translation space and, within four months, advanced to Language Lead and Quality Representative. In this role, I: Maintain linguistic quality and ensure KPIs are met across teams; Lead daily LQA reviews, trend spotting, and quality checks; Organize team syncs and trainings to address recurring issues; Oversee arbitration/escalation processes and act as main contact for linguists; Liaise with RCs, LXLs, and Welocalize stakeholders on quality and production matters; Support onboarding, test evaluations, and performance monitoring; Finally, in 2025, I officially became an ISO17100 Certified Translator by fulfilling all the necessary criteria for this status. This experience continues to be a deep dive into scalable language operations, and it taught me how to lead with clarity, precision, and adaptability—especially under tight deadlines.

In January 2023, I was invited by the Marketing Director at Finch Buildings to join as their videographer and content strategist. What was first a six‑month engagement became an almost two-year collaboration, where I helped communicate the advances of a pioneering company in the Netherlands. I shaped and shared the story of their cross-laminated timber homes, apartments, and offices—built faster and with far less CO₂, noise, and visual impact. From construction sites to completed projects, I captured how modular, bio-based buildings can shift the housing market and empower communities. I continued in this role until November 2024, proud to have handed keys to new homeowners and helped advance climate-friendly construction.

I supported TenderFlame in expanding into the Dutch market by taking on content creation and strategy. My role involved producing fresh visual content tailored to their wide product range, while also repurposing existing material originally created in Norway, their home market. The goal was to ensure a consistent, localized brand presence across platforms.

After interning at Four Leaves in 2021, founder Shiran Gort reached out ahead of Dutch Design Week 2022 to collaborate on content for their pop-up space. I accepted—and instantly felt back at home with the team. Our creative chemistry led us to extend the partnership long-term, working from concept to execution across shoots, campaigns, and social media. I now also support and guide the current social media interns, helping with planning, decision-making, and strategy during the days I’m not on site. This role has significantly sharpened my creative process. Being consistently challenged to deliver content that’s both visually aligned with a high-end brand and effective in driving awareness and sales has pushed me to grow. From concepting and drafting to learning new editing techniques on the fly, I’ve become more attentive, focused, and adaptive—always striving to match the tone, vision, and identity of the brand. My goal is to carry these skills into future collaborations, understanding each brand’s needs quickly, and delivering high-quality content across tools like Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, and After Effects.

Full-time work during the summer of 2022 in order to save up for personal projects, and in particular, a possible once-around-the-world trip. My third job as a waiter & bartender, in a third country, with new rules and hospitality standards to learn.

A unique opportunity on a beautiful farm in northern Ibiza, where the vision was to build a skincare and condiments brand using ingredients grown directly from the land. My role was to design and execute a content plan based on daily farm life—capturing the rhythm of regenerative agriculture and the importance of sustainable systems. Beyond content, I experimented with early product development, supported small-batch production, and helped distribute samples to strategic partners as we shaped the brand identity from the ground up. I also took on the role of farm host in the owner’s absence, welcoming and assisting architects, guests, and business partners as needed. Unfortunately, due to internal discrepancy and events, I was forced to leave the farm around mid-March 2022.

Worked alongside my internship to immerse myself in the dutch culture, meet new people and learn the language more easily. Very chic but funky restaurant, known for its atmosphere and events with magazines like VogueNL as well as various artists, entrepreneurs and brands. A reputed restaurant in the heart of Amsterdam, where the high-end quality of the service is key and where a high pace and working under pressure ability is required.

At Four Leaves, I worked across digital marketing and creative content while also supporting some operational tasks—all within the fast-paced energy of a growing startup. It was a fantastic experience, especially learning from Shiran Gort, whose vision, sustainability mindset, product quality, and work ethic left a strong impression on me. During the internship, I collaborated with partners like Dopper and Decor Amsterdam. One of the standout moments was being invited—alongside Shiran—to the European Parliament in Brussels, where we helped represent the movement against single-use plastics and created content from the trip. Beyond the marketing and content work, I gained a deep understanding of high-end fashion and textiles, collection development, brand identity, tone of voice, and what it takes to grow into a lifestyle brand. From working with manufacturers in Europe and Asia to seeing how a creative vision takes form, Four Leaves gave me not just experience, but personal growth. Today, the brand is featured on Forbes.com—and I’m proud to have been part of its journey.

A Master's in International Marketing from Jönköping University (Sweden) while working full time on my videography company (APERÇU Studio) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Juggling both was a challenge, as both required my full attention and commitment, but through determination, hard work and an almost burn out, I graduated to my third university degree with a B. My Master's thesis was the following: "Attention on a reward-based crowdfunding platform. The role of communication in grabbing and retaining Generation Z backers’ attention on Kickstarter."

Following my application, I was one of the only two selected students to be offered a seat in this dual degree program in Germany with the European Business School (EBS). This bachelor provided more courses, leading me to complete a total of 210 ECTS instead of the regular 180 ECTS. My thesis on 'Influencer Marketing and its impact on Millennials' Sustainable Food Consumption' scored a 287 out of 300 possible points.

This ranked international business school in Sweden has not only provided me with knowledge in business administration, management and accounting but also with the fundamentals of the national economy. I then moved on with a Dual Degree with the European Business School in Wiesbaden, Germany, and wrote my thesis there.