Vlad Bobe – A Passion for Stories, from Documentary Film to Digital Content

An interview with Vlad Bobe, videographer and director, about his journey in documentary filmmaking, branding, and digital content creation, as well as his transition to entrepreneurship and new creative challenges.

Vlad Bobe is passionate about stories in general, and cinema in particular. He was fortunate to turn his passion into a profession from a young age, working in the documentary and short film industry. In recent years, he has expanded his portfolio to include branding and social media content creation.

C&B: From everything you do, what motivates you the most?
Vlad Bobe: Being a visual storyteller is what motivates me the most. But realistically, I think the truth is a bit more mundane. I believe 80% is technique and discipline—especially during filming and editing—and only about 20% involves shaping the actual story. Skill is both the limit and the fuel.
I find great joy in hearing someone’s story—whether it’s about a person, product, or service—and then finding the most compelling and appropriate way to share it as a videographer and content creator.

C&B: If we were to follow the narrative arc of your career, what have been the defining moments?
Vlad Bobe: I started by filming and editing events and interviews, but the moment I remember most fondly is volunteering at a film festival. It was the first time I felt I was in the right field, surrounded by people who shared my passion. That feeling was confirmed when I got into film school.
I continued working for years as an editor, then in cinematography as a videographer or director of photography. Eventually, I directed a few personal projects—something I hope to do more of. I still wear all those hats when working on concepts with my collaborators. It would’ve been much harder to finish projects without spending time in each of those deeply connected rooms, each with its own needs and challenges.

C&B: What has been the hardest moment so far, and how did you overcome it?
Vlad Bobe: There’ve been many, but the two I’m currently facing are probably the toughest: transitioning from freelancer to building an agency, and integrating AI into our workflow.
I was skeptical about AI at first, but once I saw the organizational, research, and planning potential—alongside creative tools like video generators—I felt like a kid doing homework while playing. I can’t wait to see how we integrate this further and improve our output.
As for the agency, I was never a “salesperson,” but this new setup brings me closer to the client. Though most of our main collaborators are marketing agencies integrating our work into their strategies, we also create content directly for brands or early-stage entrepreneurs.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you?
Vlad Bobe: The dream is to keep doing what I do. I’m lucky to have found something that both challenges and helps me grow.
My ambition is to work on increasingly complex projects with international reach. It’s deeply rewarding to have your work seen by more people—that fuels the motivation to push beyond budget limitations and strive for better. Each current project is your best recommendation for the next one.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning, and how do you see yourself now?
Vlad Bobe: Shy, lost, and uncertain whether my work was good enough for any audience. But feedback is incredibly reassuring—it calms your doubts and gives you the courage to take on new challenges. That adrenaline helps you discover things within yourself you didn’t know existed.
The voice of the impostor never fully disappears, but with every project, it gets easier to manage.
And when you don’t know what each department in the production pipeline does, it’s harder to translate thoughts into images. Spending time across all those stages gave me confidence and erased many of my limitations.

C&B: If we asked your team or collaborators, what would they say about you?
Vlad Bobe: They’d probably say: “Stop obsessing over details.” And that the work we’ve done together is good enough—let’s release it and move on. Also, “Delegate more!” I still tend to do everything myself, which isn’t productive and limits the quality.

C&B: What decision changed your trajectory the most?
Vlad Bobe: Taking more creative risks and letting go of the fear around how my work will be received. When I consciously paused that kind of thinking, I felt freer creatively and more relaxed.
Overthinking makes you rigid and uncomfortable—totally counterproductive.
The second big decision was learning to properly value my services. Experience and past work build your present skillset. If I charge less, it should be because I’m investing in my growth—not because I don’t know my worth. That’s a challenge every freelancer faces.

C&B: Do you have a leadership style? Was it natural or learned?
Vlad Bobe: I think it came naturally—it’s just who I am. My approach has been transparency with my collaborators. When we brainstorm together, sharing external knowledge and ideas, the final image improves exponentially.
If you want to create something meaningful, you realize how dependent you are on others’ minds. That’s when this collaborative approach becomes the only option.
Everything serves the end product—something that will live beyond our decisions.
Being able to turn a serious, time-consuming project into something playful or team-driven is a life skill. Mistakes happen, but they get acknowledged, internalized, and corrected in the next project. That’s how value is built over time.

C&B: What makes you different? How is your work distinct from others in the industry?
Vlad Bobe: First of all, the people. The team’s structure is unique, and that shows in the outcome.
Secondly, I love sitting down with the client who needs content. I love listening to their story. It plays in my mind like a movie—who they are, why they offer that product or service, how they hope to help people, and what they envision for their customers. That’s where I find inspiration.
Often, it’s not wasted time for them either—it helps clarify or rediscover important moments and makes them more invested in the process.
We do research, provide options, but the strategy we move forward with is a joint decision. That’s crucial.
If you build something with love, you’ll lose yourself in details. It helps to have an outsider reframe your story.

C&B: What does a typical day look like now, and which moments bring the most satisfaction?
Vlad Bobe: The worst-case scenario is starting a new project with a completely blank slate. You stare into the void, which stares back and makes you feel guilty, because you’re almost certain your first ideas will be terrible.
But you persist, and gradually satisfaction builds as you find something that resonates with the project. Even if you discard it later, it helped you layer more and more until something solid takes shape.
This happens during production and editing too, but the ultimate satisfaction comes when you present the work to the world. When others build on it, see themselves in it, and make it part of their lives.

C&B: What values or principles guide your work?
Vlad Bobe: Curiosity is innate in me—I’ve built myself around it. And the pursuit of beauty, even if rarely attained, is always on the horizon.
Growth and learning are vital. I seek out things that open and feed my mind.
These principles help with adaptability—an increasingly crucial value in a world that changes so fast.
And finally—though certainly not least—a freelancer’s credibility is as strong as their reputation. Honesty with partners, collaborators, and clients is part of that and is felt from afar. It makes it easier to access good projects and maintain a solid network.

C&B: If you could send a message to people following in your footsteps, what would it be?
Vlad Bobe: I’m thinking about those just starting out, and I encourage them to copy and keep working until they find their own voice in the process. That’s what will make them stand out to clients.
And if ego gets in the way, remember—copying ends with execution, and that part belongs to you.
Another piece of advice I wish I’d received earlier is to listen to others’ opinions. We cling to ours because we know the effort behind it—but outside voices, separate perspectives, can enrich how we see and do things.
And let’s think long term. Build sustainably. Leave things at least as good as we found them—so those who come after us don’t waste time and energy fixing them.