Be Right Back - Westin Jakarta

A big part of growing as a video creator is learning how to take an idea from your head and bring it to life. That means learning how to plan, storyboard, write, and eventually film your own passion projects.

For me, these projects aren't just about making something I'm proud of. They're also a way to show the kind of work I'd love to create with brands I hope to collaborate with in the future. Instead of telling people what I can do, I'd rather make something that shows them.

And after thinking about it for a while, I finally did it!

I went ahead and filmed a luxury hotel-inspired film at The Westin Jakarta, featuring a solo traveller who prefers her own company, navigating an unfamiliar place on her own and, somewhere along the way, finding a little comfort in the hotel she's staying at.

The idea was simple, really. I wanted to tell a story about finding a home away from home.

So, why a hotel film?

Have you ever noticed how similar hotel promotional videos can be?

Beautiful rooms, fancy restaurants, swimming pools, smiling staff, a couple enjoying their stay, and perhaps a few drone shots thrown in for good measure. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with these videos. They're beautiful, and they do a good job of showing what a hotel has to offer.

But I couldn't help wondering: What if we told these stories a little differently?

As someone who travels to Jakarta quite often, I'm constantly reminded of how much I appreciate having a place where I can feel comfortable, especially when I'm travelling alone. Somewhere I can retreat to after a long day, enjoy a quiet breakfast, or simply sit in my room without feeling like I need to be anywhere else.

Sometimes, I don't need a hotel to impress me. I just want it to feel like a second home.

And I thought, wouldn't it be interesting to build a hotel film around that feeling?

Rather than simply showing off the facilities, what if we followed someone through a little story? A person with their own thoughts, memories, and reasons for travelling. Someone who might not say much, but whose experience of the hotel tells us everything we need to know.

The hotel would still be featured, of course, but it would become part of the story rather than the entire story.

And hopefully, by the time the audience finishes watching, they wouldn't just know what the hotel looks like. They might actually feel what it's like to stay there.

Making the hotel part of the story

One thing I really wanted to explore was how a hotel's unique features could become part of a personal narrative.

Every hotel has something different to offer. It could be an outdoor bar surrounded by greenery, a spa treatment in the privacy of your room, a beautiful breakfast spread, or simply a team that makes you feel welcome the moment you arrive.

But instead of presenting these features as a checklist, what if we gave them a little more meaning?

Imagine an outdoor bar surrounded by lush greenery. Rather than simply showing someone enjoying a drink, we could build a story around a character remembering their childhood, perhaps the times they spent exploring the woods with someone they loved.

Or imagine a spa treatment in the comfort of your room. The voice-over could explore the idea of slowing down, taking a breath, and remembering that looking after yourself doesn't always have to involve doing something extraordinary.

Of course, the actual narrative would depend on the hotel's personality, its facilities, and the audience it wants to reach. I'm not suggesting that every hotel needs a dramatic backstory about childhood memories in the woods! Haha.

The point is that the same facility can be presented in so many different ways, depending on the story we choose to tell.

And that's the part that excites me most.

The dialogue, voice-over, visuals, and even the little details could be tailored to each hotel, making the film feel like something that belongs to them rather than another video following the same template.

It's not just about making a hotel look beautiful. It's about helping people connect with the experience before they've even made a booking.

And then there's the team behind the hotel

This is probably the part I find most interesting.

We can show beautiful rooms, delicious food, and impressive facilities all day long. But at the end of it, the people working behind the scenes are often what make a hotel stay memorable.

The person who prepares your breakfast. The staff member who remembers your preferences. The team that quietly makes sure everything is ready before you even realise you need it.

These little interactions might not seem like much, but they're often the things we remember long after we've checked out.

And I think they deserve a place in the story, too.

Imagine following a guest through a personal journey, with the hotel's spaces and experiences woven into the narrative, before eventually bringing the story back to the people who made that experience possible.

Suddenly, we're no longer just looking at a hotel. We're seeing the people behind it and understanding why the experience feels the way it does.

That's the kind of connection I'd love to explore through this approach to hotel films.

Making it happen without the hotel's support

Now, here's the interesting part.

This wasn't an official collaboration with The Westin Jakarta. I didn't have the hotel's permission or support for the production, so I had to work within the limitations of filming as a guest.

That meant making do with what I could access, working around certain restrictions, and finding ways to bring the story together without being able to plan everything around the hotel itself.

Would it have been better with the hotel's support? Absolutely.

With proper collaboration, I'd have more opportunities to feature its unique facilities, work with the team behind the hotel, and plan scenes that would otherwise be difficult to arrange as a regular guest.

More importantly, the story could be developed together with the hotel, so that the narrative reflects not just my creative ideas, but also what makes the property special and what the team wants its guests to experience.

But I didn't want to keep waiting for the perfect opportunity.

I had an idea. I had a story I wanted to tell. And I wanted to see whether I could actually pull it off.

So, I went ahead and made it happen.

A little proud of this one

Looking back, I'm genuinely proud of what we've created.

Not because it's perfect, and certainly not because I think I've reinvented hotel videos. There's still plenty I'd love to improve, and I'm sure there are things I'd approach differently the next time around.

But there's something satisfying about finally turning an idea that's been sitting in your head into something you can actually watch.

I'm also really grateful to the talent who came on board and helped bring this idea to life. Having someone trust your vision and be willing to step into a story you've written makes a difference, especially when you're trying something you're not entirely sure will work.

There were plenty of things to think about, from the story and storyboard to the shots, timing, and how everything would come together in the edit.

And honestly, that's part of why I wanted to do this in the first place. I wanted to challenge myself, learn through the process, and see what happens when I stop thinking about an idea and actually do something about it.

Sometimes, I spend so much time thinking about the kind of work I want to make that I forget the most important step is simply getting started.

This project reminded me of that.

I don't know where this particular film will lead, or whether it'll open any doors. But at least now, when I talk about the kind of hotel films I'd love to create, I have something real to show for it.

Something I wrote, directed, and filmed myself.

And that feels pretty good.

Here's to making more things that excite me, taking a few creative risks, and hopefully finding the right people to collaborate with along the way.

One project at a time.

Written, directed and filmed by me.