Shelf turned “I think” into “we know.”
Every shoot now begins with certainty: the right gear, on time, every time.
From Chaos to Clarity
How Fabel Film Built a Bulletproof Production Workflow with Shelf
When your entire gear system lives in one person’s head, every vacation becomes a crisis.
For Johannes van Beeck, Technical Director at Fabel Film, that pressure finally snapped during a last-minute shoot when he couldn’t find “one extra camera.”
That moment of panic triggered a transformation—from fragile memory to scalable system.
At a Glance
- Zero double bookings after moving to Shelf
- Entire days of creative time regained each month
- Predictable, delegation-ready workflow across all shoots
- Real-time visibility for producers, operators, and gaffers
- Proactive accountability replacing reactive firefighting
About Fabel Film
Operating from Tilburg, Netherlands, Fabel Film embodies Brabants craftsmanship and tight-knit collaboration.
The 14-person in-house team scales to 30 + on set and controls every step of production—from concept to delivery.
“We are a rather small team and work a lot together for a long time. We do almost everything in house. We are Brabants.”
— Johannes van Beeck, Technical Director
Website: fabel.film
Industry: Commercial Video Production
Assets Managed: 238
Shelf Plan: Team (since 2023)
The Challenge — When Memory Becomes a Liability
Before Shelf, equipment planning existed only in Johannes’ head.
“Hahah mostly in my head. I put all the gear needed for production on the agenda.”
That worked until productions overlapped.
A forgotten note, a misread calendar entry—and suddenly two shoots needed the same camera.
“Double bookings is the reason I wanted to use Shelf. The moment I had to fix a last-minute extra camera.”
The hidden costs were brutal: lost time, constant interruptions, and the risk of disappointing clients. Every project relied on one person’s memory; every delay dented professional trust.
The Solution — Turning Tribal Knowledge into Team Visibility
Johannes discovered Shelf through a friend—conveniently, Shelf’s founder Carlos Virreira—but he was already searching for structure.
“I discovered Shelf through my friend Carlos. I was looking for an asset management tool.”
Implementation took patience, not persuasion.
“It took some time. Change needs time. There was no resistance. But people needed to implement it in workflow.”
The Game-Changer: Bookings with Kits
“Bookings with kits. Making sure there is no double booking.”
That feature alone turned Shelf into the operational backbone of the company—one screen showing who has what, when, and why.
The Transformation — From Bottlenecks to Bulletproof Shoots
Before Shelf, a single person carried the system:
- Gear tracked in memory and paper notes
- Producers dependent on Johannes for availability
- Double bookings, forgotten gear, and late preps
- Broken equipment discovered on set
After Shelf, the workflow became a shared discipline:
- Producers start bookings with essentials
- Technical crew adds specialized gear
- Operators prep directly from digital lists
- Anyone can finalize gear the day before
- Real-time status eliminates overlap and confusion
“Now multiple personnel can make a reservation for what they need for a shoot. Or a producer can start a booking and ask a technical person to add stuff. Way more streamlined.”
The result isn’t just convenience—it’s resilience.
Shelf ensures that every project can run smoothly even when Johannes isn’t in the building.
Results — Predictability Over Panic
Zero Double Bookings
The nightmare that once defined their workflow is gone.
Every shoot now begins with certainty: the right gear, on time, every time.
Shelf turned “I think” into “we know.”
Days of Creative Time Recovered
Time saved on planning, and having no worries compunds into entire days of reclaimed creative energy each month.
Those hours no longer vanish into planning chaos—they fuel better shoots, faster turnarounds, and new ideas.
“Because someone else can easily prep the gear.”
Delegation used to be risky; now it’s built into the system.
Reliability as Culture
“Less missing gear for sure! Also people notify if stuff is broken so I don’t find out on the next set.”
Shelf didn’t just digitize assets—it changed behavior.
Team members now report damage proactively and share responsibility for readiness.
The workflow itself enforces professionalism.
Why This Matters
In production, reliability is reputation.
One missing light, one late setup, one double booking—and a client’s confidence evaporates.
Fabel Film’s transformation replaced uncertainty with control.
Johannes no longer operates as the bottleneck; he operates as the creative lead again.
“It takes some time to implement. But it’s more than worth it.”
Lessons for Other Studios
- Adoption takes time—but the payoff is exponential.
- Start with your biggest pain point. Double bookings usually hide deeper chaos.
- Empower collaboration. Visibility builds accountability.
- Treat process as brand protection. Clients feel the difference when prep is flawless.
From Dependence to Freedom
By shifting from a memory-based process to a transparent system, Fabel Film unlocked two kinds of growth:
Operational Resilience
- No single point of failure
- Consistent pre-production rhythm
- Easier hand-offs and delegation
Creative Freedom
- Fewer interruptions for the technical lead
- More time for storytelling and craft
- Teamwide confidence every shoot will launch on schedule
Ready to Eliminate Chaos?
Fabel Film proves that even small, close-knit teams can achieve enterprise-level reliability.
Shelf isn’t about tracking gear—it’s about protecting your reputation and giving your creatives their time back.
👉 Schedule a demo to see how Shelf can turn uncertainty into advantage.
When Fabel Film’s equipment management lived in one person’s head, every shoot was a gamble. Discover how they turned panic into predictability—and reclaimed days of creative time every month.
Commercial Video Production
30+
2013
