We had the good fortune of connecting with Basil Schneeberger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Basil, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
At the end of 2020, I founded a production company called Heimat Films. I noticed people in the film industry are always in the search of the right team and collaborators to work with. Whether this was in my home country in Switzerland or in film school at USC in Los Angeles, filmmakers naturally end up building teams of individuals that are on the same frequencies in terms of workflow and creativity. It makes perfect sense, it takes a lot of people to make a film and it’s not an easy process. Yet I told myself, these teams could benefit from a professional apparatus! An entity that allows them to be more credible and promote their work as a group. That thought process motivated me to create a company with a bunch of friends that are keen on defining a brand and a style we are all passionate about. The company would also serve as a networking tool and a hub for filmmakers to get together and share knowledge. And that’s exactly where I want to be, surrounded by endless groups of passionate people.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Heimat Films is a small creative production company that specializes in developing and producing authentic branded films. Instead of the heavy tropes of direct product placement, we are more interested in crafting non-standardized advertisement that tells a story about a brand. We try to distinguish ourselves by using a humanistic approach to filmmaking and finding universal elements that almost every individual can connect with. It’s a beautiful phenomenon to be able to tell short stories that reach more than just the target audience. It’s a dream.

This is the second production company I have founded. The first one was in my home country in Switzerland where it took several years to understand the market which wasn’t even that big. Yet now, being in the United States and in the hub of the entertainment industry, it’s an interesting challenge to navigate within such a saturated market. So far, I see that in today’s society it’s not anymore about what you do, it’s about who you are as a person. This is great and has been such a good lesson to understand that authenticity, clarity, and transparency is the new path to success. With Heimat Films, my goal is to find brands that are willing to invest in high qualitative productions, stories about people, and a message that best represents the brand’s universe.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Whenever my friends from Switzerland come visit me in LA I love taking them to different breakfast areas. First thing is first, Brea Bakery or Fratelli Café on Melrose. For lunch, we’d hop over to Venice and go to my absolute favorite pizza spot Gjelina. There you can get a savory slice of pizza. I always laugh when saying this, but I think it’s the best pizza I’ve ever had. I grew up close to the Italian border, so it means something (sorry Italian friends!). For a digestive walk, I always suggest strolling through Main Street and maybe grabbing an ice-cold beer at the Jameson Pub. If someone still has some energy, we finish it off with a beautiful bike ride along the coast to watch the sunset and all the Instagram influencers. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Peter Schüpback – my first official boss when I worked in the world of Swiss e-commerce. He is the man who allowed me to discover my passion and taught me that every problem can be dealt with in an optimistic and motivated manner. Can’t thank him enough.

Website: http://basilschneeberger.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/basilschneeb/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/basil-schneeberger-9a98505a

Twitter: https://twitter.com/basilschneeb

Image Credits
Image credits: Heimat Films Andrea Wüest Santiago Gómez

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