Artist Documentary Director & Editor
I'm Robin Piree, a Dutch director and editor based in Dubai, working internationally with music artists, DJs, record labels, managers, and production companies.
I've spent years travelling with artists, filming their performances, following them on tour, and documenting what happens behind the scenes. That experience led to two feature-length documentaries about DJ Hardwell, multiple concerts for HAEVN and continues to shape how I approach music documentary filmmaking today.
Whether you're planning a documentary about an artist's career, an upcoming tour, or a particular chapter in their life, I'd love to hear what you have in mind.
Experience Making Music Documentaries
My experience with artist documentaries began in 2010, when I was asked to film a young Dutch DJ named Hardwell.
What started as a relatively small filming assignment developed into several years of travelling around the world, documenting his performances, career, and life on the road.
That journey resulted in two feature-length documentaries: I Am Hardwell (2013) and I Am Hardwell: Living the Dream(2015), both of which I directed.
During those years, I spent countless hours filming concerts, following touring schedules, talking with people around the artist, and working with the team to shape the footage into a documentary.
It gave me firsthand experience of what life around a touring musician is actually like, and how much of an artist's story takes place away from the stage.
Today, I bring that experience into my work as a documentary director and editor.
Selected Documentary & Concert Film Work
I Am Hardwell - if you can dream it you can do it
I directed the first I Am Hardwell documentary, following Hardwell's rise from a young Dutch DJ to an internationally recognised artist.
The film grew out of years of travelling with him, capturing performances, career milestones, and the people and experiences that shaped his journey.
Rather than relying entirely on interviews to explain what happened, we were often there to document events as they unfolded.
I Am Hardwell: Living the Dream
The second documentary followed Hardwell during his first solo world tour.
Filming across different countries meant dealing with constantly changing environments, demanding schedules, and unexpected situations.
The challenge was to find meaningful stories within that journey and bring performances, backstage moments, interviews, and personal experiences together into a coherent film.
You can explore the films and see behind-the-scenes material on my I Am Hardwell documentary project page.
HAEVN — Live in Carré
Another relevant concert film is HAEVN – Live in Carré, recorded at the Royal Theatre Carré in Amsterdam.
The performance brings together HAEVN's cinematic sound with a string quartet, the G-Roots Gospel Choir, and special guests including Neco Novellas and Lily Meola.
It's a good example of how a live performance can become a film in its own right, capturing not just the music but also the atmosphere, musicianship, and connection between the artists and their audience.
Artist Documentary Filmmaking
Every artist has a different story, and not every documentary needs to follow the same format.
I work with artists and their teams to develop the creative direction and find an approach that suits the subject, the material, and what they want to communicate.
Artist & DJ Documentaries
Some documentaries follow an artist's development over several years. Others focus on a turning point, a particular release, or an important period in their career.
The goal is to find the story behind the music and create a film that offers something more personal than a collection of performances and interviews.
Tour & Behind-the-Scenes Documentaries
Tour documentaries can show the contrast between life on stage and everything that happens around it.
Travel, rehearsals, preparations, conversations, challenges, and quieter moments can all become part of the story.
Depending on the project, that might mean documenting an entire tour, following selected dates, or focusing on a specific period.
Concert Documentaries
A concert documentary can combine live performances with interviews, backstage footage, and the events surrounding a show.
Some projects are primarily about the performance itself. Others use the concert as part of a wider story about the artist.
I can help develop the creative approach and discuss which format makes the most sense for your project, including shorter documentaries or episodes where appropriate.
Documenting Life on Tour
One of the most valuable experiences I've had as a filmmaker was spending extended periods travelling with music artists.
During the Hardwell documentaries, I experienced the rhythm of touring firsthand: airports, hotels, rehearsals, production meetings, long travel days, and the sudden change from a quiet backstage environment to performing in front of thousands of people.
Being around that environment for so long taught me to recognise moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Sometimes the most interesting part of a documentary isn't the biggest performance. It might be a conversation before the show, an unexpected problem, or a quiet moment after everyone else has left.
I also learned how important it is to understand the people and routines around an artist.
A documentary crew needs to work within that environment while gathering the material needed to tell the story. My experience on tour helps me approach those situations with a practical understanding of how touring teams operate.
Beyond the Performance
A great live performance can be an important part of an artist documentary, but performances alone don't necessarily tell the whole story.
What interests me is the relationship between the artist, their music, and everything happening around them.
What are they working towards? What challenges are they dealing with? Why does a particular moment matter?
Those questions help determine what is worth filming and how the material might eventually connect.
Sometimes that means following events as they happen. Sometimes it involves interviews, carefully planned scenes, or looking back through existing footage.
I approach documentary direction with the final film in mind, while leaving room for unexpected moments that can change the direction of the story.
Working With Artists, Managers & Production Teams
Documentaries can begin in different ways.
An artist might have a personal story they want to share. A management team may be planning a film around an album release or tour. A production company might already have a concept and need an experienced documentary director or editor.
I'm comfortable joining projects at different stages.
Creative Direction & Filming
My work focuses on the creative side of documentary filmmaking.
Depending on the project, I can help develop the concept, identify potential storylines, direct the filming, capture documentary material, and oversee the creative direction through post-production.
I work closely with artists and their teams to understand what they want the film to communicate and how to approach the story.
Collaborating With Production Partners
For productions involving larger crews, extensive travel, multiple locations, or more complicated requirements, I collaborate with production companies that handle the practical side of production.
That can include crew arrangements, equipment, permits, scheduling, and other logistics.
My responsibility remains focused on the film's creative direction and storytelling, while the production team manages the arrangements needed to make it happen.
If you already have a production company or touring crew in place, I'm happy to discuss how I could fit into the existing team.
Documentary Editing & Post-Production
Editing has always been an important part of my filmmaking work.
With documentary projects, you often end up with material from different cameras, locations, performances, interviews, and moments that weren't planned in advance.
The challenge is to find the story within that footage.
Having worked as both a director and editor, I think about how scenes might connect long before everything reaches the editing suite.
During post-production, the focus shifts to finding a clear narrative, building sequences, establishing rhythm, and deciding which moments deserve more space.
Sometimes that means putting together an energetic performance sequence. Other times, it means allowing a quiet conversation to play out without unnecessary cuts.
I also work on editing projects independently of directing, depending on the footage, creative requirements, and agreed scope.
You can learn more about my editing work.
Artist Documentary Questions
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Yes, travelling with artists has been an important part of my filmmaking experience.
I spent several years accompanying Hardwell on tour to document his career and performances. For new projects, international filming depends on the locations, schedule, production arrangements, and scope.
I'm based in Dubai and open to discussing documentary projects worldwide.
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Yes. I regularly collaborate with artists, managers, labels, producers, and other creative professionals.
If your team already has a documentary concept, filming schedule, or production company in place, we can discuss where my experience as a director or editor would be most useful.
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Absolutely. The balance depends on the story you're trying to tell.
Live performances can provide powerful moments, while interviews, backstage footage, and everyday experiences help audiences understand the artist beyond the music.
Both can be brought together within a documentary's creative structure.
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Potentially, yes.
Existing footage can help document moments that would otherwise be impossible to recreate, especially when a project covers a longer period.
I'd need to understand what footage is available, its technical quality, the relevant permissions, and how it could contribute to the film before deciding on an approach.
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You don't need a completed documentary concept to get in touch.
A short introduction to the artist, the story you want to explore, and any important dates or upcoming events is a good starting point.
If you already have footage, a production team, creative references, or a particular release in mind, feel free to include those details.
Have an Artist Documentary in Mind?
Whether you're an artist, manager, record label, or production company, I'd be happy to hear about the documentary you're considering.
Maybe you've been collecting footage for years. Perhaps there's an upcoming tour you want to document, or a story you feel is worth telling.
You don't need to have everything figured out before contacting me.
Tell me a little about the project, where things stand, and what you're hoping to create.
Let's see if we can turn it into a film.