Designing for the "Muscles from Brussels": A High-Velocity Creative Journey
Working with Jean-Claude Van Damme isn’t just a graphic design contract; it’s a masterclass in professional parkour. Over the years, my collaboration with the martial arts legend has spanned continents, time zones, and industries, from luxury horology to international film production. It has been a whirlwind of "Franglais," high-stakes deadlines, and a lesson in why a designer needs to be as agile as a kickboxer.
Round 1: The Luxury Kickoff
The journey began in 2010. Through the Digi-Work agency in Brussels, I was brought on to build the E-shop for the JCVD Swiss Chronographs collection. This wasn't just another retail site; it had to reflect the "stamped JCVD" brand, a mix of high-end Swiss precision and the rugged, iconic power of the man himself.
I was later told that the collaboration between the watch manufacturer and Jean-Claude Van Damme was short-lived. Following a dispute between them, the watch manufacturers ended their partnership. But from my perspective, as graphic designer, this was a successful debut that set the stage for a much more direct, personal partnership a few years later.
The Rodin Entertainment Years:
Ideas at Mach 1
By 2013, we reconnected via a mutual friend, and I was pulled into the inner orbit of Rodin Entertainment, Van Damme’s own production company.
If you think following a JCVD fight scene is intense, try following his creative process. Ideas fly in every direction at Mach 1. A briefing delivered at 9:00 AM might evolve by noon and be completely transformed by dinner. It was a constant exercise in adaptation. One day we were building his official website (The Official JCVD Portal); the next, I was deep into visual concepts for a film trilogy spanning Vancouver, Dubai, and Shanghai. The next week I received phone calls around midnight from JCVD regarding some new projects and ideas...
The "Franglais" Creative Sprint
The atmosphere was always electric. Working with Jean-Claude is exactly like his famous interviews: we would switch from French to English every two sentences. The enthusiasm is infectious, and the pace is "absolute urgency." We’d go from a total media blackout to a 24-hour sprint for an event in Cannes or a launch in Dubai. The projects were as diverse as they were ambitious:
The Triplets (TRIIIPLE IMPACT)
A TV series project where Jean-Claude Van Damme would play 3 different characters (three brothers) at different ages. A brother in his thirties, another one in his forties and a third one in his fifties. These visuals, quickly made from images taken from the internet and quickly retouched with Photoshop, served in this case only to illustrate a brief pitch of the series idea to potential producers linked to streaming platforms.
DUBAI FORCE : The Dubai Police Project
Visuals for a TV show where JCVD would train the real Dubai Police in martial arts.
After meeting with the Sheikh of Dubai, Jean-Claude Van Damme called me to share a new TV show concept he wanted to pitch to me. He envisioned a reality show where, day after day, JCVD would train the Dubai police force (who do not carry firearms). Even though the crime rate is near zero, the police patrol regularly and are always available to assist tourists in case of emergency. Their fleet of supercars, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and the like, serves to reinforce the Emirate’s image of security and modernity. In short, there was a wealth of potential material for a reality series featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a martial arts trainer. SO Jean-Claude needed my services again to help him visualize promotional posters to help him sell his idea to potential investors and producers.
Fashion TV
Redeveloping the branding for a high-profile series in the Emirates.
A few months later, still for the same project, only the "Fashion TV" channel had shown interest in broadcasting and co-financing it. So Jean-Claude asked me to rework the visuals, adding male and female models, then luxury cars (different brands on different poster versions depending on the target markets – European, Asian, American, and Indian) and then adding brighter lighting, a more glamorous and shiny typeface stating "Dubaï Force - Where Luxury Meets Justice", etc.
At one point, I was even asked to replace one of Dubai's iconic buildings with the Cayan Tower (known as the Infinity Tower) because one of the friends of the boss of Fashion TV was the developer and he was having trouble selling the last apartments. In the end, these posters were so overloaded with information that they were becoming difficult to decode.
A Quick Disclaimer on the Visuals:
While the final posters for Rodin Entertainment reached a high level of technical sophistication, they remain under strict "contractual lock and key." Since many years have passed since, I’ve included some "rejected essays" here for fun, a little glimpse into the sandbox, but the final results were far more polished than these early-stage experiments.
The photo-session
In order to work with higher-resolution material than what I had received by email (mostly low to medium-resolution images), I suggested to JCVD that he come to my photo studio to get better images for the final visuals. Initially reluctant, he agreed when I offered him a discount on my rates. That said, between his frequent travels between Los Angeles and Hong Kong at the time, a good six months passed between my request and the brief half-hour spent on the shoot.
The Final Showdown: The "Invoicing Script"
However, as any freelancer knows, the most difficult stunt isn't the split, it's getting paid.
While Jean-Claude is full of heart and energy, he is also a global "ghost" when he decides to. Chasing him to ask for his billing information meant chasing a man who was simultaneously in Knokke, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and London. Appointments were made, then postponed, then vanished into the ether.
"Be good to me on this first billing"
JCVD's first email to me regarding payment
When the "ghosting" became a bridge too far, I had to get a little creative with our technical skillset. I didn't just send messages or emails; I asked my developper, Stephane, to write a "JCVD custom script".
We set up an automated system that sent regular, persistent reminders to Jean-Claude, his manager, and his legal team in Los Angeles. The scripted emails cataloged every demand on their side, every hour worked, and every visual delivered. After several days/weeks of their inboxes being politely but relentlessly flooded with my "reminders," the endurance test finally ended. Tired of the digital siege, they finally agreed to settle the bill.
I later discovered through television documentaries that JCVD had a reputation for being cheap. It certainly connected the dots for me.
But looking back, it was a legendary and fun experience.
