m25 founders series: 116 Pictures’s Gordon Westman

m25’s Founders Series celebrates the real people behind productions. In an era where AI can churn out endless content in minutes, it’s easy to forget that true creativity still begins with a human spark. Behind every seamless shoot, every cross‑border collaboration, and every bold production decision lies a person whose vision and persistence make it possible.

 

This chapter turns the spotlight on Gordon Westman, part of the driving force behind 116 Pictures in Bangkok and Vietnam. Westman’s vision was to bridge East and West, bringing international creative expectations into Vietnam while nurturing local talent. His career in Asia, with 116 at its core for the past decade, led to the expansion into Bangkok seven years ago, providing the infrastructure to scale from boutique spots to complex multi-market campaigns.

Origin Story You’ve built yourself into a trusted production and facilitation partner in Vietnam and across Southeast Asia. Can you take us back to the moment you decided to establish the company here, what or who inspired you, and what was your vision for it?
We started with a simple idea: bring international creative expectations into Vietnam without losing the authenticity of how things work on the ground, and encourage emerging talent in an amazing emerging market. Vietnam gave us energy and ambition, Bangkok gave us scale and access. That’s when the business took shape. It gave us a base where directors and agencies from Europe, the US, and Asia could all meet in the same production language craft first, no shortcuts.

From Global Experience to Local Expertise You’ve worked in multiple markets, but Vietnam has become a creative home base as well as Bangkok. How has your international background influenced the way you approach production in these markets?
I feel fortunate to have spent 15 years working in Asia, with 116 at the heart of that journey for the past decade. Vietnam became my creative home base. Its energy and ambition are addictive. Seven years ago, we opened our Bangkok office, which gave us the infrastructure and depth to operate on a bigger stage, scaling from boutique spots to complex multi-market campaigns. Craft is universal, but culture is not. My greatest joy is making images grounded in southeast asian sensibilities.I learned early that I really enjoyed the way things are done in this part of the world. That’s been our DNA from the start.

In Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City, together, those two production pillars give us the inventive flexibility we enjoy, & love to share.

Defining Projects Is there one commercial or feature film project that stands out for its complexity, ambition, or cultural impact?
In the commercial space there have been so many great projects, & we have enjoyed a couple of passion projects over the years, including a Vietnamese Feature film,“Nữ Đại Gia” (The Rich Woman) which achieved great commercial success, & more recently our short film “Love without Borders “ really surprised us on the festival circuit last year with a dozen nominations & three gongs.

But honestly, it’s the people behind the work that define us.

How do you balance creative ambition with practical constraints?
Balancing ambition with constraint is part of the craft, & we are very ambitious.
Our role is to protect the essence of creative agency, creators ideas and client while engineering the smartest way to execute them. Sometimes that’s about knowing where to push for detail, and sometimes it’s about knowing what to leave behind. Good production to us involves a little bit of magic every time.

With crews whether local or international it’s all about alignment. In Vietnam, there’s a natural agility; in Bangkok, there’s depth of infrastructure and crew experience. No matter where or who we are shooting with, we pride ourselves on our communication skills, communication systems & training. Once everyone buys into that, it stops being about “budget versus ambition” and becomes about the craft of problem-solving. We like to think that creators and agencies trust us. It’s always about making the final work feel bigger than the sum of its parts.

Industry Evolution in Vietnam How has the film and commercial production landscape in Vietnam evolved over the past decade?
To my mind it’s a cliche these days to suggest before there wasn’t much, & now there is everything you could need. It’s true, but that misses the real resource here. Before there were great people, with a hunger and a passion, & now there are more great people, with a hunger and a passion and pathways to achieve that. The appetite for detail, performance, and design has matured. The ecosystem around production equipment, post, and talent has grown to match the ambition.

Looking ahead, it seems the change that will most influence the region’s role globally is connectivity. Our Bangkok office gave us a front row seat to how Thailand positioned itself internationally. Vietnam is heading in the same direction fast. Brands and agencies from around the world are starting to see Southeast Asia not just as a collection of markets, but as a regional production hub where we can move seamlessly between Vietnam, Thailand, and beyond. That shift from isolated shoots to integrated regional production is very apparent.

Technology & Innovation With new digital tools, virtual production, and AI reshaping the industry, how is 116 integrating these innovations into its workflow?
Everyone is talking about AI as if it will reinvent the industry overnight. To me, it feels like the neon noise of the Saigon and Bangkok streets. I love loud, exciting, but not the whole story.

We don’t chase every new tool. We quietly test what genuinely improves the work, then adopt it not just in final output, but across the company. AI is already integrated into all facets of our process, including the back office. Our long-standing VR partnership with Final Pixel in Bangkok has been especially rewarding.

Film craft has always evolved with technology. Sometimes that means AI helping us explore ideas before a shoot, or virtual production solving location and scheduling challenges. But we never mistake the tech for the idea it’s a tool, like a lens or a light.

Our philosophy: embrace innovation, let it work in the background, and keep it invisible in the final piece. Authenticity of image no matter how it’s created remains the most powerful form of communication.

Inspiring the Next Generation What advice would you give to young filmmakers, producers, and crew members who want to work on world‑class productions?
I’m at the stage of my career where one of my greatest joys is walking into the office and feeling the energy of the next generation coming through. There must be some kind of energy feedback loop built into humans that helps us inspire one another to be greater. We rarely hire from outside. From the start, our philosophy has been to train people from the ground up, commit long-term, and mentor them closely. Our most trusted seniors started with us as juniors and grew into their roles. Come with the mindset that you’re here to learn, and that every challenge is part of the process.

In today’s environment, the skills that matter are adaptability and communication.

You can be technically brilliant, but if you can’t collaborate across cultures, languages, or time zones, you’ll struggle. Our shoots bring together people from Vietnam, Thailand, Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand and the ones who thrive are those who can listen, translate ideas, and still hold the line on craft. Failure & miss-steps are learning opportunities. Don’t be afraid to fail. Learn to become anti-fragile and remember: don’t chase shortcuts, don’t get blinded by hype. Focus on the work, make each project better than the last. You’re only ever as good as your last job.

Looking Ahead As you look toward 2025–2026, what trends, market movements, or new ways of working do you foresee shaping the industry in Vietnam and Southeast Asia?
Well, there will be less competition for sure! This season feels a little like El Niño it will sort out who’s strongest and smartest among us. Jokes aside, we don’t see the next two years being defined by one “big shift.” It’s more about the convergence of several forces. For Southeast Asia, three stand out:

Regionalisation of production. Agencies and brands are no longer thinking in single markets. They’re looking at Southeast Asia as an integrated hub — and Vietnam and Thailand together offer a mix of scale, cost control, and craft that few regions can match.

Talent maturity. A generation of Vietnamese filmmakers are no longer just supporting international teams, they’re leading departments, challenging their Thai counterparts, and raising the bar across the board.

Selective use of technology. AI, remote workflows, and virtual production are here to stay. But the real differentiation will come from who uses them intelligently not as cost-cutting gimmicks, but as tools to elevate creativity.

We’re positioning ourselves right at that intersection: building regional capability, nurturing talent from within, and applying technology with intention. It’s less about chasing trends more about shaping the ecosystem we want to be part of.

Some Lighthearted questions:

First Vietnamese word you learned?
“chuẩn bị” = READY, STANDBY,,,,,

Favourite street food in Saigon?
Wow, there are so many….the Vietnamese love to eat! But “bún chả” is the one for me. , which is actually Hanoian Im constantly told. Delicate Rice noodles, smokey grilled pork and a bowl of sweet, salty and sour fish sauce. Flavor to taste with a side dish of local seasonal herbs, too much chilli & a local beer poured over Ice. Served just as Bourdain loved it, on a small plastic stool, on the side of the street.

Coffee order?
Đen đá không đường Black. Iced. hold the sugar.

The most cinematic location in Vietnam?
Ninh Binh. Can’t Beat it. An amazing ancient landscape, with limestone pinnacles rising out of a carpet of perfect rice fields.

Go‑to wrap party drinks?
Secret bars are my favourite…. With lush dark rooms we can all inhabit the wind down. & I’ll keep them a secret.

Hidden gem for scouting?
District 5 HCMC. The old china town. It always takes time for her to reveal her secrets, but a little more effort & she always rewards with something unexpected.

A song that instantly puts you in a Vietnamese mood?
Ha! There are so many, and films… Films… Scent of Green Papaya, Cyclo…Music, Phương Tâm.

One thing you always pack for a shoot?
Cash. LOL.

Best piece of advice from a local crew member?
Don’t eat that one boss. LOL.

If 116 Pictures were a Vietnamese dish?
That’s easy… cá hấp xì dầu. Traditional Vietnamese steamed fish. Silky whole fish, moist flesh, a ton of vegetables ginger, mushrooms, onions, bean paste that provide addictive aromatics. A spectacle dish, made to share full of chit chat while it’s cooking, & then usually the table falls silent once everyone starts to enjoy what we have made together.