Matthew James Stephen

Head Creative | Art Director | VFX & Post-Production Specialist

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A highly experienced creative professional with over two decades in the visual arts, animation, and post-production industries. Graduating with a National Diploma in Graphic Design (Illustration major) from Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 1996, Matthew’s early curiosity in motion design propelled him from static visuals into interactive and moving media.

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Self-taught in Flash scripting and HTML, he began his career in web design, progressing through corporate environments such as iTouch South Africa. By 2003, he transitioned into animation and video, joining Interactive Productions (Cape Town & Dubai) as an animator and later, Senior Art Director.

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In 2006, Matthew embarked on a successful freelance career, contributing to top agencies including Jupiter Drawing Room, Stonewall, Ogilvy Cape Town, and Platypus Productions. During this period, he also developed visual concepts for local feature films such as An African Tale and The Lion of Judah.

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From 2008 to 2011, he specialized in TV branding and advertising at Orijin New Media, co-directing campaigns like Mnet's Urban Bubbles and the award-winning Mnet Magic Studios.

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In 2012, he co-founded Motif Studios, and later helped establish Brave New World VFX — a dedicated feature film post-production unit. Under these banners, he contributed to major international productions including:

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• Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner Bros.)

• The Girl, Mary & Martha (HBO)

• Heatstroke, Seal Team 8

• The Brothers Grimsby (Sony)​

 

As Business Director at Motif, Matthew oversaw creative and technical teams, acted as Post-Production Supervisor on 100+ shots for Mad Max: Fury Road, and collaborated closely with VFX Supervisor Andrew Jackson.

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Since 2017, he has led creative direction at Alt Studios (formerly Hello Computer/Draft FCB Global) as Head Creative, where he continues to innovate across digital campaigns, animation, and visual storytelling.

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Core Skills & Specialties:

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• Art & Creative Direction

• Team Leadership & Supervising

• VFX Compositing (After Effects and Nuke)

• Digital Matte Painting

• Concept Art & Illustration

• 3D Modelling & Animation

• Traditional Media: Painting & Sculpting

• Post-Production Supervision