Matt Downer

Background

Matt made his first video at the age of 11 — a short film with characters made from plasticine — which must have gone down okay, because he decided to make films for a living.

At college, Matt studied Moving Image — film composition, how to use light and dark, visual storytelling — along with Media, how different brands communicate messages. After this, a degree in TV and Video Production covered everything from scriptwriting, filming and cinematography to post-production, editing and sound.

From university, Matt worked at Vistage as their in-house videographer. Event filming was a big part of this job, as well as creating video content.

Matt has grown up with YouTube, so he’s seen the evolution of digital video from the beginning. While he loves TV, it’s the new age of digital video that excites him the most.

Current role

In 2020, Matt joined Videofrog as their Production Manager. He enjoys the variety, working with various types of businesses. No two days are the same. He can be shooting at a corporate office in the City on Monday, then flying a drone in the Cotswolds on Tuesday.

The best thing about the job is seeing projects through from beginning to end. Matt will take the phone call, listen to what’s needed and offer creative ideas. After that, he’ll sort out the logistics — the script, locations, actors, plus all the kit and vehicles that are needed.

Then there’s the filming process. On set, Matt doesn’t just direct the shoot. He’s also thinking ahead to the edit, making sure that when he gets to the editing suite, the footage can be distilled into a clear, concise message.

Favourite things

• Film: “Back to the Future. It’s a classic and it stands the test of time. The special effects still work today, the story is so clever and there are lovable characters. I even saw the musical last year.”
• Food: “I really like cooking Japanese food, but that might sound a bit pretentious. Anything from Asia.”
• Fantasy job: “I’d be a baker, mainly for the smell of freshly baked bread. I did a lot of baking during lockdown and it wasn’t a disaster.”
• Fantasy dinner party guest: “Richard Ayoade because he’s a bit awkward and wears glasses like me. Also, he’s really into cinema and has directed some great films.”
• Spare time stuff: “Cooking and running which, admittedly, doesn’t sound terribly exciting.”
• Claim to fame: “I once met Sir Ian McKellen in a Winchester theatre and offered him a fruit pastel. He said, `Yes’.”