Meet Eze Matteo

We asked him a few questions to find out how he started his career in animation and what inspires him!

Tell us a bit about your childhood and how you developed a passion for drawing.

I have the mental picture of me and my older sister drawing and painting at the kitchen table. She made me draw as soon as I was able to hold a pencil. Since then, I have never stopped until smartphones replaced my sketch books.

Have you always known that you wanted to animate?

One day a kid at school showed me a two frame animated bee and I was amazed by the simplicity and power of it. I started doing flip books in the margin of class books for me and my friends, usually depicting the story of a jumping stick man with terrible endings.

Did you study illustration or animation at college?

I went to an artistic high school orientated in advertising. Then I studied Multimedia Design where I learnt a bit of everything.

Did you go straight into the industry? Or did you do other jobs along the way?

I got my first job as a Flash web designer as soon as I graduated from high school because I started using the software for fun at the age of 15. The I quit to work on-board a cruise ship which was a pretty fun experience. After that break, I got into another agency and continued my career.

Is there anyone who you admire or inspires you?

If I start naming studios and artists you’ll be scrolling until tomorrow. What I can say is that I was lucky to always be surrounded by super talented friends who keep doing amazing things. This of course motivates me to keep learning, growing, and moving forward.

What do you enjoy most about your career?

Sometimes I get too absorbed by work and then I realise I have the luck of making drawings move for a living and I can’t believe it. Bringing to life an idea that only existed in your head and is now playing on the screen feels so powerful.

What would be your dream job / project?

This is already my dream job but I mostly work solo, so I’d like to team up with some creative people more often.