Matthew Nelson is a Newcastle-based freelancer specialising in videography as well as working in a digital marketing and technical solutions role with the University of Newcastle.

From a young age, Matt always had an inquisitive relationship with technology and yearned to explore how it all interworked. Now, he strives to be continually pushing both his boundaries of creative expression, as well as the boundaries of what’s capable in every piece of film equipment.

• What career path lead you to where you are now?

My work at the University of Newcastle involves digital marketing with a bit of technical solutions and a lot of design and creative work. Ever since a young age, I’ve always had an inkling for cameras, taking photography and shooting different things that I see. From there, it sort of exponentially built up upon itself. It started with a GoPro that I used to shoot me surfing or riding around on my motor bike. I got a really deep passion for it and, as a result, started buying much more expensive equipment and trying different creative processes. The next thing you know, I’m doing a lot of things for different people in the public sector and private sector.

• What motivates and drives you?

Definitely family, friends and my girlfriend. They’re the people I do a lot of this work for. It’s very rewarding see my parents’ faces light up when I create a new video or showcase something different. Even the people that I shoot for, it’s really great having some sort of positive impact on their life, however big or small that may be. They’ve provided a great foundation for me to build a successful life upon and that’s what I’m really trying to do throughout this whole process.

• What has been the biggest learning curve in your career so far?

Biggest learning curve? Definitely not taking things to heart, especially coming from a creative angle. You produce content for someone and you may be working eight to ten hours on this one idea or this one video and to have it criticised by someone. Although it’s constructive criticism, it’s also great to not take that that too seriously or take it too personally. Having thick skin, I think definitely helps and taking on any feedback as positive feedback, even though sometimes you might misconstrue it yourself as being negative. That’s certainly something that you need to have in this industry.

• Where do you think you’d like to be in the next ten years?

Well, I always sort of say to myself that my hero in ten years, is me in ten years’ time, which sounds a bit funny. But, honestly in ten years’ time, I’d like to be working a lot more collaboratively with people in the Newcastle region. Working on projects, short films, basically socialising with people who have a similar creative mind like myself and working with those like-minded people to produce some amazing content.

• Have you had any significant Hunter-based mentors during your career that inspire you?

I wouldn’t say significant Hunter-based mentors, but certainly you go on social media these days and you see the amazing work a lot of other people are doing, so I get a lot of inspiration from that. I’d love to pinpoint one exact person, but I like taking in as much as I can and working through what they do and seeing if I can use it in some of my own work. Aside from that, certainly my colleagues at the University help me as well, so I’d like to say they’re my mentors too; they continually push me.

With thanks to Hunter Young Professionals who Hunter Headline collaborated with to source this interviewee.