THE ORIGIN OF MĀTAI MEDIA & MĀTAI COLLECTIVE

Mātai Media is an internationally roaming content-creation company that was born in Aotearoa, New Zealand. We collaborate with clients and organisations from all over the globe who work towards having a positive impact, whose values and philosophies care for and benefit the social, political and environmental spheres of our world.

The word Mātai has many meanings in Te Reo Māori, a language of Aotearoa (New Zealand) and of the ancestors of the Founder of Mātai Media, Lu Davidson. Mataī is a strong and powerful native tree of Aotearoa, whilst Mātai also means to gaze upon longingly or to investigate and observe, the motivation for the content we produce. Mātai Media grows from these meanings – connecting strong respect for the natural environment and the desire to create work that inspires positive action whilst being inquisitive.

Mātai Collective was formed as an opportunity to collaborate with creatives from all over the world. Sharing our various skills and experience adds to our fresh, unique style.

OUR PEOPLE

PEPEHA

Ko Rakaumangamanga te taketea
Ko Taumerere te awa
Ko Ngatokimatawharua te waka
Ko Karetu toku turangawaewae
Ko Karetu toku marae
Ko Ngāti Manu te hapu
Ko Ngā Puhi te iwi
Ko Louise tōku ingoa
No Poneke ahau

Lu supports others to clarify and communicate their calling, simplifying complicated messages for new audiences, aiming to captivate and educate. With a post-grad in Natural History Filmmaking & Science Communication, Lu has made documentaries for a wide range of clients, including consultancies and public sector, taught filmmaking in the Himalayas, Europe and New Zealand, worked as an Expedition Videographer between Canada and Antarctica and received International Awards for her short films. She isn’t afraid to test new boundaries and mash-up genres, all in the name of storytelling. As well as creating most of Mātai Media’s video productions, Lu also offers mentoring for storytelling and videography.

JESS PAPINI
Copywriter // Photographer // Anthropologist
Mātai Collective Dream-Team Member

In 2012 she left her safety zone in the mini-metropolis of Adelaide to solo travel extensively around the world with one companion: a Nikon D5200. In this time, she has volunteered in social projects, taught English, proofread academic papers, copy-written for various genres and explored areas, enabling her to photograph and write about various cultures and environments, all the while utilizing anthropological methods to do so. She is currently studying a Masters in Spatial Designs and Society at Roskilde University and has a continued drive to apply her interdisciplinary background to give urban studies, social and health science-informed advice and content creation. Check out her photography here and here writing portfolio here.

BRUNA MIGUEL
Strategist // Translator // Creative Writer
Mātai Collective Dream-Team Member

Bruna has her roots in Portugal. Since 2012, she has been exploring the world and ultimately settled in Berlin. With an undergrad in Financial Mathematics and a Masters in International Business from a British university, she has been mostly working in client acquisition and online marketing management. Throughout her postgraduate degree, she specialized in Corporate Social Responsibility. The CSR focus comes in line with her life-long passion for animal welfare and social-environmental causes. She had also gained experience in translating, creating content and teaching through various projects. To unwind from reality or to reconnect with the world, you might find Bruna writing, running, hiking, photographing or looking for new adventures.

LORNA McDOWELL
Content Writer // Edgy Editor // Copy-chica
Mātai Collective Associate

Lorna is a lifelong idealist with an affinity for writing and editing. After growing up in the Midlands, UK, she lived in London for over a decade where she studied, worked across the nonprofit and private sectors, volunteered for social initiatives, and had many adventures. Her studies focused on the English language, visual cultures and bringing objects to life by telling important social and political stories. Lorna relocated to Berlin in 2018 to manage content for an NGO focused on transforming the global food system into one that’s plant-based and sustainable. As well as being experienced in writing for a diverse range of audiences, industries and campaigns, her skills include copywriting, blogging, copy-editing, and creating impactful website copy. She now works as an online editor for an experimental, research-lead platform focused on the Anthropocene.

PREVIOUSLY ASSOCIATED GURUS OF MĀTAI MEDIA

Here are some of the incredible humans Mātai Media has been privileged to work with over the years:

BEKA WHALE
Maker // Illustrator // Urban Farmer
Collaborator for epic Sci Comm animation projects.

Beka is a multidisciplinary creative, bringing soul and human expressivity to the work. She has a colourful wealth of experience, working across the realms of theatre and film, social enterprise, youth empowerment, product development, sustainability/resilience and urban farming. She’s a powerhouse with a toolkit, prioritising beauty and simplicity, bringing the handmade to the digital. Nothing is too wild for this Whale. We work with her on digital animations, film projects and other multimedia campaigns. Check out her work with the League of Live Illustrators and her website.

JOSIE GALBRAITH
Illustrator // Scientist
Collaborator for epic Sci Comm animation projects.

Josie, with a Science PhD in the pipe-line recently decided to bring her bad-ass drawing skills into the spotlight. Excuses are not a part of her mentality, giving the middle-finger to her neurological condition which threatens the motor-skills in her hands. Her next adventure will take her to the States for research into her rare condition, all the while sketching-up-a-storm. Her forays typically involve birds, animal behaviour, invasive species, or urban ecology and dressing up like a pirate.

BETSY BAUER
Editor // All-round Bad-ass
Occasional Editor and Production Assistant of Mātai Media.

Since emigrating from the UK in 2011, Betsy has worked in film and TV in Wellington and is currently rocking the world of the legendary Weta Workshop. Having worked on award-winning documentary television series’, films that have screened at Cannes and New York, and mentoring Kiwi youth on filmmaking and editing, she loves sinking her teeth into any new challenge. A great friendship has grown between Lu and Betsy with many productions, gallons of English Breakfast tea and cosy hand-warmers.

CHAR HAYES
Filmmaker // Humble Mastermind
Occasional Executive Producer/Mental-Health Supporter/Actress/Co-editor of Mātai Media.

As though donning a onesie on camera to inspire people to give-a-damn about climate change isn’t enough proof of this woman’s brilliant attitude, her fresh perspective for scripts and editing makes her one of Lu greatest allies in the pursuit of powerful storytelling. She has collaborated on many productions with Mātai Media, whilst juggling an array of positive initiatives: coordinating festivals, building cafes, supporting political campaigns and being a general super-human.

CARLA BRAUN-ELWERT
Filmmaker // Editor // Legendary Mountaineer
Spontaneous colour-grader and enthusiastic advocate of Mātai Media.

Carla grew up in Lake Tekapo, where at age 14, she became the youngest person to climb New Zealand’s highest mountain with her late father, mountain guide Gottlieb Braun-Elwert. With an Honours’ degree in Biochemistry and a Masters in Natural History Filmmaking, she has edited multiple award-winning nature documentaries and made her own first feature-length adventure documentary, “Symphony on Skis”. When not in the edit suite, Carla thrives on the “mountain bit” of mountain filmmaking.