UK-born Tim Mattia knows how to capture energy – of a song, an artist, an event, a story. Having got his start shooting amateur music and skate videos for friends, Tim’s innate skill behind the camera was soon recognized by the iconic NME Magazine, for which he spent years capturing the energy and emotion of live shows.
Tim’s highly visual aesthetic carried over to director of photography stints, including coverage for the likes of Coldplay, Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Florence + The Machine and My Chemical Romance. From there, the world of music videos naturally came calling.
After moving to the U.S. to focus on photography and directing, Tim began working with a diverse slate of artists including The 1975 (for whom Tim has directed 6 videos), H.E.R, Ellie Goulding, Sam Hunt, Halsey, and The Killers, to name a few. Tim’s narrative treatments have not only featured some of music’s biggest artists, but also acclaimed film and TV actors, such as the heartstring-tugging video for Chris Stapleton’s ‘Fire Away’ starring Ben Foster and Margarita Levieva. The stunningly tragic piece highlighted mental health awareness and took home the CMA Award for Video of the Year, plus the CMT Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year.
That same year, Tim was nominated for an MTV VMA for Troye Sivan’s “Blue Neighbourhood a long-form music video trilogy that was hailed for its honest depiction of homosexual teen struggles and self-identity. He’s also received a nod for his work with twenty one pilots, for a music video that dealt with violence and mental health. Ultimately, Tim won a Moonman for Best Dance Video for Zedd and Alessia Cara’s “Stay”, which dramatically highlighted the difference that one second can make in a person’s life.
Further showcasing his willingness to explore difficult themes, Tim’s video for Hurts’ “Beautiful Ones” pushed boundaries with its reverse chronology and intense documentation of a transgender man’s assault. Praised by the LGBTQ community, the piece received a Best Music Video nomination at the renowned Camerimage Film Festival.
Tim has brought his cinematic eye and built-in cool factor to the advertising space to helm brand campaigns for Levi’s, Ember, Belstaff, and more.
