Alex Zepherin

The @guardian short documentary #GiveMeShelter has been nominated for an Emmy💪🏾💪🏽💪🏼💪🏻⚡️⚡️⚡️ We are extremely proud to have contributed to such a powerful story surrounding Tina Frundt, one of Washington D.C.’s leading specialists in protecting children from sex trafficking. @az_does_motion_design ,@madeleinedesalu and Britney worked tirelessly producing two animated segments, as well as rotoscoping frame by frame the young girls filmed to protect their identities. This was indeed close to our hearts, and vindication that animation will always be a beautiful medium for storytelling. Thank you again to the @guardian for trusting us, and fingers crossed we win⚡️⚡️⚡️ #emmys

I hope everyone has had a gentle ease into the new year, against very visceral events happening around the world. I firmly believe that collective responsibility where possible, is vital to build and maintain communities. Which is why I am excited to say I am now a trustee for @pckdlnch !! A South London based charity, dedicated to learning and growth through creation. From Workshops, exhibitions, to networking events, Pack Lunch champions neuro and socially-diverse people through artistic expression without judgment and boundaries. This is abit of meeeeeee🔫 🔫 I am so proud to be a part of their growing journey! Thank you to Roy Joseph Butler, Leo Crane, @ncharles.art , and Jane. And I can’t wait to start with Daisy Rogers-Byrne and Chrissy Thirlaway I look forward to how this year will unfold for us all✨

Today marks the day we officially lost a legend. @busyfingers It’s been an unimaginable and gutwrenching three years without our beloved Chris in our lives. But every day, we hold him high in our memories. He was loved from the moment he entered this world to his last breath, so on the 6th of January, it’s not a sad event, just a “see you inna bit”. Live every moment, seize opportunities when they come, and take time to tell the people close to you how much you love them. Come see a few of many golden moments. Till next time x @l.a.b.collective @beatsandliquor @beatmeetlab

2025 has truly been a game changing year. So many meaningful and beautiful connections have been made, especially over the past four months alone. I want to thank everyone I’ve worked with, shared laughs with, invited me onto panels, and given me the space to share my love for animation with others. As the year comes to a close, I hope we all find moments to rest and breathe. It’s been a turbulent twelve months, not only for our individual paths, but for us as a collective.  So much has happened, yet I truly believe that when we keep community at the centre, and stay connected with those who share our ideals (no matter how broad), we can move forward together, in numbers, and continue to create beautiful experiences in our lives.

I am extremely looking forward to speaking at tomorrows animation event @afroanimationsummit #brixtonritzy I'll be doing the talk with the fantastic @nenejparsotam from @accessvfx , the lovely Amy Ashton from @blackframeanimation and the extremely talented and @bimpealliu (Concept & VFX Artist at @ilmvfx ). It already feels like a cousins link up🎉 Explore the programme & buy tickets via @afro_story_summit The whole day is going to be super fun, really helpful and supportive across the board for creatives in the animation industry! Pull up and say hi, if you're attending 🥰 #afroanimationsummit

Here’s the second of the two animated sequences we produced for The @guardian documentary #GiveMeShelter. We named this animation Pandora’s Box because it reflects a young girl’s descent down a path rooted in survival, a path that becomes increasingly hard to escape, particularly for a vulnerable child. You can watch the full documentary on The Guardian’s website, and we’ve also shared it on our own site with a BTS breakdown of how we created these sequences. #dondadastudio #animation #documentary #2danimation

“AI can’t replace your authenticity…” 💡 On Wednesday 29th October 2025 we collaborated with @electric_theatre_collective for ‘Black Voices in VFX’ a panel and networking event celebrating @bhm_uk 🙌 Here, @aksi_art chats with @dondadastudio Founder and Animation Director @az_does_motion_design , who shares her thoughts on AI, encouraging us not to fear it, but to embrace it as a creative tool 💯 Watch the full interview, and more, on our YouTube channel. LINK IN BIO 🎦 #blackhistorymonth #blackhistorymonth2025 #bhm #accessvfx #electrictheatrecollective #etc #panel #vfx #visualeffects #blackexellence #poctalent #ai #artificialintelligence

“There’s so much they could have done to prevent me from catching a thousand fricking bodies.” This is a clip from one of two animated sequences we created for The @guardian documentary #GiveMeShelter, alongside our rotoscoping work to protect the identities of the children featured. From the start, we knew we wanted to give this piece a dark fairytale atmosphere, reflecting a young girl’s story of vulnerability and her search for safety. We used the analogy “The House Always Wins,” to help us focus the animation of how easy innocence can be exploited, and how treacherous the path can be for children seeking care and protection. Please visit the link in our bio to view the article and see a breakdown of our work for the documentary. #theguardian #dondadastudio #animation #documentary #2danimation

We’re proud to share the first part of our work for @guardian documentary Give Me Shelter. The film explores child abuse, neglect, innocence, and resilience. Our most important responsibility was protecting the children’s identities. To do this, we rotoscoped each frame digitally by hand, giving the animation a human, tactile quality that lets their stories shine through with warmth and authenticity. Over 30 shots were digitally hand animated, and we’re proud of every single one. For the full documentary @guardian and a breakdown of the project, please visit the link in our bio. Director / Cinematographer – Tom Silverstone Executive Producer / Editor – Laurence Topham Producer / Journalist – Mei-Ling McNamara Producer – Annie Kelly Animation Lead / Art Director – Alex Zepherin Animators – Britney Piggott, Madeleine Teniola Desalu Sound Design and Mix – Guy Hixon Casting Director – Yvonne Lawlor Commissioning Editor – Lindsay Poulton #theguardian #dondadastudio #courtneyshouse #documentary #animation #2danimation

🎉 Exciting update! We’re thrilled to announce that @az_does_motion_design (Alex Zepherin) Studio Founder and Animation Director at @dondadastudio will be joining the ‘Black Voices in VFX’ panel at @electric_theatre_collective this Black History Month on the evening of Wednesday 29th October! Alex joins our incredible line-up of creative talent, sharing their journeys, insights, and experiences within the VFX and Animation industry. Confirmed speakers now include: @nenejparsotam – Chair | @accessvfx Board Member & Advertising Creative Director @sexpixel (Mark Pinheiro) – VFX Supervisor, Filmmaker & Screenwriter Prince Yiadom – Freelance Filmmaker, Photographer & Compositor Zhané Nathan-Grant – CG Generalist, Electric Theatre Collective Uti David – Junior Designer, Electric Theatre Collective Alex Zepherin – Studio Founder and Animation Director at Don Dada Studio Join us for an inspiring evening of connection, creativity, and conversation as we celebrate and amplify Black voices in the VFX and Animation community. Expect honest discussions, diverse perspectives, and plenty of opportunities to connect and network after the panel. 🎟️ Free tickets are limited — don’t miss your chance to be part of this powerful celebration! LINK IN BIO! #BlackVoicesInVFX #ACCESSVFX #ElectricTheatreCollective #BlackHistoryMonth #RepresentationMatters #AmplifyBlackVoices #CreativeDiversity #InclusionInAction #VFXCommunity #VFX #VisualEffects #AnimationIndustry #BlackCreatives #InclusionMatters #DiversityInVFX #CreativeInclusion

Final part to why creating @dondadastudio was incredibly important to me. Thank you for watching. I have a big announcement to make towards to the end of the month. Please watch the documentary and also if you do have any projects you'd like to bring to life, drop me a dm or email🥰 #dondadastudio #uprisingdocumentary #blackbritishhistory #blackhistorymonth #newcrossfire

Here's pt2 of talking about a core moment in #blackbritishhistory and a project that led me on the path to creating my animation studio. Please go and watch the full BBC Uprising series on @bbciplayer , and the short doc in my bio. Thank you for all the love on the first video, I appreciate it so so much❤️ #blackhistorymonth #dondadastudio #uprisingdocumentary