About
About
Twenty years of making things.
Twenty years of making things.
Twenty years of making things.
Still curious about what's next.
Still curious about what’s next.
Still curious about what’s next.
I'm Phyo, a creative director in Wellington, New Zealand, working across visual storytelling, motion design and the tools that are changing both.
I’m Phyo, a creative director in Wellington, New Zealand, working across visual storytelling, motion design and the tools that are changing both.
My story
My story
I've spent more than twenty years in motion design, VFX, animation and commercial storytelling.
I’ve spent more than twenty years in motion design, VFX, animation and commercial storytelling.
In 2015 I founded Fox & Co, a motion design and animation studio I still run. It's where I learned to lead a team, work with brands like MTV, Slack, Vox Media, Facebook and Google, and get work over the line at a standard I could defend.
In 2015 I founded Fox & Co, a motion design and animation studio I still run. It’s where I learned to lead a team, work with brands like MTV, Slack, Vox Media, Facebook and Google, and get work over the line at a standard I could defend.
I've worked every side of production, from the first idea to hands on animation, design and post. I care about the idea, the details, and everything in between.
I’ve worked every side of production, from the first idea and directing a team to getting hands on with animation, design and post. That shaped how I work. I care about the idea, the details, and everything in between.
A different landscape
A different landscape
A few years ago the ground started moving. Work that took a team a few weeks could be explored by one person in an afternoon. Some people panicked. Some hyped it. Neither felt right to me.
A few years ago the ground started moving. Work that took a team a few weeks could be explored by one person in an afternoon. Some people panicked. Some hyped it. Neither felt right to me.
Most recently I was a contract creative director at Canva, working with the Leonardo.ai team on brand visuals and launch films for new AI models. I was in the room when the models shipped. It was a useful place to watch all this from, and not always a comfortable one.
Most recently I was a contract creative director at Canva, working with the Leonardo.ai team on brand visuals and launch films for new AI models. I was in the room when the models shipped. It was a useful place to watch all this from, and not always a comfortable one.
I don't pretend to have all the answers. I test things, keep what holds up, and write down what I learn. That's what the Lab is for.
I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I test things, keep what holds up, and write down what I learn. That’s what the Lab is for.
Two awards.
Two awards.
Two awards.
Same craft.
The judgment didn’t.
The judgment didn’t.
A Telly Award for the Wild N' Out title sequence, made the traditional way. And the Artist's Choice Award at the first OpenArt Music Video Awards, for a film made with AI. I think about them together.
Two pieces of recognition sit on my shelf that I think about together. A Telly Award for the Wild N’ Out title sequence, made the traditional way. And the Artist’s Choice Award at the first OpenArt Music Video Awards, for a film made with AI.
How I work
How I work
The idea comes first.
The idea comes first.
Good work starts with a strong idea. Tools come and go. Knowing a good idea when you see one, and how to bring it to life, is what lasts.
Good work starts with a strong idea. Tools come and go. Knowing a good idea when you see one, and how to bring it to life, is what lasts.
I combine creative direction with hands on production. Sometimes that means traditional production. Sometimes AI. Usually a mix of both.
I combine creative direction with hands on production. Sometimes that means traditional production. Sometimes AI. Usually a mix of both.
Fox & Co
Fox & Co
Built on craft.
Built on craft.
Fox & Co is where I built most of my approach to direction, storytelling and collaboration. Eleven years of hiring people, scoping work and delivering at broadcast scale taught me more about how creative work actually gets made than any single project could.
Fox & Co is where I built most of my approach to direction, storytelling and collaboration. Eleven years of hiring people, scoping work and delivering at broadcast scale taught me more about how creative work actually gets made than any single project could.
Selected clients
Selected clients
MTV
MTV
Slack
Slack
Vox Media
Vox Media
Canva
Canva
Leonardo.ai
Leonardo.ai
Mentos
Mentos
"Really appreciate your resourcefulness and really great taste in all things creative direction-wise. All your Leo work really left me a really cool impression on how AI can be steered into great looking stuff."
“Really appreciate your resourcefulness and really great taste in all things creative direction-wise. All your Leo work really left me a really cool impression on how AI can be steered into great looking stuff.”
Gonzalo · Leonardo.ai
Gonzalo · Leonardo.ai
"The visuals, the voice, the song, the motion graphics, everything looks insane."
“The visuals, the voice, the song, the motion graphics, everything looks insane.”
Celine Park · Leonardo.ai
Celine Park · Leonardo.ai
"Phyo is wide-eyed, curious and imaginative. His leadership style serves his team and clients well!"
“Phyo is wide-eyed, curious and imaginative. His leadership style serves his team and clients well!”
Joel Pilger · Founder of Forum, and my mentor
Joel Pilger · Founder of Forum, and my mentor
Still making.
Still making.
Still making.
Still learning.
Still learning.
Still learning.
I share experiments and process in the Lab and on YouTube, usually while I'm still figuring them out.
I share experiments and process in the Lab and on YouTube. It’s how I keep track of what’s changing, and what isn’t.
© 2026 Phyo Thu · @phyofox
Wellington, NZ
© 2026 Phyo Thu · @phyofox
Wellington, NZ