About

I start every project the same way: thinking about the narrative. Before any technology is decided, before any tool is opened, I'm thinking about how the user journey unfolds, where the key moments are, how the audience moves through them, what creates the connection between the experience and the person going through it.

I work closely with the team: drafting space maps, building 3D previsualisations, developing moodboards, storyboarding key moments so clients can feel what we are building together. Once a concept is approved, I fill the gaps wherever they are: Figma wireframes, animatics, video editing, pipeline and sprint planning. I try to be as hands-on as possible, and I believe in fostering a work environment where everyone has a voice and owns their part of the project.

You can learn more about my process below ↓

My background spans motion graphics, 3D, and VFX Supervision before moving into Creative Direction. That means I can have a real conversation with a production team about scope and timelines, and speak to artists and studios in their own language.

If you're working on something at the intersection of physical and digital, or something you haven't quite figured out how to make yet, let's talk.

Portrait of Zlaten del Castillo
Portrait of Zlaten del Castillo

I worked with these teams

I worked for these clients

Awards

Clio Awards

5 x Gold

3 x Silver

1 x Bronze

AdAge

1 x Winner

One Show

1 x Gold

1 x Silver

2 x Bronze

Drum Awards

1 x Winner

Art Directors Club

2 x Gold

1 x Silver

Campaign Awards

1 x Winner

Cannes Lions

5 x Shortlist

Shorty Awards

3 x Gold

Webby Awards

3 x Winner

1 x People's Voice

FWA Awards

5 x FWA of the day

Jury Role

  • FWA Jury Member since 2021

How I work

A group of people using VR headsets

Narrative first

Every project starts with the story. Before any technology is decided or any tool is opened: how does this experience unfold? What are the key moments, where does it create connection, where does it demand attention?

Defining the user experience

How does someone move through this? What do they feel at each moment, what decisions do they make?

This is where the journey gets defined: physically, digitally, or both.

A guest entering the Vogue x Samsung experience

Closing the gaps

Pipeline planning, sprint structure, team organisation, UX detail, technical scoping. The connective tissue between concept and delivery.

A moodboard showing light choices

Establishing the visual language

Moodboards, art direction references, colour, tone, and atmosphere. The visual decisions that will inform everything that follows.

Explaining Through Visualization

Pre-vis, animatics, storyboards, prototypes, interaction flows.

The form changes depending on the project: a storyboard for a film experience, a Figma flow for a digital product, a 3D walkthrough for a physical installation.

The goal is always the same: make the team and the client feel it before it is built.

A moodboard showing light choices

Hands-on through delivery

Active involvement from the first creative conversation to the final output — regardless of format or platform.