About Us
Who we are and what we doStage 23 brings together Australia’s finest VFX artists. Being artist-run, all of our resources are put into what ends up on screen; creative development and final finesse.
We are here to listen to your needs as storytellers and filmmakers, and to determine the best visual effects approach to your project. We have a strong emphasis on concept and planning. We understand that it’s all about quality in the final image.
Christian and Jonathan founded Stage 23 after working together on Swinging Safari; with Chris as 2nd unit director and Jonathan as visual effects supervisor. Each has over 25 years’ experience in VFX and film making. Our careers have spanned the US, UK and Australia.
We maintain close relationships with leading Australian film industry figures and uniquely talented artists – local and international.
The Team
Creative Director / Co-Owner
CHRISTIAN DEBNEY
Christian specialises in animation, photorealistic 3D and concept art. Christian has directed music promos and commercials for a prestigious list of clients including Coldplay and Simple Minds. He has been represented by production houses such as MPC and Crossroad Films. To realise his vision for these projects, Christian ran two VFX and animation studios in London with over 30 staff.
Christian has previously worked across many disciplines within film production from making prop lightsabers on the Star Wars prequels, to set building on Sexy Beast and mask making on V for Vendetta.
Before moving to Australia, Christian was a director of animation on the London Olympics Opening Ceremony working alongside Danny Boyle. He was second unit director on Stephan Elliott’s Swinging Safari (2018).
VFX Supervisor / Co-Owner
JONATHAN HAIRMAN
Jonathan has over 20 years’ experience in visual effects in London, New York and Sydney. He has supervised multiple features, TV series and commercials, including ten-part series The End, with Seesaw Productions. For this production, he was responsible for matte painting, CG effects, creature effects and green screen compositing.
He was the primary supervisor on David Gordon Green’s Our Brand is Crisis (2015), starring Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thornton and Anthony Mackie. He was also supervisor on season two of the HBO TV series, Vice Principles (2017), directed by David Gordon Green alongside Jody Hill and Danny McBride and starring Danny McBride, Walton Goggins and Bill Murray.
Jonathan worked at leading visual effects house Framestore in London for ten years as well as Sydney’s Animal Logic. Other clients include David Gordon Green, Stephan Elliott, Martin Krejci and Jonas Akerlund.
He has also delivered commercials for high end clients, working alongside Jonathan Glazer, Frank Budgen and Tom Hooper (but not on Cats… we promise we didn’t do Cats…).
Head of 2D / VFX Supervisor
LIAM GARE
Born and raised in Adelaide, Liam has established himself as a leading force in Australia’s visual effects industry after honing his skills at Rising Sun Pictures.
With direction from industry greats, his creative eye, technical expertise, and leadership skills developed as a comp lead, before working in London at Pixomondo and Framestore.
He now leads our team of artists as Head of 2D and Comp supervisor to deliver world-class visual effects for international productions. With credits on films such as Shang-Chi, Furiosa, Ford v Ferrari, Liam has helped bring some of cinema’s most visually complex moments to life. Most notably, working as lead artist on Mickey 17, pioneering the groundbreaking work responsible for the digital twinning of Robert Pattinson, a feat that pushed the boundaries of the technology and artistry involved.
Liam pushed his skillset outside of VFX post production working on set for productions such as The Tourist and Furiosa, and numerous music videos for iconic Australian artists such as The Wanderers, Carla Geneve, and The Empty Threats.
VFX Supervisor
JEREMY HOWDIN
Jeremy brings over 20 years experience to Stage23, from companies such as Mighty Nice (Head of Studio/VFX Supervisor), Resolution (Head of 3d/VFX Supervisor) and Animal Logic.
Jeremy has brought projects such as I, Frankenstein, Walking with Dinosaurs, Happy Feet Two and Legend of the Guardians to the big screen
Jeremy was nominated for “Outstanding Visual Effects” for his work on Farscape at the 57th Emmy Awards in 2005. In 2004, he was awarded a scholarship at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE). He has completed a degree in Industrial Product Design at the University of Canberra and a Master Class in Design of Photography at AFTRS, Sydney.
VFX Producer
STEFANIE BOENSCH
Creative and driven Producer with extensive experience leading global production teams across all stages of film and media — from development and pre-production through delivery and marketing. She oversees projects across international studios (London, Montreal, Bangalore, LA), aligning creative vision with financial and scheduling goals to deliver world-class content on time and within budget.
Stefanie is recognized for building strong client partnerships, streamlining workflows, and leading teams with a balance of motivation, structure, and adaptability. Her approach blends analytical decision-making with creative problem-solving, ensuring productions run efficiently while fostering a positive, collaborative environment. Some of Stef’s career highlights include working on Mufasa: The Lion King, Cruella, The One and Only Ivan, and Shazam.
Outside of work, she enjoys painting, photography, and exploring new cultures — passions that sharpen her eye for detail, storytelling, and ability to connect with diverse teams.
Executive Consultant & Head of International Business Development-UK
Michelle Martin
Michelle Martin is an international VFX executive consultant. Previously she has worked within senior roles for studios including Framestore, Milk and Pixomondo, contributing to critically acclaimed productions such as The Crown, Black Mirror, The Witcher, Luther and Lovecraft Country. Drawing on her experience within VFX, she is now consulting with creatively driven, agile VFX teams, helping them to grow, navigate complex production challenges and deliver high-quality visual storytelling in an ever-evolving industry.
Recognised for bringing together creative teams and stakeholders to align vision with execution, she provides business development as well as strategic guidance on production, content delivery and emerging technologies, enabling both VFX studios and production teams to realise creatively driven projects in an increasingly competitive global market.
Based in London, Michelle is driving international creative opportunities and co-production partnerships for Stage23 in addition to building its presence in the UK and Europe.
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