Games is a multibillion-pound industry that is home to both giant companies and smaller independent creatives.
The industry is fast-moving, creative and always changing. Games are an artistic form, a means to build communities, a way to have fun, and a route to creating social impact. Join the National Film and Television School as we host an online fireside chat about the games industry with two rising and talented industry newcomers, Rafif Kalantan and Nick McKenzie. Hear from them about their games and projects, about their experiences of getting started in the games industry and preparing for a career, and get unique insights about the skills needed to be a successful developer.
Rafif Kalantan
Rafif is a BAFTA Student Award winning, MCV/DEVELOP 30 under 30 recipient, game and narrative designer. She is skilled in game design, narrative design, technical design, level and environment design, production, problem-solving, creativity, innovation, programming, and team management, with experience in both Unity and Unreal.
Nick McKenzie
After a decade in Fintech, Nick left his career to pursue his dream of becoming a game developer. He has since founded World Away Games, an indie studio that has worked on 14 games including 2 commercial releases and several work for hire projects - the most recent being with BAFTA award-winning studio, State of Play. World Away Games is due to release Deep Space Tavern later this year and is also currently working on a new project - a tactical RTS as part of the 2024 cohort of the Games London Accelerator.
Rafif and Nick are both graduates of the National Film and Television School’s Games Design & Development MA.
This panel discussion is hosted by Andre Van Rooijen and Alan Thorn via Zoom webinar.
Andre Van Rooijen
With a background in fine art, Andre has been leading and coaching game art teams from concept to release on original IP as well as licensed products for brands like Adidas and Sony across all major interactive platforms, including PC, Consoles and Mobile, before moving into higher education to teach the future generation of game developers. Andre is Head of Games Design and Development at the NFTS.
Alan Thorn
Alan Thorn is a Game Developer, Author and Educator. He is Course Leader for Indie Games at the National Film and Television School. He previously worked at Microsoft, Teesside University, Packt Publishing and Disney. Alan specialises in helping 'tech heads' thrive and flourish in their chosen fields. With 25-years game industry experience, Alan has written 34 books, presented 30 online courses and created 33 games including the award-winning adventure, Baron Wittard.
Login to hear the panel in discussion about developing and sustaining a career in games, and how the NFTS MA in Games Design and Development and the NFTS Certificate in Indie Games Development can contribute to forging a successful career.
Questions or access requirements? Please email openday@nfts.co.uk
