Home | Sam Shepherd Freelance Filmmaker

Xamk University

Alex Noon

A four-part course presented by Alex Noon, founder of the Arrekz Gaming YouTube channel, on content creation for video games. Arrekz Gaming reached over a million subscribers, providing informational content around video games such as Destiny, Division, and Anthem. Filmed at RD Studios, the parent company of NeverDark Studios, where Alex currently works as a Creative Services Director.

In Part One, Alex introduces himself, explains the work he does at NeverDark Studios, and his pathway into video games.

In Section Two, Alex talks us through the history of content creation in the gaming space, covering his entire time on the platform.

In Section Three, Alex discusses and reflects on the history of the Arrekkz Gaming channel from creating the channel with fellow founder 269online to eventually leaving, detailing the different methods used to build the channel and increase subscribers.

In Section Four, Alex imparts advice on content creation, from getting started, the equipment needed, and how to maintain an audience.

Cameron Thomas

A four-part course presented by Cameron Thomas, a Community Manager currently working at Amazon Games as Head of Community for the EU. Before Amazon, Cameron worked for studios such as Rare, Mojang, and Microsoft on titles such as Sea of Thieves and Minecraft. Filmed in Shoreditch, this course details everything you need to know about Community Management and the role of a Community Manager.

In Part One, Cameron gives a brief biography of himself and his pathway to becoming a Community Manager. He details his role at Amazon and discusses the highlights of his career as a Community Manager.

In Part Two, Cameron speaks in more detail about his role at Amazon, the future aims of the company, and how this role differs from his roles at Mojang and Rare.

In Part Three, Cameron talks about audience and community. He covers topics such as how an audience can impact a game, community building, handling audience feedback, and balancing the wants of developers and shareholders with the wants of the audience.

In Part Four, Cameron discusses ways of building an audience as a small indie game developer and summarises the key points from the course.

Micol Galeotti

Three-part course presented by Micol Galeotti, a Senior Interactive Play Designer at The Lego Group. Micol has worked at The Lego Group for her entire career, working on physical digital products. These products combine real toys with a digital experience. Filmed at her apartment.

In Part One, Micol introduces herself, telling the audience about her career at The Lego Group and why she gravitated towards design.

In Part Two, Micol discusses the principles of design. She covers the fundamentals of design, what makes good or bad design, and how to create designs that enhance user creativity, then talks through a product, analysing the positives of the design and improvements needed.

In Part Three, Micol discusses how the audience influences and informs her design process and how to create design choices that guide the audience whilst not limiting their imagination.

Aimee Freeding

Three-part course presented by Aimee Freeding, Founder and CEO of First Sentinel Corporate Finance, a venture capital firm. Filmed in the First Sentinel Office in Fitzrovia, London.

In Part One, Aimee introduces herself, and briefly summarises the company and their remit. She speaks briefly about the Ubiqua Gallery that they support, located in their office.

In Part Two, Aimee covers everything you need to know about how Venture Capital Firms work, detailing the role of First Sentinel, the reasons she started her own company, interesting developments in the tech space, and the racing car driver she sponsors.

In Part Three, Aimee talks through how to acquire funding, from the dos and don'ts of pitching, different funding routes, steps to take before asking for funding, and potential funding opportunities in the gaming space.

Deepa Karanth

Four-part course presented by Deepa Karanth, formerly a Principal Project Manager at the VR Games Studio nDreams, with experience on the games Fracked and Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, currently working for BritBox. Filmed at the New House Art and Gallery Space in Guildford.

In Part One, Deepa introduces herself and discusses her career path towards becoming a project manager, including her time at American Express, her promotion from Engineering Manager to Project Manager at nDreams, and working on Ghostbusters and Fracked.

In Part Two, Deepa discusses the different stages of a project, her role during each phase, handling different departments, her philosophy of project management, and the pathways to becoming a project manager.

In Part Two, Deepa talks about the technical and interpersonal skills a project manager needs. She guides the user through ticketing and ticketing tools and discusses why her role is crucial to game development.

In Part Three, Deepa demonstrates creating a project plan from an initial brief.