How does someone go from directing Hollyoaks on TV – to directing a BAFTA award-winning games performance in Returnal?

In this episode of the ReadyAimFire Podcast, Damien Goodwin joins hosts Kezia Burrows and Tom Stacey to dive deep into the craft of performance direction in video games.

Damien shares how his journey unexpectedly shifted from actor and TV director to working on high profile video game titles like Dragon Age: Inquisition, Greedfall, Helldivers 2, and Returnal. The conversation spans chance industry encounters, the evolving nature of game performance, and the increasingly important role of collaborative, actor-centric direction in delivering nuanced, emotionally compelling game narratives.

You’ll hear:

• How a chance encounter on a train got Damien his break in video games
• Insights on the collaboration between director, actor and development team in building a character 
• What it was like directing Returnal, including the intense emotional weight handled by lead actor Jane Perry
• Advice for aspiring games performance directors. 

“No two games are the same in a lot of ways. Your process evolves according to the content that you’re working on.” – Damien Goodwin

Whether you’re a fan of heartfelt games performances or curious about breaking into game direction yourself, join us for this insightful episode.

🧭 Key Points & Timestamps:

00:01:59 – From TV to gaming: Damien’s fortuitous path into the industry

00:05:13 – Directing performance–and the essentials of collaboration

00:08:01 – The shared language of actors

00:11:00 – Actors taking ownership–the created language in Greedfall

00:16:05 – Enhancing storytelling where player choice is crucial

00:18:27 –  How seamless gameplay and cinematics affect performance

00:22:10 – Character development takes time: protecting the actor

00:27:07 – Researching for projects (when you’re not a great gamer!) 

00:29:08 – Directing VR – surprising casting for PlayStation’s The London Heist

00:31:44 – Returnal: an intense journey of discovery   

00:35:58 – The impact of games marketing and social media

00:39:12 –  Innovative studios and exciting directing

00:42:35 – Tech and coding: knowing what you don’t know

00:44:53 – Adaptability, the director’s secret weapon

00:48:00 – Experiencing the satire of Helldivers 2

👤 Guest Info:

Damien Goodwin is a film, television and cinematic performance capture and voice director for games. He has worked on many award-winning video games and TV series. Recent games include Helldivers 2, Star Wars Outlaws, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden and Returnal, which won Best Performance BAFTA for Jane Perry in 2022.

🌐 LinkedIn   📸 Instagram

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

• Sheffield Crucible Theatre
• Side (Audio Production for Games)
• Channel 4 - Hollyoaks
• Dragon Age: Inquisition (Official)
• BioWare
• The London Heist - PlayStation VR Worlds
• The Last of Us (Official)
• Alien Isolation (Official)
• Blood & Truth - PlayStation
• GreedFall (Official)
• Returnal (Official)
• Jane Perry BAFTA Win
• Remedy
• Erica (PlayStation)
• Immortality
• Unknown 9: Awakening
• Jessica Jeffries (casting director)
• Helldivers 2 (Official)
• GreedFall 2

💬 Quotes:

“You work with the actors, sort of detectives together, unravelling the nuances and context and trying to perform the line or the scene as authentically as possible.”

– Damien Goodwin

“The interesting thing about VR and AR and all these sorts of mixed realities is that you're still really uncovering the vocabulary of those and effective storytelling within them.”

– Damien Goodwin

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🎧 Check Out More ReadyAimFire Episodes:

• Episode 1: Devora Wilde on Lae’zel & Performance in Baldur’s Gate 3
• Episode 2: Michael Geary on Warhammer, Magic, and Mushroom Warriors

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