Attached: Turning passion into a game development career

What did you love most about your degree?

"There are so many aspects that I loved about my VEED degree! I could talk endlessly about the beautiful work produced by the other students in this course or the many disciplines you can learn. But personally, it was a combination of two things that I loved most about the degree which cemented my decision to study it: the highly unique learning environment where students are taught by instructors who simultaneously work as a professional in that industry, and the hands-on structure that the degree follows. 

"While we had traditional university hallmarks such as assignment deadlines, it was structured to mirror working in industry, giving us an early taste before entering industry post university - something which no other art school in South Australia offers to this quality."

How has the degree helped prepare you for your career? Which opportunities did you have during your degree?

"VEED has quite literally built my skills from the ground up. I had only drawn sporadically with no direction and little growth prior to the degree. However, thanks to VEED’s strong discipline of instilling fundamentals from the beginning and many, many sessions of feedback from each class, I saw exponential growth of my skillset. 

"The instructors and teaching assistants had a lot of patience with me, with my endless questions and sending many drafts asking, “does this look right?”. But they fuelled my hunger to learn and improve with each piece of work I did. They always pushed me when I needed it, and it gave way to some amazing opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise taken a shot at.

"In 2025, I founded my very own indie game company, Free Spirit Games, while completing my final topic of my degree. It was frightening because I was going out on the biggest limb of my life, creating a business, managing a team and showing ATTACHED to the public for the very first time while also working full time. It has also been equally as exciting."

Have there been any teachers/academics that have stood out to you and if so, why?

"My degree had an amazing roster of teachers and TAs across both institutions – CDW Studios and Flinders’ Bedford Park campus. However, there were definitely a few who stood out to me: Shane Bevin, Katie Cavanagh, Simon Scales and Duncan Li. Shane and Katie were instructors I had for most of my Flinders’ topics, while Simon and Duncan were some of the CDW Studio instructors I had for my entire degree. 

"They stood out to me because they genuinely wanted the best from me, pushing me to strive better with each piece of work I did. They were exactly what I needed and were (extremely) patient with endless drafts, or when my personal life uncontrollably interfered with my study. But they weren’t just doing this for me – they did this for every student that has come under their tutelage. I cannot fathom being able to cater so personally to every student in their classes, their topics, but they do. 

"They genuinely want everyone to give their best and support them while doing so. They are some of the most extraordinary, fun instructors and people I have met, and I admire them. Their work is phenomenal and endlessly inspirational, you can tell how passionate they are about their craft just by glancing at it."