First-year Computer Games Design student Rafael Pinto recently headed to Warsaw to assist with the filming of an upcoming episode of LCCA’s original video series Making It: Creative Careers Unlocked. The team visited 11-bit studios, the developer behind games such as This War of Mine and The Alters, where Rafael helped shape an interview with two of the studio’s writers.
We caught up with Rafael to find out how he got involved, what it was like to see the interview come together and what the experience has meant for him and his ambitions.
How did you get involved in the trip to Warsaw?
The trip came through LCCA. My Games Design lecturers selected me to join the team in Warsaw to film an episode of Making It at 11-bit studios, a studio whose work I really admire. Honestly, if someone had told me a year ago that I’d be helping film an episode of a YouTube series inside a real working games studio, I wouldn’t have believed it.
What was your role in planning the interview?
I researched the studio’s history, games and philosophy, came up with a few ideas for the interview and narrowed them down with the LCCA team and the team at 11 bit. We landed on the theme of ‘meaningful games’ as the thread running through the whole conversation.
I worked alongside Marta Rekawek, who organised the trip, Sadie Clayton, who led the interview, and Korinna Williams, who helped produce the episode and guided me through the filming process before heading to the studio.
What was it like filming at the studio?
We filmed in the studio’s own recording space. Paweł Miechowski, one of the founders and a senior writer on This War of Mine, talked about how 11 bit studios began and the thinking behind the game. Katarzyna Tybinka, a senior writer on The Alters, shared how she got into games and gave advice for students. Afterwards, we filmed around the development floors, and Sadie and I recorded a short segment there about my experience.
Helping to produce the episode and seeing the interview take place in the studio was surreal. It also made me realise just how special and valuable LCCA’s Making It series is. Most students will never get to walk into a studio like this, but through the Making It series they can still hear directly from the people behind the creative careers they love, which can make the industry feel a lot more reachable.
How has the trip influenced your ambitions in games?
What stuck with me most was the conversation about meaningful games. I’ve always wanted to make games that have an impact on people, and hearing from people who do that every day meant a lot.
I’ve wanted to work in games my whole life, but when I was 18 and living in Brazil, there weren’t many games courses available, and I couldn’t afford to follow that path. My family has a background in hospitality, so I started working as a cook instead. In 2019, I moved to London to work in kitchens, and I’ve been doing that ever since.
After a few disappointments, I finally had the chance to start a Games Design course and go after a dream I’d almost forgotten. Being inside 11-bit studios was emotional for me because it was the moment I knew for certain that I was doing something I’m truly passionate about.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us Rafael, and good luck with the rest of your studies!
At LCCA, we work with industry professionals to provide students with real hands-on experiences like Rafael’s. Interested in games? Find out more about studying Computer Games Design at LCCA and book your place at our next Open Day.