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[Instructor Spotlight] Vincent James: Guiding Young Creators in Game Design with Unreal Engine
Post date :
Oct 22, 2024
In this spotlight, we introduce Vincent James, a dedicated instructor for our teen Game Design with Unreal Engine program, whose wealth of experience and engaging, hands-on teaching style inspire young learners to explore game design and develop essential skills for the future.
"I believe teaching requires patience, a willingness to learn from those around me, and an open mind to individual needs and interests. By nurturing what excites a learner most, I can better prepare them to stand out in their future profession."
Meet Vincent James
Vincent’s career began in 3D modelling for film, before transitioning to industrial design. He pursued an undergraduate degree in Industrial Design at Emily Carr University (ECU), and after graduating, he gained valuable experiences in the film industry in British Columbia, Canada “I designed and manufactured props and costumes for several films and prestige television series during my return to the film industry, including Deadpool 2, Altered Carbon, and Man in the High Castle,” Vincent recalls. After, he embraced a new challenge in Montreal, where he designed lighting systems for retail environments before pivoting to a marketing start-up as a design lead.
"While working in marketing, I was learning about game design on the side." Vincent shares. After the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to fully switch to game design and attended the Game Design Bootcamp program to help launch his new career. After completing the bootcamp and recognizing Vincent's strengths in teaching and expertise in game design, along with his instructor's recommendation, he became an instructor to teach the Game Design with Unreal Engine course to teens. Today, Vincent continues to build short-form game prototypes in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5), developing a portfolio that he shares with his learners, showcasing his dedication to the craft and his commitment to their learning journey.
Source: Vincent James Portfolio - Adventure Inc.
Source: Vincent James Portfolio - Umbra
Teaching Experience and Approach
Vincent’s teaching experience is built on years of mentorship and collaboration across various disciplines. He reflects, “During my undergraduate years, I was a research assistant for the university’s local start-up incubators and was a teaching assistant for several professors at the university and during our time at our experimental pop-up design studio inside the Triennale Milano in Italy,” Additionally, during his time as a design lead in the digital marketing space, Vincent built and led a design team, training and mentoring them, and refining the tools and processes for their pipeline. These experiences solidified his passion for teaching and mentorship.
His teaching philosophy is rooted in three key areas:
Establishing foundational design methodologies for effective problem-solving in learners.
Equipping learners with a toolkit of hard skills to express and execute their ideas with.
Fostering analytical, critical, and communicative abilities to present those ideas effectively.
By nurturing learners' unique passions, Vincent prepares them to excel in their future professions, ensuring they stand out in the competitive landscape of game design and beyond.
Engaging and Supporting Learners
Vincent is committed to creating an engaging and interactive learning environment that empowers learners to think creatively and build practical skills. His approach to teaching game design focuses on hands-on experimentation with Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). “I encourage my learners to experiment with UE5 using basic scripts, mechanisms, and triggers to emulate more complex behaviour,” emphasizing exploration to help learners think critically and solve problems independently. By engaging with learners through a studio parallel, the class can participate in open discussions, gain valuable feedback from their peers and immerse more directly with the class content, making challenging concepts relatable and accessible.
He also prioritizes communication and presentation skills, guiding learners to confidently share their ideas through impromptu pitches and presentations.
"I always tell my learners that it's okay to be an introvert – I am one myself – and still learn the skills necessary to communicate and present ourselves and our ideas to others."
His practical and learner-centered approach equips learners with the technical and soft skills they need for success in game design and beyond, fostering both creativity and confidence.
Memorable Teaching Moments
Vincent recalls a meaningful connection with a learner who often stayed in class during lunch. “We’d acknowledge each other and do our own thing, but they slowly became more talkative,” he says. Over lunch one day, the learner opened up about their concerns regarding careers and university choices. “They expressed concerns that teenagers shouldn’t be bogged down by,” Vincent explains. In response, he shared his personal journey, reassuring the learner that even mistakes along the way wouldn’t block their path entirely.
"Even if we make mistakes, those mistakes would rarely shut the door completely on what we want to pursue in life."
This experience reinforced Vincent’s belief that teaching goes beyond imparting technical skills; it’s about helping learners find clarity in their paths, wherever they may lead.
Advice for Aspiring Game Designers
For prospective game designers, Vincent’s advice is simple:
“Make small games and prototypes. Don't build your "dream game" that's a recipe for disaster early on. Instead, focus on things that are of interest to you and work on those aspects in the smallest scope possible. In time, those experiments can become larger, more fleshed-out games if you want. Early on, I found it more helpful to pivot between smaller projects to build up my knowledge and skills in UE5. Once you feel a bit more equipped, try joining some game jams and test yourself there.”
With his diverse background and dedication to helping learners grow, Vincent continues to inspire the next generation of game designers. His practical insights and thoughtful and interactive teaching approach make him a valuable resource for anyone looking to enter the exciting world of game design.
If your child is ready to explore exciting and fast-growing fields like game design, our youth program is the perfect starting point and will be available again in Spring and Summer 2025. Our programs offer courses in tech, entrepreneurship, and innovation, giving your child the chance to learn from experienced professionals like Vincent James, while gaining hands-on experience and skills that will benefit their future.
