When Directing for Games Gets Intense – Damien Goodwin on Directing for Returnal, Greedfall, Helldivers 2 and more

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 gamesInsights 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 PerryAdvice 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 GoodwinWhether 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 industry00:05:13 – Directing performance–and the essentials of collaboration00:08:01 – The shared language of actors00:11:00 – Actors taking ownership–the created language in Greedfall00:16:05 – Enhancing storytelling where player choice is crucial00:18:27 –  How seamless gameplay and cinematics affect performance00:22:10 – Character development takes time: protecting the actor00:27:07 – Researching for projects (when you’re not a great gamer!) 00:29:08 – Directing VR – surprising casting for PlayStation’s The London Heist00:31:44 – Returnal: an intense journey of discovery   00:35:58 – The impact of games marketing and social media00:39:12 –  Innovative studios and exciting directing00:42:35 – Tech and coding: knowing what you don’t know00:44:53 – Adaptability, the director’s secret weapon00:48:00 – 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 TheatreSide (Audio Production for Games)Channel 4 - HollyoaksDragon Age: Inquisition (Official)BioWareThe London Heist - PlayStation VR WorldsThe Last of Us (Official)Alien Isolation (Official)Blood & Truth - PlayStationGreedFall (Official)Returnal (Official)Jane Perry BAFTA WinRemedyErica (PlayStation)ImmortalityUnknown 9: AwakeningJessica 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 GoodwinEnjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to:Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube for full episodes and clipsLeave a review and let us know who you want featured next!🎧 Check Out More ReadyAimFire Episodes:Episode 1: Devora Wilde on Lae’zel & Performance in Baldur’s Gate 3Episode 2: Michael Geary on Warhammer, Magic, and Mushroom Warriors🔗 Listen & Subscribe:🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio🌍 Website & Email Sign-Up: https://readyaimfire.tv 📱 Follow ReadyAimFire:Instagram: @readyaimfirestudioTikTok: @readyaimfirestudioTwitter/X: @rdymfrLinkedIn: ReadyAimFireBluesky: readyaimfire.bsky.social New episodes drop every other week.Subscribe now and discover the stories behind games you love.Listen to ReadyAimFire Copyright 2026 ReadyAimFire