It was a lightbulb moment for Finley Cameron.
The moment she saw the video games booth at the career expo, a switch flipped inside her head.
“It’s like I was a character who came across a new quest in a video game,” Finley says during a conversation at the Sunshine Coast Screen Hub, where she is now working.
“I just knew – that’s exactly what I wanted to do.”
Film photo of Finley at work
Since that time, Finley has carved out an enviable career for herself in the gaming industry.
She’s worked for game studios. She helped produce Max Mustard – widely praised as a top-tier virtual-reality game.
She’s spoken at global events and conferences.
She’s met the head of Roblox.
She’s worked for Screen Queensland, supporting developers to grow their businesses and networks.
Now she’s back where it started, on the Sunshine Coast, championing the local industry as the Games Sunshine Coast head of partnerships and community engagement.
Her story is incredible in part because of its unwavering focus. It’s relatively rare to meet someone who knew exactly what they wanted to do from a young age.
But when you chat with Finley, it becomes obvious why this path has stuck.
Growing up, Finley says her parents were really into video games too.
“My first video game experience was playing GTA (Grand Theft Auto),” Finley says.
“My dad showed me how to play it but without any shooting.
“I actually thought it was a walking tour of Los Angles – I really enjoyed it.”
Her mum was in on the action too.
“She used to read the Mortal Combat manual to memorise the combos so she could beat my dad,” Finley laughs.
“Both my parents were super supportive – I’m really lucky to have had that.”
The video games left an impression on Finley – to the point where, when she walked into that career expo, she knew what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.
She was 14 years old at the time – relatively young to have landed on a career path.
“I actually met one of the UniSC course coordinators at that event.
“She told me all about the degree and what to expect. I stayed in touch with her after that and she’d let me know about other events happening and groups that were around.”
Bachelor of Design coordinator Dr Tricia King celebrated the way in which Finley carved out a name for herself in the industry.
“The game development space is incredibly collegial,” Dr King says. “It focuses a lot on collaboration and community.
“That means asking questions, meeting people, networking.
“As an industry in Australia that’s seen its revenue double from $114 million in 2016 to $226 million by 2021, it has strong potential to become a billion-dollar sector.
“It is a great time to get involved.”
Finley says she struggled a bit at school so was apprehensive about university.
“I had this vision in my head of it being like some grand Greek Colosseum,” she says.
“But once I started, I loved it. It was totally different to school – I was able to focus on what I wanted.
“One of the high points for me was finding my community. I made lifelong friends from my degree – people I’ll be friends with forever.”
Finley’s foray into the industry deepened through her university studies, including work placements and internships at game studios.
“When I met some of the people working at these studios, they were like celebrities to me,” Finley says. “But now I get to call them my peers – that’s really cool.”
As for the future, Finley aims to ensure the Sunshine Coast has a strong game development ecosystem.
“I’ve always been big on people and community – I’m very motivated by other people’s enthusiasm.
“I want to tap into that and show the rest of Australia how good our talent is here.”
Finley talks highly about the local talent pipeline, including graduates coming from UniSC, offering advice for future developers.
“If you are looking for a job in the industry, make sure you have your portfolio up to date.
“Keep talking to people. Keep looking for opportunities.
“One of my mentors used to say success was where preparation meets opportunity – and that’s what it’s all about.”
