Film Victoria funds Swinburne games graduates and staff

Swinburne graduates and staff are among those to receive games funding from Film Victoria. 

More than $348,000 will be distributed to eight Victorian game development teams through Film Victoria’s two streams of games funding. 

The investment is expected to create new employment opportunities for 31 local game developers and generate more than $774,500 expenditure into Victoria’s economy. Three fully developed games will be supported for market release. 

“Victoria’s game developers are continually raising the bar, creating games that inspire, entertain and educate. They are part of one of the fastest growing global industries and are increasingly important contributors to Victoria's $23 billion creative and cultural economy,” Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley says. 

Harmonious Games, started by Swinburne graduates, successfully applied for funding through the Assigned Production Investment program. 

“We are incredibly excited to be awarded funding from Film Victoria,” Swinburne Games and Interactivity graduate and Harmonious Games founder Laura Voss says. 

“This was our first time applying for such a grant, and to receive it as first time game developers and studio founders was a surprise.” 

The funding will allow the studio to complete the production of their first game, Putty Pals, and release it to the market as well as give an opportunity to set up a foundation to grow the company’s future. 

Funding for music puzzle game

Andrew Trevillian, a Games and Interactivity lecturer at Swinburne has received funding for his work on the music puzzle game Beats ‘N’ Bleepswith the development team Polyphonic LP. 

“To have Film Victoria recognise the merit of the project alongside projects from commercial Victorian studios is really gratifying” Mr Trevillian says. 

“Both our staff and our graduates in Games and Interactivity are competing at industry standard and becoming increasingly, deeply connected with this rapidly growing creative sector. 

“As a games teacher, it’s important to remain engaged with practice and with the industry at large.” 

Beats ’N’ Bleeps came from Mr Trevillian’s PhD work around synaesthesia in game design, a condition in which one sense is simultaneously perceived as if by one or more additional senses, and is an attempt to expand the impact of that work to the general public. 

Swinburne games graduates and final year students will be at this year’s PAX Australia convention as ‘Rad Grads’, part of the Swinburne Games Lab booth. 

PAX Australia is an international games convention that takes place in Melbourne from 4-6 November. 

Media enquiries