Welcome to Gloam, Jordan Garland?
We're delighted to welcome Jordan Garland to Studio Gloam as our Senior Producer. Jordan's path into production has taken the long way round, but it's a journey that has given him an unusually deep understanding of what it takes to make AAA lighting work. We asked him a few questions to help you get to know him.
Tell us about your background - how did you get into games, and what's brought you to where you are today?
"I started my life in games as a journalist while studying at university, writing for specialist games magazines like X-One and gamesTM, before moving into QA at Rockstar on Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online. After a few years testing art on Red Dead Redemption II and becoming a QA Lead on Red Dead Online, I moved into a producer role for lighting and materials for Grand Theft Auto VI."
That's a career built from the ground up, from writing about games, to testing them, to leading teams, to producing some of the most technically ambitious lighting work in the industry. Every step gave Jordan a deeper understanding of how games are actually made, and what it takes to deliver at the highest level.
Why Studio Gloam?
"I love all things lighting, and hearing Henry's vision for a nimble, co-development studio that specialises in just that sold me on the idea immediately. Co-dev increasingly feels like a solution to the turbulence and uncertainty that looms over the industry, so I jumped at the chance to join a studio that marries these two things."
Jordan puts it better than we could. The industry is changing, and studios need partners who can move fast, specialise deeply, and deliver. That's what Studio Gloam is here to do.
What do you love about your craft?
"Bringing a degree of order to chaos is something I take pride in. I'm not an artistic or particularly creative person, my stock and trade comes in organisation and process. Being able to facilitate the wonderful visuals manifested by lighting, materials, and technical artists is a real privilege. These are all crafts that can elevate a good game to an all-time great, and being part of that in any form is really exciting to me."
There's a real honesty here that we love. Jordan knows exactly what he is and what he isn't, and that clarity is precisely what makes a great producer. The artists make the magic. Jordan makes sure the conditions exist for the magic to happen.
Outside of work, what are you into?
"I'm currently playing Big Walk and Control, both games where lighting plays a central role. Outside of games I enjoy foraging for mushrooms, growing veg in my garden, and making fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut."
Someone who spends his days bringing order to chaos, and his evenings foraging in the woods. We think that tracks.
Welcome to the team, Jordan. The long way round was worth it.