In Conversation With Marc Moulis

What is your role with Reflector Entertainment and what does that entail?

I’m the technical director. My role is to make sure that anything that is tech-related runs smoothly. That means building up the tech team, defining processes and organization, making choices on technologies, managing relations with third parties, but also being part of strategic orientations for the studio, along with the other directors.

How did you get involved with the company?

I heard that Reflector was building a team and they soon started hiring people. It was in the very early stages. Everything was being built up from scratch and I wanted to take on that challenge.

You worked in gaming, then transitioned into the medical imaging industry for eight years. What made you transition back into gaming and entertainment? Do you feel you offer a different skill-set than others in the industry because of your diverse experience?

When I first worked in the gaming industry, it was between 1999 and 2004. When I decided to leave the gaming industry in 2004, I was at a point in my life where I was trying to improve my work-life balance. I was living in the south of France and at that time, the gaming industry was in crisis, but I didn’t want to move abroad. This is when I decided to turn to another industry. After a few years though, I started missing the “creative” atmosphere a lot. Around the same time, I started teaching courses part-time at a university. I was leading a ‘game-engines’ course. That’s when I ultimately realized how much I

missed the gaming industry. I decided to move to Montreal in 2014 and get back into game development. This experience is definitely a bonus compared to people who have only worked in the gaming industry. I bring knowledge from my medical imaging experience, which gives me a broader understanding of technical solutions.

What is one piece of advice you would have given yourself 10 years ago?

One piece of advice that I would give myself 10 years about would be: “Be patient, opportunities will show up.”

How has the industry changed since you first entered it? Did you overcome any big challenges along the way?

The industry has become more mature and structured. There’s a lot more competition as well (either on mobile platforms or AAA gaming). This competition has made it difficult to stand out from the rest of the crowd. The biggest challenge for me was catching up on 10 years of advancements after my time out of the industry. The processes, technologies and ways of making games has evolved a lot. I spent a lot of time getting familiar with new techniques and ways of getting things done.

What do you hope to accomplish in your position with Reflector Entertainment?

I hope I’m able to set-up a successful team from the ground up, and help the studio become a renowned competitor in the industry.

What’s one podcast, book, game or audio book you’d recommend to everyone?

If I were to recommend one game, that would be “Shadow of the colossus”. It’s poetic, epic and dramatic. I definitely consider it a masterpiece, and it’s proof that video games can be more than violence and explosions.

What is your opinion on the latest Star Wars movie?

I enjoyed it. It has a few flaws, but some nice epic scenes as well.

In Conversation With… is a weekly series that features a few of the people behind Reflector Entertainment. The interviews are conducted by M A R I A, a Communications Manager who enjoys creating (and hearing) a good story.