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Animation director · Game director · Founder

Harvey Newman.

I'm a UK animation and game director, and I've spent over twenty years making games, from GoldenEye 007 and Horizon Zero Dawn to Star Wars Battlefront II and Dune Awakening. Today I'm making Warship Jolly Roger at Proxima Studio, building Animworks, directing animation at Rekindled and sharing what I've learnt with around 290k people on YouTube. I wrote a book about all of it, and I still advise game studios along the way.

Harvey Newman, portrait

Credits include

Pick up a case to see what I worked on

01 · Background

From animator to founder

The craft matters, but the team and the tools around it matter much more. That's what twenty years in games has taught me.

01Making gamesDICECrytekLionhead Studios

Animating worlds.

I started out as an animator on games like GoldenEye 007, Crysis 3, Fable Legends, Horizon Zero Dawn, Total War: Warhammer II, Battlefield V and Star Wars Battlefront II, and worked my way up to become an Animation Director, which I've been for nearly seven years now. My latest published games are Dune Awakening for Funcom and Metal Eden for Reikon Games, and I'm currently the Animation Director at Rekindled.

Along the way I've led teams, built pipelines and directed mocap shoots, and through it all I've learnt that nothing beats a good team that works incredibly well together.

The craft matters, but the team and the tools around it matter much more.

02Building studiosProxima Studio

Founding Proxima.

Proxima Studio is our indie studio, and we're making Warship Jolly Roger, with me as Game Director. Every contributor gets a full credit. This is a passion project.

We've been hard at work at Proxima for nearly four years now. It's a project we absolutely love working on together, and it unites a lot of amazing talent from across the industry, some of the best people I've ever worked with.

Official teaser trailer · Proxima Studio
03Enabling animatorsanim.works

Building anim.works.

anim.works is a community and education platform we've been building through my company, Animworks Ltd. Rigs, tools, courses and mentors in one place, made by animators for animators. It's the most ambitious thing I've taken on.

Visit anim.works

Alongside it we're also building FrameSide, animation review with 3D view and draw-overs, because every team deserves better feedback loops.

FrameSideVisit FrameSide
Animworks is finally here · YouTube
04Advising studiosRekindled

Advising Rekindled.

Rekindled is a co-development animation studio of around 80 people. Rather than working at arm's length, the team embeds inside client studios, working in their engines and their workflows.

I work alongside the founders as Strategic Development Director and Animation Director, helping shape how the studio grows and keeping the quality of the animation where it needs to be. If I'm ever advising you on outsourcing, I'll always be upfront about that relationship.

Visit Rekindled
Animated Rekindled flame logo
05Writing it down

The long game.

How to Thrive in the Games Industry: The Long Game came out in May 2026 with CRC Press. It's the book I wish someone had handed me when I started: how to land your first role, how to build a career in games, and how to keep it once you have it.

It covers how the industry works today, the different types of studio, what a day in game development actually looks like and the full development lifecycle, as well as the harder stuff like crunch, burnout, layoffs and studio politics. There are twenty years of stories in there, from big studios and tiny indie teams, and every chapter ends with practical advice, a reality check and a few questions to think about.

More about the book
06Giving backYouTube

Sharing what I've learnt.

Around 290k people follow along on YouTube now, which still blows my mind a little.

It's where I share what I've learnt out in the open: how to get into the industry and stay there, honest takes on the layoffs and what's happening to studios, animation breakdowns of the biggest games, and hands-on tests of mocap and animation tools. There's also How I Got Into Games & Animation, a series of long conversations with people from across the industry.

I've also been a BAFTA Games Awards juror since 2015, and I was on the final panel for the first BAFTA Games Animation Award in 2020.

Watch on YouTube
The Reality of Being an Animator in 2026 · YouTube
In games
20+ yrs
On YouTube
290k
Companies founded
2
Harvey Newman speaking on stage
On stage, talking animation for games

Recommendations

From the people I've made games with

1 / 9
As well as his ability to fulfil his role, he's also a really good team member, this is so important. The sharing of knowledge, opinions, and advice as well as the ability to learn from team members. Harvey has been responsible for documenting procedures, tips, and tricks, for gathering information to help develop new tools and improve existing ones.
Tony JacksonAnimation Director, Sumo Digital
On LinkedIn ↗

02 · Services

How I help companies

I work with leadership teams and heads of department, from AAA studios to indies getting their first team together. Every engagement starts with understanding where you're trying to get to.

Strategy & direction

For founders and leadership teams. We look at where animation and production sit in your plans, what to build in-house, what to partner on, and how to get there without burning the team out.

Best for: studio heads, game directors, investors' portfolio teams

Most recently Animation Director on Dune Awakening at Funcom, and animation consultant on Metal Eden for Reikon Games.

  • Creative and production direction reviews
  • Animation and tech roadmaps
  • Co-development and outsourcing strategy
  • Ongoing leadership advisory

Interested in working together?

Book a free call and we'll have a chat about where you're trying to get to. NDAs are standard, and if I'm not the right fit, I'll point you to someone who is.

Book a free call

Companies I've helped

03 · Work

Selected work

Studios I've advised

  • Funcom
  • Build a Rocket Boy
  • 9 Lives Interactive
  • Avalon
  • Keen Software House
  • Reikon Games

The book

How to Thrive in the Games Industry: The Long Game

CRC PressMay 2026246 pages

The Long Game is everything I wish someone had told me about building a career in games, and keeping it. It's part memoir, part survival guide: twenty years of stories from big studios and tiny indie teams, from landing your first role to dealing with layoffs, studio politics, leadership and burnout.

Every chapter ends with practical advice, a reality check and a few questions to think about. I wrote it for students and juniors, but veterans will get a lot out of it too.

Contents

  1. 01My Journey Through Games
  2. 02The Gaming Industry Today
  3. 03Understanding Studio Types
  4. 04A Day in Game Development
  5. 05Crafting Your Career Path
  6. 06The Game Development Lifecycle
  7. 07Surviving Crunch and Burnout
  8. 08Staying Relevant
  9. 09Indie Development, the Path Less Travelled
  10. 10The Business Side
  11. 11Building a Personal Brand and Network
  12. 12Moving Up the Ladder
  13. 13Surviving Studio Closures and Downsizing

What people are saying

“A thoughtful, practical guide for anyone who wants not just to survive, but to truly thrive.”
Sebastian Kalemba, Game Director, CD PROJEKT RED
“A practical and human centric guide for people coming into the industry.”
Fawzi Mesmar, Creative Director, Ubisoft
“A truly insightful road map to career success.”
James Cunliffe, Valve Corporation

Also endorsed by John Wasilczyk, VP of Production at Epic Games, and animation director Jim Jagger.

04 · Ideas

Sharing experiences

Essays, videos and the book. Mostly about animation, games and how to build a career in this industry that actually lasts.

Interested in working together?

If you think I could help your studio, book a free call and we'll have a chat. No pitch, just a conversation about where you are and where you want to get to.

Book a free callinfo@harveynewman.comBased in Hampshire, UK. Clients in Canada, the US, Poland, Singapore, the UK and France.
Studio timeHampshire, UK

Shortcuts

Currently in production

Published

The book · CRC Press, 2026The Long GameWhat I wish someone had told me about a career in games.