Sami Arola is a seasoned game industry veteran whose career spans mobile, casual, and interactive entertainment. Early in his career he co-founded Sumea, which was later acquired by Digital Chocolate, both known for their pioneering role in the early days of mobile games.
Today, he plays a leading role at Fireframe Studios, a Helsinki-based production company specializing in virtual production and real-time content workflows. Fireframe operates an advanced LED volume and real-time compositing infrastructure, bridging the technology and creative methods of game engines and cinematic production.
Sami brings a rare perspective: deep fluency in game development and iterative creative processes, now applied to film, television, and hybrid storytelling projects.
In his talk, Sami explores the parallels and divergences between game development and cinematic or television production. What do these creative worlds share, and where do they differ? How are tools, workflows, and mindsets from game making shaping new approaches to visual storytelling – and what can games, in turn, learn from screen production?
Drawing on his background from game productions to his current work at Fireframe, Sami reflects on how real-time technology and virtual production practices are transforming creative collaboration. The talk offers an inside look at the growing exchange of ideas between games and film – and what it means to work beyond the boundaries of a single medium.