Punchdrunk and Media Molecule - Where Dreams Collide

Collaboration is a big part of what we do at Media Molecule. Whether it’s jamming with each other here in the studio or working together with friends and new faces from across the world; we’re always on the lookout for new creative partnerships and ways to expand our horizons.

With Dreams, we have a vision that goes beyond the world of gaming. What drives us is our ambition to empower all types of creators with the tools they need to see their visions come to life within a virtual space. From games makers, animators, artists, musicians and sculptors through to writers, fashion designers, set designers and architects; we want to empower people to bring their games, stories and art to life in an intuitive way. 

We are thrilled to announce that we will be working together with Punchdrunk to establish a ground breaking new partnership which merges our breadth of experience in gaming and performing arts respectively. This new collaboration will explore the crossover between digital and theatrical performance, offering a unique opportunity to work across two rapidly evolving sectors.

In the first position of its kind, Punchdrunk is looking to recruit an exclusive six-month research post which will combine the cutting edge technology behind Dreams with tangible real life experiences, bringing the breath-taking detail and rich atmosphere of Punchdrunk’s worlds to life in the digital sphere. Working closely with their Artistic Director, Director of Enrichment & Punchdrunk Village and the wider creative team, Punchdrunk is looking for an enthusiastic and adaptable Digital Designer to help revolutionise their approach to production design.

From small, intimate rooms to large outdoor environments, the Digital Designer will work across the company’s broad scope of work, experimenting with new concepts and ideas and pushing the boundaries of how we interpret and interact with theatre. This new position will enable Punchdrunk’s visual designers, lighting designers and directors to simulate production environments in a playable game setting before they are constructed in real life. The role will mainly be based at Punchdrunk’s offices in London but will also include two weeks of training on Dreams right here at Mm Towers in Guildford. We’re looking for someone who is a natural collaborator that thrives on a busy workload and enjoys working in a lively atmosphere. A passion for exchanging skills and sharing ideas with colleagues is essential.

Punchdrunk has been a pioneer in the world of theatre since 2000. Offering unique theatrical experiences where the lines between space, performer and spectator are constantly shifting, Punchdrunk has developed a phenomenal reputation for transformative productions that focus as much on the audience and the performance space as on the performers and narrative.  Audience members embark on their own adventure as they roam through intricately designed worlds, rediscovering the childlike excitement of exploring the unknown. The choice of what to watch and where to go is yours alone, meaning each person has an entirely unique journey through the experience.

Blending classic texts, physical performance, award-winning design installation and unexpected sites, the company’s infectious format rejects the passive obedience usually expected of audiences. The work is ambitious, innovative, and it’s all about storytelling.

We’re beyond excited to be able to work with Punchdrunk on this incredible opportunity, in fact we’d like to take this moment to say a big thank you to Stephanie, Felix and everyone at Punchdrunk for working so hard on this new role and for giving us the chance to see our dreams become a reality! This is such a ground breaking new collaboration, we can’t wait to see where it takes us and we can’t wait to see who applies!

If you’d like to read more about the role and how to apply, please visit the Digital Designer job page where you’ll find lots more detail about what the role encompasses and who we’re looking for. Good luck, we can’t wait to meet you!