If you haven’t already checked out our videos on YouTube, now’s the perfect time. Tristan works incredibly hard on them and we appreciate every view, like, comment and subscribe we get.
We hope you enjoy getting to know Shaska a little better and discovering more about the creative mind behind our videos.
Hey Tristan! Thanks so much for doing this interview so everyone can get to know you better. Can you introduce yourself and tell people more about your role?
Hi folks! I’m Tristan and I’m the videographer here at Nexus Mods! Most of the gameplay footage you’ll see on our socials and especially our YouTube is me, along with any over-the-top edits and at times questionable music choices. I’ve a range of half-explored hobbies but the ones that have stuck include a love of photography, playing the piano and flight simulating, (I aspire to make that flight real-lifing as soon as I can). I grew up in Birmingham but now happily live by the sea, working here at Nexus Mods and caring for my Dad, and love few things more than a long drive across Dartmoor or a beer on the beach.
Could you walk us through what a typical day for you looks like?
Normally it starts with a coffee and a look at anything I need to get caught up on. I always start my weeks by writing a checklist of tasks to complete each day, so I’ll double check what I’ve set myself and then fire up “The Beast” - the content capture pc that doubles as a space heater - and get to recording some gameplay. Usually, I’m splitting my time between that machine and my trusty Macbook for editing. Often I have only vague ideas what I’ll end up making but trust the process, so when people tell me they look forward to seeing what the video will look like I can answer with complete honesty: “So do I”!
Generally, the content capture phase is the trickiest part of the process for me, especially when I’m starting a new project in a game I’m not familiar with, it can be a real crash course! Imagine the frustration you’ve all no doubt felt when you install the simplest of mods and your game won't boot - then imagine your work depends on you getting it going again! Luckily I have a lifelong fascination with computers and tech in general so I derive some twisted pleasure from the whole process and announcing to the room when I’ve got a particularly stubborn game running.
How did you get into Videography in the first place?
It began with making short videos of family holidays right after I got my first laptop and discovered iMovie. I found the whole creative process of shooting, cutting and adding effects really addictive and wanted to do more of it. It then progressed to making daft short films about school friends. Eventually, I wound up studying videography at university under the fanciful idea that I’d “love what I do and never work a day in my life”.
After graduation though covid-struck and I went into construction and worked really bloody hard instead, building a few houses and doing some interesting jobs like upgrading the air conditioning for Centre Court at Wimbledon. I always kept the video dream alive though, making music videos and short commercials for bands, businesses and charities.
What’s your gaming history? Any favourites from your childhood, or ones you’re loving at the moment?
The first game I ever played was the original Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator and that may well be where the fascination with aviation started. We didn’t have a computer at home for the longest time so if I visited someone’s house I’d be extremely anti-social and spend the day on their computer. I remember Otto-matic on a Mac G4 was another favourite. Finally, I got hold of a PS1 and became a full-blown PlayStation fanboy, I’ve even got a Vita kicking around somewhere at home.
These days I love me some sci-fi so Mass Effect gets a playthrough every couple of years; I consider it a sign of maturity that I’ve gone from romancing Liara to Tali. Most recently I’m still playing Cyberpunk 2077; trying desperately not to get sidetracked by all the pretty, dystopian vistas. I’m the kind of gamer who loves to explore worlds and not necessarily get tied up in the minutiae of fetch quests.
My favourite game of all time though is GTA IV. I met so many friends playing the multiplayer for that game who I still play with 15 years later, and finally flew across the Atlantic to meet last year. We’re all really into Phasmophobia and Content Warning at the moment, shoutout to them in Indiana!
Did you use Nexus Mods before joining the team?
Yes! Though I’ve generally kept my choices pretty subtle. I’ve been downloading mods since Fallout 3 on a very loud and very slow boot-camped Mac. Usually, it would start out with just graphical improvements, new textures etc and snowball from there.
Off the back of that, what games are you modding at the moment? Any standout mods for you that you’d recommend or just love having in your load order?
Thanks in part to my job I’m modding all the time depending on what our latest video plans demand, but at home, I always start by getting rid of as much HUD as I can. I really appreciate games that manage to make the HUD as subtle as possible like Dead Space; it looks better, it’s more immersive and it's a lot kinder on my display - that’s me off my soapbox. This Christmas though I’ll set aside some time to really get to grips with Fallout London.
Have you made any mods before, or would you like to?
Sorry to say I haven’t, but I’ve watched my Content colleagues create their first mods over the last few weeks and it's got me really interested in the idea. If you watch our recent videos on YouTube you’ll see me trying to recreate game UI’s all the time and it would be so much easier if I could just mod that stuff in! I consider it a great compliment if someone asks if my game-style video titles are modded or edited from scratch, but they’re just edited… for now.
What was it that drew you to the role here at Nexus Mods?
Firstly it was a videographer role - which are few and far between here in Devon. It was a really pleasant surprise realising it also involved working in this industry and here at Nexus, and I honestly don’t think I could have hoped for a better job to be in. I’ve always enjoyed using games as a substitute for a full-on studio and equipment set; taking photos of cars in Gran Turismo for instance that I could never in my wildest dreams have access to in my daily life. In many ways that’s the best part about the job from a creative standpoint; the virtual nature of it all means the limits really are just imagination, even if the camera controls in some games are pretty frustrating at times. A special thanks to any of you who are making camera mods!
Now you’re settled in, how do you find working here?
I love working here. The days, weeks and months have absolutely flown by. Coming from a completely different place; working on a building site to working in an office, has sometimes been a tricky transition to negotiate, but the Slug Club (Content Team) and company as a whole have been there to support me every step of the way.
I get a lot of freedom to experiment with different visual styles and really appreciate that level of trust and creative responsibility. I never could have imagined a few short months ago that I’d be finishing the year working with the latest kit, showcasing the best mods for the greatest games.
Finally, is there anything you’d like to say to the community?
First off; thanks for all your feedback! This content creation thing is a big campaign for us and we are always listening out for what you want to see next, so keep all your mod suggestions rolling in. As the guy spending hours a day modding games I’ve sometimes never played before, all your comments and guides are extremely helpful. I hope you’ll enjoy all the cool stuff we will be throwing your way over the coming months!
With that, I’ll leave you all to the rest of your celebrations, but from all of us here at Nexus Mods, we hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season and wish you a very Happy New Year!
21 comments
PS: If you ever need an education and development specialist, I’m your guy!
Thank you SlugGirl, for the good read! And hiyo Shaska, thank you for sharing yourself with us, and have a hella fire adventure with the Nexus Team!
Have an awesome New Years 2025 both of you, and everyone too!! \o/ ♥ :)
I hope you have an awesome New Year as well ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ ♡
Especially, when they are doing the work that I could only dream about back 50 years ago when I was in my 20's.
Welcome to Nexus Shaska !