About us
At SHED Academy, we believe that great experiences are built by skilled, creative, and well-prepared professionals. Our mission is to empower the next generation of real-time 3D creators through practical education, hands-on mentorship, and industry-driven training.
Our expertise is focused on production pipelines involving Unreal Engine, combining technical knowledge, creative development, and real-world workflows. Our programs go beyond teaching software: they develop problem-solving, collaboration, production practices, and the professional skills required to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
The support of an Epic MegaGrant played an important role in expanding our training and mentorship initiatives. It strengthened our capacity to create structured learning opportunities, support emerging talent, and connect aspiring professionals with the demands of the games and interactive media industries.
Through accessible, practical, and market-oriented education, SHED of Ideas is committed to transforming passionate creators into qualified professionals prepared to contribute to the growing global ecosystem of real-time technologies.
Will Emmerich
Will Emmerich is Co-Founder of SHED Academy and CEO of SHED of Ideas Games. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Production Engineering and is a Harvard ManageMentor Certified professional with senior-level expertise in project management.
Actively working in the game development industry for over 15 years, Will combines his role as an educator with hands-on experience leading commercial productions. He currently serves as CEO, Executive Producer, Creative Director, and Lead Game Designer at SHED of Ideas Games, leading multidisciplinary teams and overseeing production pipelines powered by Unreal Engine. His industry experience ensures that SHED Academy's training is aligned with current workflows, best practices, and the evolving demands of the real-time 3D and games market.
Alexandre Ferreira
Alexandre Ferreira is Co-Founder of SHED Academy and one of the few Gold Tier Unreal Authorized Instructors worldwide, reflecting his extensive expertise and long-standing commitment to Unreal Engine.
With more than 15 years of active experience in the game development industry, Alexandre currently works at SHED of Ideas Games as an Environment Artist and Technical Artist, contributing to commercial productions and advanced Unreal Engine pipelines.
His combination of production experience, technical expertise, and instructional excellence ensures that SHED Academy's training is grounded in real-world workflows and the latest industry practices.
Other Active Instructors and Mentors
Addison Viana
Addison Viana is an Instructor at SHED Academy and Lead Programmer at SHED of Ideas Games. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and began his professional journey through SHED Academy's mentorship program.
With over five years of active industry experience, Addison specializes in gameplay programming and feature development for commercial Unreal Engine projects, bringing real-world production experience and current industry practices into the classroom.
Breno Souza
Breno Souza is an Instructor at SHED Academy and a Game Developer at SHED of Ideas Games. He developed his professional foundation through SHED Academy's mentorship program.
With over five years of active industry experience, Breno specializes in enemy behavior systems and UI development for commercial Unreal Engine projects, bringing practical production experience and current industry workflows into the classroom.
Danilo Donanzam
Danilo Donanzam is an Instructor at SHED Academy and a Senior 3D Artist with over 10 years of professional experience. Throughout his career, he has contributed to projects for clients around the world and has built an extensive portfolio showcased on ArtStation.
An experienced educator, Danilo has published multiple courses on platforms such as Udemy and is recognized by his students for his clear teaching style and strong didactic approach. He combines industry expertise with proven instructional experience to deliver practical, production-oriented training.
