New job,new challenges,nerves
polycounter lvl 18
Hello my fellow polycounters.
Im going to be starting a new job soon,wont say the name yet as i am waiting for the final bits of the whole contract to be signed so i would hate to jinx it
But the reason i am making the thread isnt for pats in the back,more like advice...
This will be the first time I will be in a paid position leading newer artists work on a game project to which ill soon be starting and being that its my first gig in this sort of position im a bit nervous and i was hoping for a little advice on what makes a good lead artist..
Ive had some experience before on an indy gig which was quite a learning experience but this time there will be budgets,deadlines as well as expectations about the quality of art so its got me a bit jittery.
Regardless ive feel a renewed sense of energy which previous projects have sadly not inspired in me.
...any thought would be appreciated.
Im going to be starting a new job soon,wont say the name yet as i am waiting for the final bits of the whole contract to be signed so i would hate to jinx it
But the reason i am making the thread isnt for pats in the back,more like advice...
This will be the first time I will be in a paid position leading newer artists work on a game project to which ill soon be starting and being that its my first gig in this sort of position im a bit nervous and i was hoping for a little advice on what makes a good lead artist..
Ive had some experience before on an indy gig which was quite a learning experience but this time there will be budgets,deadlines as well as expectations about the quality of art so its got me a bit jittery.
Regardless ive feel a renewed sense of energy which previous projects have sadly not inspired in me.
...any thought would be appreciated.
Replies
http://brau3d.blogspot.com/2011/11/igda-leadership-forum-session-notes.html
So i'll just repost what i put at one part of the write up.
~Overall be smart and keep to the principle that games should be fun, and that everyone involved in the development of it works towards that same goal. Even when we have separate disciplines in the development cycle that should not stop us from being curious and exploring them. An artist that posses more knowledge on the process will become a better asset and stronger artist. Learn to read code when necessary, understand tools and teach them. Education is what makes teams stronger, and sharing that knowledge will benefit everyone in the long run.
Mainly, listen to your co workers and be respectful. Schedule, task and keep track of everything. At least that works for me, and always follow up.
It'll be nice to see some input here for you.
some people are better at organics and others are better at hard surface that way you can play to everyone's strengths.
First, trust in the abilities you already have, then you only have to "worry" about leadership. Essentially I sum up what I do as "enabling my team to do the best job possible" - yes, I'm just support!
I make sure my team has the tools they need, that projects are well planned and that everyone knows what they have to do. I resolve conflicts, I schedule training when needed. Simply: I'm there to help!
Also challenge your team and delegate tasks, even the "cool" ones you would like to do yourself. Nobody likes a lead who hogs all the awesome tasks and leaves the trash for the team. Give people chances to prove themselves. But also allow them to fail "gracefully" - i.e. it shouldn't bring the entire project down or cause embarrassment if a given task fails. We only learn through challenges and sometimes failures - so give your team the chance to learn and improve.
Ensure proper standards take root in the team - both technical, artistic and professional.
Be friendly but avoid "being friends" and avoid generating the image of favoring particular artists. It's okay to do team events like a team dinner though, or have personal conversations, but yet it's best to keep some distance.
Establish proper procedures for feedback, task assignment (if your company doesn't have that), and evaluation. Make sure people understand the rules, how the rules help them to get better, but also what happens if they break them. That being said, it's okay to break the rules, but only with your approval and only if it helps the team and the production. If you have to choose between following the process and getting things done, go for getting things done. In our industry this is what counts.
Find out team member's strenghts and weaknesses and assign tasks accordingly. If a team member wants to grow, give them the chance to prove themselves and assing tasks accordingly. People love to grow and show what they can do!
Train team members to be independent, so you can go on vacation and give them the car keys without finding that Ferrari stuck in a wall. Or you can dedicate time to do hand-on work or whatever. Independent people are just better than drones who just work on command, and you'll spend less time with micromanagement.
Stick to the old German saying "trust is good, but control is better". Even with a lot of freedom, ensure that your team keeps you in the loop by talking to you and providing feedback about their progress and issues.
If the team isn't in the habit yet, make them work together, as a team! Assign seniors to mentor juniors. Don't have people always come to you only, send them to other knowledgeable team members. This does two things: The knowledgeable team members feel important and second people get to know each other better and understand how their fellow team members tick.
Fight for your team when you have to, be determined but friendly and don't burn bridges. Your team may not know to whom to turn when there's a problem. They may not be able to talk to upper management, but you can! You're their attorney for small and big problems.
Finally I can just say: I LOVE what I'm doing, and I have an awesome team of TAs here
If there's overtime, stay with your team, or when they're on another project where you cannot help (happens to me here and there), see if there's anything you can do to help them to get trhu that crunch easier.
What has worked for me here A LOT is always have extra time in your schedule for unexpected tasks. If you compensate with this you and your team will rarely have to crunch, and everyone will be happy and do even better work. Also, i like to go over the schedule with everyone individually in case they have some input. Then they don't feel like its just me laying down what has to be done and thats it. People are aware of whats coming and they have a chance to adjust their schedule and understand where you are coming from with it.
You'll get the hang of it. I love what i do as well. It's nice when people here want you to be lead on the next project and them be in your team.