Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
s Id m e I e r , C r e a t I v e d I r e C t o r (Continued)
He has piloted several projects to successful completion, such as Sid Meier's
Pirates! , Sid Meier's Gettysburg! , and Sid Meier's Civilization III! In 1999,
Sid was the second person to receive the honor of being inducted into
the Academy of Interactive Ar ts & Sciences' Hall of Fame for Lifetime
Achievement.
producer
The job of the producer is essentially overseeing the entire production process.
Unlike in other creative industries, such as film and television, the game pro-
ducer is primarily a project manager responsible for maintaining budgets and
timely delivery of milestones and the final product. Again, depending on the size
and scope of the project, the tasks that fall to this person can vary. For the most
part, their biggest responsibility is seeing that the production stays on schedule
and within budget. Successful producers have to be good managers who can
have both the big picture and the details in mind at all times—not an easy task.
In a real sense, the producer is the senior or lead manager on a project and
coordinates the discipline managers, such as the technical director and art direc-
tor. Of course, this can vary depending on the team or studio. EA, for example,
has producers who oversee budgets and timelines, and others who oversee content
production.
Most (although
not all) success-
ful producers, like
Will Wright, began
their paths in the
game industry as
programmers.
art Director
The art director is usually involved in all stages of the project, from working
on the early concepts (look) of the game to post-production work with market-
ing and everything in between. The role of the art director is often extremely
critical to the successful look and feel of a game. Art directors have even been
known to create the packaging for the game they helped to build.
Often, the art director comes up with guides for the artists that contain spe-
cific color palettes, textures, and methods for drawing and painting. This is one
of the most critical jobs for which art directors are responsible. They're tasked
with creating a style guide for the game that lists all the things just mentioned.
The style guide sets the game's overall look and feel.
The art director also serves as a mentor to those on the crew. Mentoring is
an often overlooked aspect of the job. However, it can be an enormous part of
what this person does, so being able to work well with others and communicate
clearly and effectively is a must.
the style guide , also
called the art bible ,
is the guide that
all the artists on a
project follow while
creating the art
assets.
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