Every project has a life cycle of it's own. The role of the Producer is to guide and facilitate their team.

To do this effectively is an art form unto itself, but the difficulty can be compounded by clients who's enthusiasm for the projects' potential creates a moving target of expectations.

Here's a comical look at a not-so-fictitious project to help illustrate what your focus should be and what to expect:

Project: Commando Attack!

• Multiple Human Characters
• High detail facial expressions
• Dramatic Lighting & Effects
• Powerful weapons
• Rich environments

Work is funded based on an exciting proposal using a known team that has done 3D games before.

Major focus: General character skeleton to be used for all characters - pipeline to game engine - playable As Fast As Possible.

Skeleton Rigged

All motion blocked (timing and gross posses only)

Placeholder geometry for characters (cube boy)

UV's in place - generic grid map used for every material

Placeholder geometry for environment (cube world)

UV's in place - generic grid map used for every material

Pipeline tools developed

Game engine in first version

What it looks like:

An ugly, un-lit, completely playable game (ALL levels mocked up) that runs fairly fast on current HW, with block-head characters that float around (no final motion) a set made of cubes.

What you have:

A solid art to engine pipeline. A near complete asset budget and specification that can be changed to take advantage of real game play advantages discovered under way. Environment and character collisions are working. Excellent feedback on what brings the most value for the team to focus on. The game can have a new build EVERY night. The team is fired up.

 

Milestone 1 - Managing Expectations

What you should say:

• This is a working prototype
• We're very pleased to have covered so much so fast!
• Audio is going to make a big difference.

What you'll hear:

• This is it? Where's the rest?
• Is this the way it's going to look.... ?
• Could it be more 'organic'?
• When will the models be done?
• Aren't you going to use textures?
• Will there be more moves?

Basically, if you don't send them home screaming - you didn't go low enough. Never show a client what you're working on today - plan to have versions from week(s) ago. Worst case: You offer to have another version in 10 days that they can look at to determine if they can get out of the contract. They'll not believe you can do anything that fast - the reality is you'll have the work already. Your team continues unaffected.

__________

Major focus: Lighting and shadows for entire game. Motion priority list is developed and implemented (Most used motion gets the bulk of the attention - special case moves are refined somewhat) Placeholder grid textures are upgraded to layout textures (correct color, eye's, ear's, etc. in position - very little detail) - cube geometry replaced rough out models (correct size/mass/outline, few if any details, about 30% of final resolution). Begin work on Special Effects elements.

Lighting to 90% of final - shadows active.

All motion upgraded (worst to best)

Upgrade Scene Geometry

Upgrade Character Geometry

Create Prop Geometry

Texture files are replaced with actual textures - simple versions.

Special Effects elements are created for major actions.

Audio is put in for foley - music is being developed (not in game)

Pipeline tools refined

Game engine refined

What it looks like:

A nicely lit 3D character game with real human looking mannequins that have on camouflage in clean environments. The special effects look especially dramatic with the robust lighting.

What you have:

The game now shows it's full scope - but the team can still make fairly major changes without dramatic impact to the schedule. The list of work to do is progressing at a much more even rate - marketing questions and dealing with upcoming trade shows takes more of your time than overcoming production problems. The team is getting tired of being held back and everything looking so 'blah'.

Milestone 2 - Keeping the job

What you should say:

• Things are progressing as expected
• Motion is still being developed - open to client input / suggestions
• Lighting is setting the mood / feel / look
• We'd like to have great effects - these are just the start

What you'll hear:

• Wow, this is SO much better than the last milestone!
• The motion is looking a LOT more fluid
• The effects really add a lot
• Is this the texture resolution you're going to use?
• When will the moves be finished?
• When will the models be done?
• The effects really need to be / do.... blah, blah
• A lot of comments about 'How cool it would be to.... blah, blah

They showed up expecting to let you go - and went away patting themselves on the back for getting such a great future product. The problems now will be to keep the additional attention from distracting the team.

__________

Major focus: Update the move list to incorporate client suggestions / desires. Focus FX work (don't just go off on 'just FX') on what gives you the most. Final set geometry. Look for 'oh cool' opportunities in Character details / features.

Final Motion

Final Set Geometry

Final Set textures & Lighting

Upgrade Character textures - get ready for last minute changes

Near final FX

Add in game music

Game engine in first version

What it looks like:

A startlingly rich 3D character environment that looks more like a 'cut scene' than such an interactive game. Detailed characters with noticeable features and unique characteristics. Spectacular effects that fit nicely with the environment detail.

What you have:

Tools for changing / integrating character moves into the character control engine that allow the animators to work side by side with the engine programmers to get the best look / feel for each character action - fast. Audio / music that makes the most of the non-action sections. Character texture pipeline for making shading changes across multiple characters fast and easy. HUGE changes / variations can be made by the team on a day to day basis. Good, new game scenarios are brought up - don't get lured into too much. Excitement is starting to peak - everyone's talking about bonus'.

Milestone 3 - Focus attention on what works & completion

What you should say:

• The Character details make all the difference
• We'd like sign-off on all the moves
• The FX input you suggested really worked
• there's no more time for additional levels / sets

What you'll hear:

• I really love (some character detail)
• The FX look fine the way they are
• One more level / set change is needed
• The characters need one more move / action
• Can (some character detail) be changed?

Now it's all about limiting busy-work details that would be unplanned overtime. The team is tired, but can see the end coming. Hours are still not long - but people have started to spend more and more time in an effort to 'get more in' than is planned. Look to programming to set limits for this - but don't let them over extend. Their big push is coming.

__________

Major focus: Make a level lighting change - and tell the client the set change they requested is done. Heads up display is usually re-worked here. Menus, interface, etc. are re-designed and implemented based on new contracts from legal. Trade show demos create unforeseen features / changes - adapt where convenient. Make character changes that push the envelope without additional work across the team. Take high-resolution versions of assets and create marketing materials.

Final lighting

Final Character Geometry

Final Character Motion

Final FX

Tune and Tweak only within NORMAL working hours up to Final

Make changes as QA requests until time runs out

Ship

Not all projects are known quantities, but there are more than not.