Let me start this out with a bit of a disclaimer: I am just a student and all of my advice is based on my experiences I acquired from my time as a GAM2XX producer. Every producer's experience is going to be different due to a variety of factors (e.g. team composition).
With that in mind - let's begin.
Being a GAM2XX producer has a lot of facets. The word "producer", in my opinion, is an oversimplification of all of the different responsibilities that a producer may have to perform. As a producer you have to act as a project manager, a leader, a translator, and many other things. Sounds daunting, right? Don't fear! A producer role is one that someone grows in to - very rarely is it a role that a person can fill immediately out of the gate without any prior experience.
So, let's begin with the basics.
A Producer Is Not A Boss
If you take anything away from this article - let it be this statement. Just because you are a producer does not mean that you are the boss of anyone. It almost means the exact opposite - your team is the boss of you. A producer is, at their core, a servant leader. This means that every action, decision, and thought should begin with one question: How will this benefit my team?
This is best demonstrated through an example.
EXAMPLE
There is an error in the physics. Your physics programmer is aware of this but doesn't know how to repair the problem. Another programmer on the team says they know exactly what the problem is and can have it fixed in a day. This repair doesn't need to happen that quickly - it will be about a week before this problem begins to impede the rest of the team. What do you, as the producer, do?
ANALYSIS
Your first step is to ask the following: How can I best help my team? Some would say to hand the problem off to the second programmer since the product will be delivered much faster. However, you have to keep in mind that GAM2XX (and the associated sister classes) are about giving students learning opportunities. If you hand the problem off to the second programmer without establishing any expectations on how the problem will be fixed, you could possibly be taking away a learning opportunity from the first programmer.
The best way to help your team is by giving them as many opportunities to grow without throwing them to the wolves. For this example, I believe that the best option would be to have both programmers collaborate on fixing the problem so that it is repaired before the next week. By doing this, you are doing three things: 1) encouraging team collaboration and communication, 2) allowing the first programmer to grow under the guidance of the second and 3) giving the second programmer a chance to grow their communication and teaching skills through helping the first programmer.
But how does this explain a servant-leader role? In the last example, the best solution (in my opinion) had one goal: help your teammates grow. In the grand scheme of things, you received nothing out of the resolution. Every action you took was in the pursuit of the betterment of others. That is what a servant-leader strives for.
In summary: You have no power to punish your teammates (and nor should you want that) - your only goal is to provide them with opportunities to grow themselves. (And if they don't take advantage of those opportunities...that's a whole other discussion)
The Difference Between a Project Manager and a Leader
Both of these are roles that a producer may have to take on, but how exactly are they different? It all has to do with what they are trying to accomplish and prioritize.
A Project Manager prioritizes the project and has a goal of completing the project by the deadline (at the very latest). They concern themselves with the speed at which the project is progressing, what requirements the project has met and still needs to meet, and must make decisions that will benefit the project above all. In the case of GAM2XX (and associated sister classes), the project is the game.
Now, this is definitely a critical part of a producer's job since they have to be constantly aware of how the project looks in the grand scheme of things and determine what changes need to be made to ensure the deliverables of the project. However, this doesn't really take into account what makes the project happen: the people. A producer can never forget about the human side of the project development - which takes just as much (if not more effort) to develop and maintain.
This is where the leader part of being a producer comes in.
A Leader prioritizes the people on the team and has the goal of inspiring and ensuring that everyone on the team is having their needs met. Whether this is through team events or just a simple conversation, the leader is tuned into the spirit of the team. They focus on the morale - the driving force of the team (which, at the end of the day, is the fuel for the project development)
Knowing when to switch between these two personas is what makes a good producer a great producer. This knowledge just comes with time. A general pattern that I have noticed is that right before a deadline - the Project Manager persona will take the forefront - and, adversely, right after a deadline - the Leader persona will arise.
A Jack Of All Trades
Given that a GAM2XX team will (generally) have teammates of different disciplines, the producer must also be willing to act as a translator. Now, this doesn't mean that you have to understand every little thing about each discipline - it doesn't even mean that going into the role you have to understand anything outside of your discipline. Instead, this means that you have to be willing to learn a vocabulary completely unlike your own. You have to be willing to not only interact with the other members on your team (which - I don't know if this needs to be said - but a producer has to be willing to interact with people both inside and outside of the team) but take an interest in other disciplines innerworkings so that you can better facilitate communication across all disciplines.
A perfect example is the pipeline between the design side of the team and the art side of the team, specifically when talking about a simple word: layers. In digital art, artists can use layers in order to draw different things without it changing whatever is on a separate layer (think of a stack of paper - you can write on a piece of paper on the top without impacting the sheets below). However, when using Unity, designers use layers to determine which objects interact / collide with one another. One word, two different meanings. It is the producer's job to take the time to understand these differences, make the distinction in communication, and make sure that the rest of the team understands this distinction.
Conclusion
A producer has a lot of different responsibilities and personas that they have to adopt (and yes, there are more than this very basic overview provided here) which can seem very daunting. However, it is a challenge that has some of the best rewards. If you get fulfillment from growing others, seeing them succeed, and love learning about new things outside of your degree, being a producer might be a great path for you to follow! If you are interested, take a shot at it because, at the end of the day, GAM2XX is all about trying new things and seeing what works for you.
Comments