1. Session 7 David Mullich Concept Workshop - Game PreProduction The Los Angeles Film School

2. Staffing Plan Defines the personnel resources and when they will come aboard Written by the games Producer 3. Staffing Phases Preproduction: Generally consists of a small team required to put together the game documentation, concept art, technical research, and perhaps pipeline tools or a prototype. Production: Project team size can dramatically increase as more programmers, artists, and level designers come aboard to create assets and features. Audio personnel usually don't come aboard until late in production. Post-Production: Team members responsible for creating assets leave the project while programmers remain to fix bugs. Producers remain to work with quality assurance and create localization plans. 4. Dilemma #1 What do you do with the rest of the team while the leads are working on the game documentation? Potential Solution: Have the leads work on the new project while the current game is in Post Production. 5. Dilemma #2 The schedule is falling behind. Do we hire more people? Potential Solution: If more people are needed to finish a task, it will require a lot of money, but if you don't have the money, then may be to reduce the scope of work so that the people available can do it. Warning: The Mythical Man Month: If a job takes a man 5 months to do, that doesn't necessarily mean that the same job can be done by 5 men in one month. 6. Staffing Hiccups Holidays: Make time for these in your schedule Vacation/Maternity Leave: Ask team members for planned departure plans at the start of the project and work into schedule Sick Time/Jury Duty: Leave buffer time in schedule for unplanned absences Firings/Resignations: Cross-train personnel so that no one is dispensable 7. Hiring Electronic Ads: Craig's List, LinkedIn, Gamasutra, Creativeheads.net, Gamedev.net, Gamejobs.com, bulletin boards, Recruiters: Best used for finding programmers or mid-high level producers or designers. Schools Job Fairs Networking 8. Team Phases Forming: Team members are positive and polite. As leader, you play a dominant role at this stage: other member's roles are responsibilities are unclear. Storming: Your authority may be questioned as other jockey for position and their role is clarified. Some may be overwhelmed by what they are asked to do. Teams can fall apart at this stage. Norming: Hierarchy is established, and team members come to respect your authority as a leader. Performing: Hard work leads toward progress toward shared vision of a goal. As leader, you can start delegating work and begin developing team members. Adjourning: This may be hard for team members who like routine or have grown attached to co-workers. 9. Team Phases 10. What is the appropriate management technique to use at each of these team phases? Team Phase 1. Forming 2. Storming 3. Norming 4. Performing 5. Adjourning Management Style A. Coaching B. Delegating C. Directing D. Supporting