What Skills Do Good Producers Have?
I know that there is a diverse set of users who are on the forum. I was hoping to get some feedback on a few questions:
I was wondering what skills do good producers have?
What are the biggest challenges that young producers face?
For an individual with a non-technical background what software should a producer be competent in? Excel, Project, etc. Anything else?
- Thanks Guys and Happy Thanksgiving!
The biggest challenge young producers face is telling the team no. Alot of producers want to be accepted as a key part of the team and smashing out feature creep hurts.
Alot of times this results in them losing their authority with the group and ends in a bad way.
The books recommended are also good for reading up on the subject.
Dustin
A lot of what makes a good producer comes naturally.
Though there are many skills that are needed to help even a natrually good producer succeed, they can be learnt.
The books Tom said are great, I have read both of them.
Check out Toms site too, there is a lot of good information there.
Listen to complaints made about producers, some are justified others are due to poor skills.
As Dustin said, saying no can be hard for some people. As a producer, I think, you should try to be accepted for your abilities to lead the team and project, not for your ability to be everyone's friend.
Its a balancing juggling act, thats for sure.
I would say the biggest challenge lies in being able to learn from your mistakes, and not be afraid to make them. Meaning, don't fret if you do make a mistake, own up to it (pun on words since you own up to it to your higher boss) and learn to not make it again (when talking with members of the team, tell them about how changes will ensure that mistake will be avoided.)
Be positive, work hard and stay focused.
Good luck to you.
This topic came in a good time.
Since last GDC my goal is to break into a well based game industry. I have talked to recruiters around the world and all of then directed me to look for a production related role; they said me it is my profile.
But that is the problem. I know that I can’t break into the industry as a producer (I don’t have the expertise, I know) and thus I’m trying to get an Assistant Producer job, right?
Is Assistant producer the right position to start? Because I see in many job boards requirements as 2 or more published games for assistant producer jobs but I don’t have this expertise as assistant producer. How this expertise comes?
How people like me can get a production related position?
I think that this question can help many of the aspiring producers around here.
There is a thread about starting off in the games industry as a producer.
Originally posted by thiago
Is Assistant producer the right position to start?
I likened this to how the William Morris Agency trains talent agents, and in many respects, interactive entertainment works the same way.
Thanks guys for all the information provided.
Knowledge is always appreciable
Regards,
I appreciate the two book suggestions. They will make a good read. Tom's website is filled with some good material too and I'll defintely be browsing over that in more detail.
What about technical skills? What software should I be familiar with. I've heard that I should be familiar and skilled with the Office Suite so like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Project. What other software should I be familiar with and have at least a basic understanding of?
Saying no is always a tough thing to do. What has been everyone's experience with providing motivation to teammates? I would have to speculate that is as hard to do. Or what about providing critical feedback? How do individuals take that? It seems like a lot of this role could involve earning everyone's respect and being able to leverage that to have individuals listen to you. Am I on track for that? And if so, how seriously do experienced individuals take a producer who is more raw than them?
Originally posted by businessman1
I've heard that I should be familiar and skilled with the Office Suite so like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Project. What other software should I be familiar with and have at least a basic understanding of?
Learn as much software as you can. You dont need to know the fine inner workings of it but knowing how to use Photoshop, Maya, Max, Flash, HTML, PHP, some sort of Tracking system (TRAC or Mantis) learn about servers, differences with linux and windows NT. Learn about systems such as SVN. Learn to use excel as well as project. spreadsheets, budget sheets, all sorts of information sheets.
Most times you will have to adjust to the system the company you work for uses. So widening the span of knowledge is never a bad thing.
Saying no is always a tough thing to do. What has been everyone's experience with providing motivation to teammates? I would have to speculate that is as hard to do.
Motivating teammates is not a general thing. It is something that is different for each team member. So putting pressure on someone may be just what they want and need to get the job done. I love being in high stress environments, its where I truly shine, so to be put in one would be motivating to me. Someone else would not want that high stress, they would want to be calm and work at their pace, as long as their pace fits the schedule.
So you have to really know your leads and key players. Practice speaking to groups, be concise and energetic!
You have to be sold on the project to sell it to anyone else.
Mostly it comes down to good communication skills, the ability to read people and the fortitude to push them to their limits.
Or what about providing critical feedback? How do individuals take that? It seems like a lot of this role could involve earning everyone's respect and being able to leverage that to have individuals listen to you. Am I on track for that? And if so, how seriously do experienced individuals take a producer who is more raw than them?
Critical feedback is always hard, always needed and very easy to send a negative vibe with.
With such a general question its hard to narrow down an answer.
For instance, what is the feedback towards?
If its work creation related, perhaps start with the good things you see and then mention the things you want fixed then end with an idea and asking their input to a solution. (this is only one of many ways, again it comes down to knowing the type of person you are giving feedback too.)
If it is something to do with being late, or some sort of work habit (long lunches, inter-office relationships) you would approach it a different way.
Respect does not come from using it as leverage. That would be the fastest way to lose it.
Respect comes from, first and foremost, GIVING it.
Staying true to your word.
Not bullshitting.
Do NOT let anyone walk on you.
Not being wishy washy or flakey.
Being open to ideas and suggestions.
Protecting and standing up for a good idea, hard work and the team in general.
and of course, many other things.
Basically, you have to earn the respect of the team. Raw or not, if you can show them you are willing to work as hard with them to get the project done, most times they will respect you for it.
Two last things I want to mention.
Always always explain to the team or a team member why they are doing something. This is a two parter, if they give an idea and you turn it down, explain why. If there is a change in what they are working on, explain the direction outcome. They dont need to know reasons behind it, just the refocus of change.
Never talk badly about anyone, your team or any other company. this is more general than specific to a producer, but you should not point blame or speak negatively towards anyone on your team or that you are working with/for. A producer is, i believe, the sponge between the team and everyone else. Absorb, cushion and filter.
There is so much more...and I honestly dont have the time to type it all out.
Check out Toms site, most of your questions should be answered there.
Dan wrote:
>I appreciate the two book suggestions.... Tom's website is filled with some good material too and I'll defintely be browsing over that in more detail.
>What about technical skills? What software should I be familiar with. I've heard that I should be familiar and skilled with the Office Suite so like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Project. What other software should I be familiar with and have at least a basic understanding of?
Whoa! You're asking us to write (right now, right here) what you'll be reading, so you can read it here instead of there? Why? Why not just go do that reading, then after you've done that, come back here and ask questions to fill the gaps?
>It seems like a lot of this role could involve earning everyone's respect and being able to leverage that to have individuals listen to you. Am I on track for that?
Not so far, no. Respect comes from knowing the industry and having experience and knowing what needs doing, how to get it done, and what you're talking about.
>And if so, how seriously do experienced individuals take a producer who is more raw than them?
There you go again. "How hard is it," "how seriously..." How are we supposed to quantify this seriousness for you? Besides, this question is... shall we say... disingenuous. It shouldn't need to be asked, if you just take a serious look at the question itself and think about the real world for a moment.
I ask again: what is it you're really trying to find out? "Can I get an MBA and then, without having any prior game industry experience, become a full producer in charge of making a videogame?" Because if that's the question, the answer to that question is a lot easier than the answer to nebulous questions like "how hard is it" or "how seriously" (the answer is NO). Read my FAQ on producing, then let's talk again.
Well, Tom, I'll read those books then I'll get back to you. I have read your FAQ, but I want to take what I've read there and combine it with one of the books to develop a good basis from which to ask questions again.
Thank you for complimenting my ego, but its not big enough to think I could just walk in and be in charge of making a game. I have no dreams of being hired onto be the full producer in charge of making a game, but instead I was looking at the feasibility of being an assistant producer or whatever phrase you want to use. Learn the ropes under a good producer and maybe in 5 years get my own shot. That was my idea.
Talk to you in a few weeks or however it takes to get the book from Amazon and read it.
Dan wrote:
>I was looking at the feasibility of being an assistant producer
A lot of people do it. That probably means it's very feasible. But I still think that wasn't what you were really trying to find out.
>Talk to you in a few weeks or however it takes to get the book from Amazon and read it.
The book will tell you what producing is about. It might not tell you how to become an assistant producer (if that's what it is you want to know).
You're going to be an MBA in 2008? OK, well, figure on finding an entry path into the game biz after that. Then figure a couple years to learn the biz before you can get promoted to assistant producer. (If that's what you're asking.)
We are looking for experienced game producers. Please contact at
Skills good producers have:
- great communication skills (written and verbal)
- very comprehensive knowledge of games
- organized
- detail-oriented
- analytical and strong problem-solving skills
- strong leadership capabilities
You'll notice that a lot of these skills are 'soft', in the sense that you can't learn them from a book or a course. You need hands-on experience to build up these skills and sensibilities.
In some cases, you might have these things naturally (ex. you might just be one of those people who is naturally good at uniting people behind a common goal), but this is pretty rare.
Obviously, the best producers have shipped games. Nothing qualifies you for this role more than getting games out the door and experiencing the product cycle a few times. This is one of the reasons why future production staff are often recruited out of QA departments.
Please note that in the above I'm talking about producers in general terms, as members of a discipline (ex. like designers). There are obviously different levels of producers, as well as internal (development-side) producers, external (publisher-side) producers, and a huge amount of variation in how the role is defined from studio to studio. Each special case will have its own requirements.
In case anybody finds this useful:
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/KainShin/20090531/1605/WTF_Do_Producers_Do_All_Day.php
It's possible to break into production as a production assistant; these kind of roles can be attained by grads (but are still very competitive). 
Well, that's what I've heard anyways :P.
There are entire books devoted to your questions.
Try these.