Name: Shaun

Job title: Producer

Location: London Studio

How and when did you join the company?
I joined London Studios in 2006 just before the launch of PLAYSTATION 3. Prior to that I worked at Lionhead Studios for over 2 years on the Fable franchise. Before game development I worked for 6 years in online production at a digital agency specialising in producing e-commerce websites e.g. Marks & Spencer, Halifax etc.

What does your role involve?
My role is largely focused on working with the team to get things done and resolving anything which is holding them back from achieving this. A good day is a productive and motivated team. I do my best to create an environment for our creative teams to develop their ideas from concepts into full scale projects as quickly and easily as possible.
On a daily basis, I work very closely with the creative, technical and art directors to help shape their vision from a budget, time and resource perspective, whilst the whole team shares responsibility for creating the highest quality game experience my main responsibilities are about getting the project done on time and within budget, balancing these priorities with the ambitions from the creative/game director. My day always starts with 10 minute meetings with our project sub teams and then I follow up on dealing with the project blockers. On a weekly and monthly basis I'm always looking at the longer term plans and reassessing what our leadership team wants for the project. I frequently report to the studio director on project status.

What skills did you need to get started in this industry?
A passion for working with highly creative and smart people who can be challenging when it comes to balancing ideas and creativity with project deadlines! Its vital therefore to be a people person and to be able to build relationships with the team, learning and soaking up the activities of a multitude of disciplines and spending a lot of time listening to people and paying attention to how the teams work.
Creatively, you can offer ideas as can anyone in the team, but the main focus of this role is to daily trouble shoot, manage hundreds of tasks and you should be someone that gets a great sense of satisfaction from planning and organising and making your peers lives easier to get things done. It will help to have learnt how to chair large groups to make decisions about subjects you might not fully understand.
Having a good understanding of creative processes that are used in product design and similar industries is useful. A love and passion for games is not essential but is definitely a benefit.

What tips do you have for anyone wanting to enter your area of the business?
Study traditional project management methodologies as well as agile and lean management. Have an understanding of business management and what makes organisations tick. Have a keen interest in people management and productivity ideas. Get some work experience as a production assistant or project runner in any creative industry and this will get you exposed to projects. There are many opportunities out there to get good some experience.
Describe your gaming prowess in three words
Puzzle Problem Solving