LAFS PREPRO Session 1 - Introduction

INTRODUCTIONSession 1

David Mullich

Concept Workshop - Game PreProduction

The Los Angeles Film School

Who Am I?

David Mullichdmullich@lafilm.edu@David_Mullichdavidmullich.wordpress.com

Insructor at LAFS Game Producer at Say Design Co-author of BSA Game Design Merit Badge

Manual

Who Are You?

1. What is your name?

2. Where are you from?

3. What is your favorite movie?

4. What is your favorite game?

5. What is your career goal?

How to Succeed in This Class

Studying game development at college is still college study.

Take Notes Study Do Your Work

Take Notes

Game producers constantly take notes.

So, having one of these is a minimum requirement.

At all times.

Study

Review the Lecture Notes

Think Understand Reflect and

Connect

On Time

Means 5 minutes early.

Unless the stakes are really high, in which case it means 24 hours early. Or a week early.

Pssst....Sometimes developers make false internal deadlines to avoid calamity such as missed milestone payments. Maybe you could do the same if graduation is at stake?

Tests

Study for your tests! Refer to the slides. If you see on a slide, it will probably be on

the test. If you don’t know the answer to a test question,

guess!There are no points deducted for wrong answers on

multiple-choice questions I will award some points for clever or knowledgeable

answers on short-answer questions, even if they weren’t the answer I was looking for.

Do You Have Skillz?

Gamers are good at digital interfaces

Gaming professionals are good at both digital and human interfaces

This means communication.

With grammar‐Nazis.

“...the different ways they done it like in the game play and the scenes ad the props”

...is not communicating and will incur their wrath.

Game development is a team sport for Geeks.

All Business is Communication

Business to Consumer Business to Business Boss to Team Team to Boss Team Member to Team Member

Good Communication

Precise

Clear

Brief

Written Communication

Informal Communication

“Its cool to werk in gamez.u get too do anything u want & stuff”

Formal Communication

“It’s cool to work in games. You get to do anything you want and stuff.”

Written Communication

Capitalize the beginning of sentences, names, game titles, and the word “I”

Use proper spelling and punctuation Put a space between punctuation mark

ending a sentence and the start of the next sentence

Don’t use “u” for “you”, or “&” for “and” Don’t confuse “its” and “it’s”

Attention to detial

It matters.

Emails

Use a meaningful subject line (e.g., “Homework 2”)

Send attachments as PDF files only Put your name on all attachments

Assignments

If you can’t be bothered to: be creative strive for originality even within established

norms or constraints look beyond your initial idea actually enjoy and actively want to do the above

Then get used to the phrase

“Would you like fries with that?”

Tokenism

The practice or policy of making no more than a token effort or gesture. Token verbal presentations. Token game documentation. Token effort.

Does NOT belong in game development practice ANY kind.

Do not aim to do the minimal required. Aim to exceed expectations.

“I just want to pass this”

Classes are not kidney stones.

If you think about them in these terms, maybe you’re on the wrong career path?

Send your instructor an email.

Let’s go to the next topic!