Working on a product pipeline

Solo to studio Tanya Combrinck receives pro advice for working effectively on collaborative projects for video games and films

- Tanya Combrinck

Transitioning from solo projects to working as part of a large team can be tricky to navigate. Creating collaboratively requires excellent communication, tact, empathy, ego management, and a host of other skills that can make the difference between being someone that pushes the team forwards and someone who holds it back. If you get it right, there’s a huge amount to be gained both personally and professionally from working as part of a pipeline.

A senior concept artist in video game development, Thomas Mahon sees working on a pipeline as an opportunity to grow in ways that might be left if you only ever work undeveloped alone. A shift in perspective is needed, though. "On a team, the artwork doesn't belong to just one person, it belongs to the project as a whole, so a level of conformity is expected," he says. "It's likely you'll have to hand off work to another artist, and being flexible with your style is valuable."

When you first arrive, it's important to grasp the workings of the whole pipeline you're part of, especially the technical limitations. "Not knowing the constraints can lead to bolder designs, but it's good to be aware of the rules before you bend them," he says.

OVERCOMING LIMITATIONS

It may feel as though technical constraints are holding you back, but Thomas points out their presence often results in greater creativity. If the game you're working on targets lower-spec hardware, it's a chance to do something else. "You have an opportunity to make something timeless with strong art direction that embraces its limited scope," he says.