International team building

Lessons learned working with an International Team 

As many creators know, whether you are making a game, a film, or a cake , the artistic creative side of the project comes in waves. Sometimes those waves can be tsunamis of multiple artists modeling & rigging assets, or long stretches of time planning out your magnificent design, before moving to the next wave of tasks to tackle. 

The end of our 1st artistic wave is slowly approaching. Here are some of the most important things we've learned up until now. 

1. Communication is

This seems like a no brainer, but there's a bit more to it. As the art director and animation lead on the project, it is my job to complete the quality check on all incoming assets. This may come in the form of written notes, annotated videos, live video calls, & so on. With so many new assets  each week, it's easy to just assume that thoroughly written feedback notes would suffice. However, each artist is different, and it's the extra effort you put in that makes it or breaks it. One thing I learned from this experience was to always ask the artist what is the most effective way of communicating with them. With the extra time you spend, not only does the project progress more smoothly, but you also create a better bond with the artists. 

2. Time Zone Difference 

Time zone difference was a special case for our project since we had artists working remotely and sometimes from the other side of the world! Remember that people have different schedules, especially if they are in a different time zone. When scheduling video calls or meeting times, be sure to respect that difference. 

3. Be Productive, Not Busy 

Whether you're working on 1 big project or several projects at once, it can always seem like you are too busy for your own good. The key is understanding the difference between being productive and being busy. 

Being busy is frantic while being productive is focused 

Being busy is driven by perfection, while being productive is driven by purpose. Think about being effective and chose worthy battles. Remember if you are to make it through the end of the tunnel victorious, then you'll need to conserve your energy. Sometimes taking a break means making a breakthrough. 

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