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Being a TD

Being a TD. in the video game industry. Julien Blervaque Character Technical Director Ubisoft Montpellier. Summary. Context Role What does a TD do? What are the various types of TDs in a game project? With who a TD is in touch? How to become a TD Which background How to get exposed

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Being a TD

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  1. Being a TD in the video game industry Julien Blervaque Character Technical Director UbisoftMontpellier

  2. Summary • Context • Role • What does a TD do? • What are the various types of TDs in a game project? • With who a TD is in touch? • How to become a TD • Which background • How to get exposed • Tips and tricks once in production

  3. Context Technical Director: • A very young position in a young industry • An answer to more and more complex productions • Different types of TDs for different needs • A TD is not a technical artist • TDs currently in place have very different backgrounds

  4. Role • In a sentence: « Proposes technical and viable solutions in order to achieve the game ambitions »

  5. Role • In a sentence: « Proposes technical and viable solutions in order to achieve the game ambitions » • Proposes: because part of a team discussion

  6. Role • In a sentence: « Proposes technical and viable solutions in order to achieve the game ambitions » • Proposes: because part of a team discussion • Viable solutions: Applicable, respecting constraints

  7. Role • In a sentence: « Proposes technical and viable solutions in order to achieve the game ambitions » • Proposes: because part of a team discussion • Viable solutions: Applicable, respecting constraints • Game ambitions: Always challenging

  8. Role • What does the TD do? • Researches to answer the game ambitions • Production guidelines • Team training • Technical daily support for team and production • Engine, tools and working methods enhancements • Bug fix • At company level: involved in the content creation strategy

  9. Role • Practically speaking, it consists in… • A cool part: • Finding solutions (researches, tests, user support, tool development…) • Using the tools you asked for and seeing the results • A, well, less sexy part: • Documentation writing • Guidelines and estimations • Trainings • Specifications Word / wiki Excel PowerPoint

  10. Role • When do TDs enter into the game? As early as possible !! Engine and global tools enhancements Researches, pipeline, training… Production and team technical support Bug fix Documentation, banks feeding

  11. Role • With who the TD is in touch ? • From very localized interventions on data to directions on high level features, he potentially works with everybody • Privileged relationships: • The lead of his department • The team of his department • The creative team • The other TDs • The engine team

  12. Common game content creation workflow

  13. Relationship with the department lead

  14. Relationship with the team

  15. Relationship with the creative team

  16. Relationship with other TDs

  17. Relationship with the engineers

  18. How to become a TD • Which background? • Education: • Aim: Acquire strong technical basis AND strong basis in your field AND a good understanding of the other departments work • Training or school with a TD specialization • Or develop a double competence

  19. How to become a TD • Which background? • Beyond education: • Use digital tools: Internet, online and DVD trainings • Read books, magazines… • Experiment • Have personal projects • Get a cinema and animation culture • Code

  20. How to become a TD • Which background? • For graphics and animation TDs: • Master a 3D software… 3ds Max ? Maya ? XSI ?Another one? And the winner is… It doesn’t really matter !

  21. How to become a TD • Staying at the edge… • Perpetual technology watch • Company internal trainings (in various fields) • « Produce » from time to time • Always learn something new when using a program • Think about a switch to or from post-production

  22. How to become a TD • How to get exposed • Not easy to do a demo reel for a TD: • Strong lack of time to build it • Not so many visual elements produced • Have you own website, with technological materials • scripts, tips, links to projects you worked on… • Put your profile online • LinkedIn… • Develop a professional network and keep it alive • Ask for TD or assistant TD position

  23. Tips and tricks for TDs Fully embrace the TD role and responsibilities

  24. Tips and tricks for TDs • Relationship with others: • Share information • Be constructive: for critics, feedbacks, demands • Always try to consider things from other points of view • When you don’t know, say it! • When you made a mistake, say it! • Work with people, not against!

  25. Tips and tricks for TDs • In-house developments: • Pay a great attention to users! • Be sure in-house applications and tools follow the fundamental software development rules: • Reliability • Robustness • GUI consistency (inside the application and relatively to others) • Upgradability • Write precise specifications

  26. Tips and tricks for TDs • Solving problems: • Check! Double check! Triple check!Most of the time the solution is in your hands • Think large, think reuse!Always consider how it can be used later, how to improve it - setups, procedural and modular approaches…

  27. Tips and tricks for TDs • Organization: • Be organized and structured, but flexible and reactive • Use suitable tools to share information Grouped e-mails, but not spam Meeting requests Efficient visual communication… • Use Agile method (wisely)

  28. Conclusion • TDs are the technical backbone of nowadays and upcoming productions • Technical Director is a challenging job • We have open positions at Ubisoft www.jobs.ubisoft.com

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