LO3: A media role that I have carried out

The media role that I filled is a co-directer on unit 46  

Unit 46: Audio-visual promos

Actor - I was in a large part of the film as an actor.

Camera - I was the cameraman for a small part of the film.

Director - I thought up ideas for the film and helped execute the ideas.

Producer - I was the cameraman for a small part of the film.

Editor - - I edited the footage and the seconded half of the film its self.

My main team connection was with Mitch motion as he was my partner in the film 

Role and responsibility

I was the assistant director for all of the film. My responsibility was to direct and coordinate the film and make sure that the film is going in the direction Mitch and me invasion.  It was my job to make sure that the actors and other members of crew where making proceeding in a way witch was beneficial to the film.   

Contribution and within my team

Shared the load of editing all of the footage. Me and Mitch both filmed some footage. If it is needed to change the angle of camera and lighting with other such things. The team meeting always consisted of me and Mitch and who was ever in the crow for each shoot. Mitch and me shared the work and did it to a good stranded. I later choose to add filter in the post-production. The job of directing was shared between me and Mitch but all actions in he film was made as a joint decision. 

Interaction within my team

As assistant director I talked a lot with Mitch, as he was the other director. I also talked with crew and people who was leading us equipment for the shooting of the film. I was one half of the two-man team. We had a team meeting before every shoot so that the crew and my self were on the same page.    

Development of skills

As the assistant director I had to think more out side the box so that the film had my stamp on it and just so it was different to other film trailer. I am good with other people so working with Mitch, crew and actors was easy for me.

Areas for further development

I think that I could have done a lot better if I had had better time management.

Contribution to media product

I changed some of the set locations like there is an interrogation. At first the film had it in a police station but I thought that it would be hard to make a police integration room and that other location would be better suited to the style of film we where making. So I said it would be better set in some place like an abandoned factory. In the end we found that the basement of the college we are at had some thing of a hidden room that suited the purpose perfectly.    

Evidence 

LO2: Understanding skills needed to fulfill the chosen media role

My chosen media role is a games tester or also known as QA (Quality Assessor)  tester.
I have used written the past for college course work where I had to analyse 7 games. I had to talk about every aspects of the game from my opinion to its place in the market. I do have some what of a hindrance as I am dyslexic. I can get around it by prof reading and auto correct. Some may see this a skill gap or massive problem but I just se it as a challenge that I must over come for every piece of work that I produce. If I was to expand my written skills and to give my self a portfolio I would review new and old games, I could also test indie games that are in early accesses (Alph/Beta) so that I could also expand my skills in the role as it would be hard to get experience in a proper studio. As a side affect of being dyslexic I do find doing paper a rather large pain and I know that there is a lot of paper work in the ole as yI would have to write up lots of reports on my finding of the game, but this is something I will just have to take in my stride as I cannot think of a way to get around it

I use my verbal skills every day and find this is the best way for me to communicate with others. I find it easy to talk to others and also to people I have just meet or don't even know. I think that this is evident when I had to give a presentation for a games concept that me and a group of friends had to give and when I had to sit down with an implorer for around 30 to 40. I think that I could make a YouTube channel and review games. I have already done this in a review segment for a Sheffield live in there games show called The Games Corner. The main difference between them would be that one is in a group in the YouTube channel I would be on my own. This is because I think that I could get my personality over more, this is good because it is something else that I could have in a portfolio. This would work well because I could show my understanding of the games industry and games development. The one thing I think that could be a problem is that I would have to filter my self like I did for the Games Corner and by doing so I think that some times I am a but to dull. I'm one of the extremes loud and bad mouthed or just sat in the corner not saying that much, so this is something I would have to work on. This is something that I would just have to improve on with time and just get more settled when in front of the camera.    

I have never do this role properly as I have never had the chance to do so. I would like to but I have found it very hard to get the chance, as from what I have found in my research of the role you have to have the job to proper have any experience. I will have to go out and try to get some experience at places like Sumo digital if possible.

I think that I would be good in this role as there is a lot of interaction with other people and I think that I would be able to become friends with every one in the work place. I know that there is a lot of interaction with other people that I am fine with and if I like them I would even have fun while working with them.

      




  

LO1 task 2: Job roles report

The two roles that I am going to be looking at are games tester and Creative direction.

Games Tester 

Key function/Duty 

The main job of a games tester is to find bugs, glitches and suggest improvements to the game.

A games tester has to play the same part of a game over and over in different ways to see what happens if he/she finds a bug or glitch they have to document in detail how it happened and then suggest what the problem could be and possible ways to fix it. As a Games Tester you need to be able to do repetitive tasks as you may (depending on the game) have to play the same level or section of a game for days or weeks on end, you also have to be able to document your entire finding in detail. This is done in different ways some tests make a journal of them playing the game and have a table of the feature that they are looking at. The norm thing to do after is to convert there finding into a report and then send it off to the coding team.

Equipment needed

A games tester will use all of the consoles that the game will be released. At this moment in time it could be the new gen consoles (Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U) and any of the hand held (DS, PSP and Switch Blade) they would most likely have a custom built Computer. The computer would use to play the games and then use it for they’re other need like making reports and normal office activities. They would need a very powerful computer if there are testing something like an MMO. They would need any of the accessories attached to a product like the Kinect and PlayStation move. If you look at a game such as Skyrim they will need a high-end computer because this game is very demanding in the processing power and graphics, for something like Skyrim they would need a graphics card such as a GeForce GTX 980 TI, which will be able to run pretty much any game on the highest speck.

Skills needed

There are a lot of skills need to be a games tester. You pretty much need a back ground in all aspects of games production coding, level deign, physics you will need to have a competent understanding of all aspect so that you can evaluate the glitch or bug properly and give possible fixes. Other skills that you will need are perseverance, as you will be performing the same task over and over. If you have a short attenuation span or get board easily this is not the job for you. In this job role you will be responsible for the over flow and feel of the game you will also need to fix any problems with the game.

Reference: I did not use any reference materiel for this section

Games Programmer

Key function/Duty 

A games programmer main purpose and role is to make the game. They work primarily with the code of the game but they do work in other places like level deign, animation and every thing else. This is because if there is a problem with a game they are the ones who have to fix it, as the problem is nearly always something to do with the code. They work hand in hand with game testers, the tester s find the problem and the programmers fix it. If you or one of the team leaders for programming you will have to be good at organizing and talk to other team leaders in different departments.   

Equipment needed

A Programmer will use a very high-end computer, as the soft ware they will be using is very demanding. They will most likely have multiple monitors as making a game is very complicated and they will require a large work space so that can have a tidy work space that is not clutter. They can use stylus depending on what they are doing.

Skills needed

If you what to get in to the role of a games programmer you will need qualification in games programming such as computer physics, maths or computer science. It will also help to if you have a sample of your programming skills to show an employer. Other skills you will need are persistence and dedication. This is because you will be spending years of your life making one thing. This can be anything from 3 to 7 years. You may also be work on the same thing for hours, days or even weeks. This is because depending on the game you make you can easily brake a game by doing the smallest thing is because every thing is 

Comparison

The two job roles are very different in the skill-set that is needed but the personality and dedication of the person have to be the same. The initial contribution starts with the programmer, as they have to make the basis of the game. Though out the games design the games tester will be playing every aspect of the game and giving the programmers their opinion on how the game could be improved and if there are any bugs or glitches that need to be fixed. It is the responsible of both to make the product as good as it can be, but both need each other to do this as one does not work with out the other. One is responsible for finds the problem and the other is responsible for fixing it. Both are very time consuming and need dedication.                

Reference:

Creative skill set (2014) Available: online Accessed: 19/12/2014

http://creativeskillset.org/creative_industries/games/job_roles/336_game_programmer

LO1: Mind-map of jobs in the games industry

Animator - The job of the animator is to give movement to intractable objects and characters. They basically give life to things. Their job would be in the main production process. They would start working after all of the models are done. This process does not take very long know, this is due to the advances in motion capture technology. Something that would take mouth now takes weeks.
 Assistant Producer - Their job is to work with everyone on a game to make sure that the games stick to a timetable. Their job would be in every stage of the production process. It is their responsibility to make sure that the game is ale to come out on the established realise date. 
Audio Engineer - It is the responsibility to make all of the in-games audio. This includes the soundtrack, sound effects and the voices of the character. Their job can be in pre-production and the main production process, it all depends on how many actors, how big the sound track is and all the other sound effects. A game such as Batman: Arkham Origins audio engineering was started 4 mouth before the game its self had started production and finished 3 weeks before the games had started production. 
Creative Director - It is there duty to direct the flow and fell of the game and makes the big dissension that could change all the aspects of the game. Their job would be in the main production process and pre-production. They would be involved in pre-production but would not contribute a lot. A game that was change drastically because of its Creative Director X-com (2012), it started off as a 3^rd person shooter with tactical elements and ended up being a table top squad based game.   

External producer - The External producer does the same job role, as the normal producer but is an out side sour and not linked to the games studio. Their job would be in the main production process.

Games Designer - Devising what a game consists of and how it plays, defining all the core elements and communicating this to the rest of the development team who create the art assets and computer code. Their job would be in the main production process.

Games Programmer - The job of a Games Programmers design and write the computer code that runs and controls a game. Their job would be in the main production process.

Game Artist - A games artist makes the visuals, things like characters, objects, vehicle anything and everything in a game ha been made by them. Their job would be in the main production process.

Lead Artists - There responsibility is for the overall look of the game. Their job would be in the main production process.

Lead Programmer - It is there job to oversee all programmers with in a given project. Their job would be in the main production process.

Level Editor - A level editor makes the game world. Things that they work on are landscape, buildings and any over really big thing in the game. Their job would be in the main production process.         

Marketing Manager - Their job it to advertise the game and other products associated with the game and studio. Their job is all ways necessary in production and post-production. It is not unknown for them to start in the pre-production but very rare it is only done for an established games franchise.        
Marketing executive - Their job is to be sales rep.  Their job would be in the main production process.

Product Manager - There duty is to change and improve the marketing campaigns so that it makes a bigger in packet on the sales. Their job is all ways necessary in production and post-production.

Project Manager/Producer - Someone in this job role has to make sure that the shops have enough copies so that they can give away the pre-ordered. This will necessary at the end of production and carry on throw post-production. 

Technical Artist - This person’s job is to be a bridge between the artist's and the programmers so that the game can be made as smooth and as fast as possible. Their job is all ways necessary in production and post-production.

Reference:
Creative skill set (2014) Available: online Accessed: 19/12/2014             
  http://creativeskillset.org/creative_industries/games/job_roles/p2