The Need For Freelance Game Designers and Directors

Hollywood understands this fact that is why a film studio will not get an action movie director to shoot a romance movie. It’s common sense. Hollywood equally understands that the director does not work for the studio but with it. That way no one will be directing the director.

And if the director’s earning a small amount for his work, means he’ll hardly be respected enough to allow him the independence that a director is supposed to be allowed in the process of doing his work.

Most of the guys we call game designers and creative directors are supposed to be earning a lot more money. These guys are the creative anchors, and even if you want to keep them at your studios can you pay them in the six figure range for each work they do? At least that way they’d still be respected and their creativity would be working at maximum.

The problem is that we want to employ everybody. When a creative anchor works for you there’s a big psychological and spiritual negative effect on creativity, than when they are working with you. It is for this reason that veteran anchors in the industry are opening up companies of their own. That sense of independence lingers in their minds.

And I’m sure the film directors do not perfectly know how to handle film equipment, how to set up the set, or how to do jaw dropping CG. It takes a lot of people to do those other things but the director remains the director. The creative anchor originates and anchors the vision. And the development team brings his vision into fruition. That is how every branch of entertainment works.

This is why we still solely depend on game ranking sites to sell our games to the customer. Apart from the game ranking sites, which I am in no way disapproving, the customer needs people to trust when purchasing a product. They need people to celebrate. And the game ranking sites will only assist in celebrating these people.

Example of what customer talk is meant to be like by now: “Hey have you seen that latest EA game directed by John black?” “I heard Peter black’s designing a new game for Capcom.”

Microsoft announced Peter Jackson would be working on a new Halo game. This is actually supposed to get the fans excited that someone a superstar they trust is working on the next Halo game… but yet we sit on our own creative anchors. When will we start flashing big names in the industry to the fans rather than big names in an already established industry? Let’s establish our industry.

If Hollywood was not operating the right way by not trying to employ its creative anchors, treating them well and properly rewarding their creativity, Peter Jackson would be just an unknown employee at some film studio, and his creativity would be dulled out by his employer who would constantly interfere with the film direction. And there’d be a psychological/spiritual limitation to his creativity.

In music the studio works with the musician. In film the studio works with the writer and writer/director. They consult them. In football the club works with the coach. In books, the publishing company works with the writer.

I’ve published a book and I don’t even have an idea what a publishing company looks like, how many employees work there, or the exact effort and process it takes to edit, produce, manage, print, bind, publish, distribute, and promote a book.

That more mature industry understands that without the writer you can’t print blank pages. In movies, without the writer/directors all the cameras/ CGI equipment is a total waste. Nothing happens. In music you can’t just get anyone at your recording studio to lend their voice. Even though you have the equipment, you seek out the right voices.

Its funny to me that in the game industry we feel comfortable getting actors from Hollywood to do voice-over for us. Why not try employing some of the top ones and see how it turns out. Try employing Vin Diesel for example. Vin Diesel was once a nobody but Hollywood made him what he is today. And Hollywood in turn profits from his talent. It’s vice versa.

The truth is that if anybody had talent in games and talent in movies they’d pursue and develop their movie talent over their game talent because they know that the rewards in movies would be higher. Why pursue a career at an industry that wants to hand you a few thousand dollars a year and pull you behind the curtain, when you can go for film where just one movie can earn you an instant six figures, and some fame to go with it.

So the game industry can be sure it’s lost a lot of talent to Hollywood. Why are my not pursing film instead of games? Because I have a passion for games and I’m not a sell out. Because If I don’t say the things included in this article no one else might say them in many years to come. I love games and I want to see the industry living out the next level rather than remaining in one place as it has all this while.

Try to imagine Coldplay or Hoobastank being employed at a recording studio and being handed monthly paychecks. Try to imagine George Lucas being employed at a film studio back in the 80’s. Try to imagine Britney spears being employed at a recording studio and receiving salary. Try to imagine Stephen king being employed at a publishing company…would we have seen the level of creativity showcased by these people so far?

These people are creative anchors.
The problem we have is we’re trying to get the anchor into the mix of employees. This should never be.

This is what brings about credibility. It’s not about making a lot of money and being disregarded by society. It’s about the game industry being accepted and taking its stand in society. Exceptional talent just has to be celebrated no matter what, and I’m not just talking about the creative anchors here.

When personalities in the industry become household names like movie stars and film directors, then we become accepted as a reasonable branch of entertainment. That’s why its entertainment. Have you ever heard of entertainment without celebrities?

Understand that it’s not about the position, it’s not about the money, it’s not about the shine, it’s about maximizing creativity. And the only way it can be done is very apparent as seen in other branches of entertainment. It’s nothing to get sentimental about. You cannot trap a creative anchor and expect him/her to function properly.

I also want the technical guys, artists others in the industry to know that I’m not discrediting anyone in anyway. If you’re outstanding and your company allows it, you’ll surely be in the limelight and this affects the quality of work you do eventually, in a positive way.

So it’s not just designers and directors, perhaps I’ve not clarified this enough. Anyone that can constantly come up with original ideas. Whether be you an artist, engineer or programmer.

Maybe not necessarily original but outstanding. Can you come up with something no one’s ever seen in the industry? Then you need to be celebrated. That is why in film we see awards for best picture, best sound, best CGI, best production, etc. They try hard to reward and celebrate everything that stands out; that way they’re encouraging these people to do more. Push yourself, do something better than the last if you want to get another award.

They try to maximize creativity. They try to push their industry forward.

For example the first time I played with the double analogue stick strafe/look control for FPS games I was very impressed and told my colleagues that I can’t wait to meet the person that came up with that control style. I still look forward to meeting that person and getting an autograph. Someone else may add to it but I’m very certain that original ideas only come from individuals.

For example John Carmac is a technical but very recognized person in the industry. Notice how the man keeps ditching out new game technology. This would not happen if he was not being celebrated by fans. I’ve heard fans call him a technology god before.

And I still look forward to getting an autograph from the guy. He was actually the first person I wanted to contact in the game industry but after trying to get my hands on his contact for two months and failed, I settled for the contact of someone else at his company.

In the game industry we’ve been taking our talented staff and non staff for granted. We can start by setting up a game award ceremony where the people that make the games are celebrated rather than the games; the artist, the engineer, the programmer, the writer, the designer, the producers, and so on. Even in books we see awards for best cover illustration. Even something as simple as that gets celebrated.

To round up this topic, another example of why we need freelance directors and designers is: I have the design notes on what the next level of Tekken should be like. I also have design notes on what the next level of Street Fighter should be like.

I also have design notes of what the next level of both arena and tactical FPS should be like, and a few more. But it’s an obvious fact that I can’t work for all the involved companies at the same time. But working with them would make it very possible.

Returning to our original topic, another question arises now. What is the Intermediate gamer’s point of view?

By U. Collins Okonkwo