[arg_discuss] ARG Community & Developer Survey!

[Andrea Phillips]

Hmm. Christy, I think it is possible that you are using the word
'consultant' in a sense indicating a business relationship -- maybe
what I might call contract work -- where I am using it indicating a
specific role of giving advice or feedback on creative work somebody
else is doing. This might be an "English as she is spoke" issue?

It's certainly possible for a consultant (in the send of 'contract
worker') to do tremendous amounts of design work. In that case, the
principal role would be design. It sounds to me like the second role
-- analyzing the design somebody else has made -- is more like what I
mean by consulting.

At any rate, it's clear that for the next round of the survey we'll
have to look at the roles and find better ways of describing them.

On Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 7:54 PM, Christy Dena
<cdena at cross-mediaentertainment.com> wrote:

>

>

> Andrea, you may have never worked with a consultant who is involved in

> design, but this does happen, quite often.

>

> Perhaps if I explain by splitting the design and production stages for a

> moment. Consultants can come in at that the design stage and work as a

> co-designer. They are not there during production (unless they do iterative

> design consultancy -- which does happen too), but they are heavily involved

> in the ultimate end-product because they have had a role in the ideas and

> decisions about the plot, mechanics, characters, rollout, publicity and so

> on.

>

> Also, another role is to analyse the design before it goes into production.

> This is often paid for by the people who are commissioning or funding a

> project. This involves assessing the effectiveness of all the design aspects

> of the project, and depending on the nature of the contract, oftentimes

> involves trouble-shooting solutions to design issues and providing ideas to

> improve it.

>

> Now, I know an analyst/reader is an official position that exists in other

> creative areas, but are the duties I'm describing here not usual for

> consultants? I'm asking seriously. I mean, should these duties not come

> under consultancy? If not, how should they be categorised?

>

> Best,

> Christy

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: arg_discuss-bounces at igda.org [mailto:arg_discuss-bounces at igda.org] On

> Behalf Of Andrea Phillips

> Sent: Tuesday, 9 March 2010 11:06

> To: Discussion list of the IGDA ARG SIG

> Subject: Re: [arg_discuss] ARG Community & Developer Survey!

>

> In my poorly conveyed vision, consulting is taking money for giving

> advice to somebody else who's making an ARG. You're not the one

> involved in actual creative or production work, but you are giving the

> benefit of your experience to somebody else's project. I know of a

> number of instances where a contract has been issued for consultation

> work only, usually in relation to a pitch.

>

> I'll definitely want feedback like this for making a better survey

> next year. One big goof I realized much too late to fix: we ask if

> people are willing to be contacted for follow-up, but didn't solicit

> any contact info! Sheesh. Fail better next time....

>

> On Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 6:54 PM, Christy Dena

> <cdena at cross-mediaentertainment.com> wrote:

>>

>> Great to see this Andrea!

>>

>> Just a question: why is 'consulting' a different category? I mean, when

> one

>> consults they usually do one of the items listed (for example design)

> work.

>> I think 'consulting' is too vague.

>>

>> Perhaps what you mean is that there needs to be another question that asks

>> whether one works full-time, part-time or consults?

>>

>> Other duties include 'producer' (you could use 'transmedia producer' as

> this

>> is about to be/of has already been ratified by the PGA); and 'transmedia

>> story & game analyst/reader' as (sans transmedia) this is already a role

> in

>> film etc.

>>

>> Best,

>> Christy

>>

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: arg_discuss-bounces at igda.org [mailto:arg_discuss-bounces at igda.org]

> On

>> Behalf Of Andrea Phillips

>> Sent: Friday, 12 February 2010 09:15

>> To: Discussion list of the IGDA ARG SIG

>> Subject: [arg_discuss] ARG Community & Developer Survey!

>>

>> Some of you already know I've been trying to get together a

>> demographic survey of the ARG community, and also a salary survey for

>> those of us involved in ARG creation. Celebrate! The survey is here at

>> last:

>>

>> http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/36DJNXM

>>

>> I'd appreciate it if you could take the survey and help encourage

>> others to take it, too. The more data we get, the more reliable the

>> result will be! We'll be releasing the data in aggregate when the

>> survey concludes, on March 11.

>>

>> Thanks, everyone!

>>

>> --

>> Andrea Phillips

>> http://www.aaphillips.com

>> AIM: Andrh1a * Skype: Andrhia

>> Words * Culture * Interaction

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>

>

>

> --

> Andrea Phillips

> http://www.aaphillips.com

> AIM: Andrh1a * Skype: Andrhia

> Words * Culture * Interaction

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-- 
Andrea Phillips
http://www.aaphillips.com
AIM: Andrh1a * Skype: Andrhia
Words * Culture * Interaction