One of the most important factors of any animated production is the quality of its leadership. Good leadership can be incredibly constructive, marshalling talented individuals (and elevating the less talented) into a cohesive team that not only does great work, but also has fun doing it. Conversely, there are few things more destructive than poor leadership, which can squander resources, demoralize the crew, and ultimately fail the production.
Many animators and CG artists are eager to be leads and supervisors, with visions of titles dancing in their heads. And unfortunately, some studios are only too happy to dole these titles out like “gifts”, often (absurdly) in place of material compensation for the work being performed. What is often lost in all this is the fact that being a lead is not a reward, but a responsibility.
While no one intentionally sets out to be a poor leader, there are far too many “professionals” out there who are unclear on the concept: those who delegate everything, those who delegate nothing, the turf warriors, those who forget that they are working on a film and not a science project, those who see themselves as an ersatz director or art director, those who are simply interested in the role as a leg up to “bigger and better” things, and so on. If you’ve worked in production, you’re no doubt nodding in recognition.
So, I thought I would share some principles that I’ve found valuable in my own experience as a production lead and supervisor. Although these precepts will apply in various ways depending on the scope and organization of your production and the structure of your studio, the fundamentals are fairly consistent. And while forged in the fires of studio production, these principles are certainly relevant to independent productions of all shapes and sizes. Let’s begin with…
RALLY YOUR TEAM
Formulate a plan of action with your crew. Leverage on the collective wisdom while guiding consensus. No matter how “bulletproof” your Plan A may appear, have a solid Plan B and a valid Plan C. Make sure that everyone has a clear understanding of what is expected of them and when. Foster a good working relationship among the members of your group. Pay attention to morale, and encourage your team members by acknowledging their work - both privately and in front of others (the director, the producer…). Set an example for your crew while making sure that everyone is invested in tasks that are challenging and rewarding. Although you are probably qualified to do so, being a leader is not about knowing or doing everything yourself. Rather, it is about providing a compelling direction and a guiding hand to facilitate the work of others, keep things on the rails, and deliver the goods.
STAY CONNECTED
Be a hub of activity for your area. On major studio productions, this typically involves three major fronts: the departments around you, the shows around you, and the core technology group (if applicable). The importance of staying connected to folks in upstream and downstream departments or in adjacent sequences should be obvious. Follow their newsgroups and/or mailing lists to keep an eye on the issues. Attend their meetings to absorb the discourse. Drop by their offices for the casual chats that will typically result in your most important conversations. Cultivate close relationships with your fellow leads on other shows. Invite them to meet with your team, and stop by to visit theirs. Leverage on their work as you share your own. Be intimately involved with the technology initiatives relevant to your department and foster good relationships with the developers who will either save your ass or let it hang when push comes to shove. Most importantly, be an active agent driving development. Make yourself the first person with whom folks think to consult when initiatives are at hand or changes are afoot.
BE TRANSPARENT
Proactive reportage and documentation is all to the good, with the emphasis on quality not quantity. Handled properly, this should be an investment instead of a burden. When you document your production standards and processes, you establish clarity within your department or sequence and across your show. You also bank time in the long run by establishing an informational paradigm that scales with the size of your crew. Furthermore, you extend your visibility and influence within the studio at large, which reaps dividends down the road (”Hey, so and so has a great document on ________!” or “I was looking at your web page on ________, and it got me thinking about a utility that you may find useful.”). With respect to reportage, keep in mind that if there’s something affecting your world it’s probably also of interest to the folks around you. Regardless of whether things have hit a snag or are going well, it’s good policy and good practice to keep folks in the loop. At the very least, keep your immediate supervisor and your production manager fully informed. If you pop by someone’s desk and an issue comes up or (better yet) has been resolved, make sure you’re not the only one who knows this. And if the work of any member of your team (yourself included) hits a wall – don’t hesitate to shoot up a flare. Just be sure your assessments go beyond, “This is broken.” to, “This is broken, and I’ve talked to so-and-so in the ________ group who is looking into it. In the meantime, our team is working around the problem by ________.” Which is a good segue to…
WORK YOUR PRODUCTION
Leverage on your supervisors, your production manager and your associate producer to facilitate the work of your team. Utilize these individuals as partners in meeting the demands of your show. This may sound obvious, but it’s amazing how many production artists and leads are ignorant of the principle. In fact, this is probably one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my production career: the associate producer or supervisor with whom I may be debating is probably just as dedicated to getting things done with quality as I am, but likely has a valid perspective on things that I may not be considering. The most productive outcomes derive from combining my understanding of their perspective with their understanding of mine. We’re all trying to get the movie made. And on that note, be sure to…
PUMP OUT THE JAMS
The bottom line is that you’ve been chosen as a lead to get it done - not by yourself in some Herculean solo effort, but as the point person on a team. As R&D gives way to pre-production which then transitions into production, your planning and preparation gradually manifests itself in a steady stream of work from your department that ideally grows in quality and quantity. The best gauge on how you’re doing is simple: how often is the work of your team getting into the hands of those downstream, and how happy are they with it? How often is it bouncing back? Are your models satisfactory for layout? Are you getting your characters setups into the hands of the animators in time for thorough testing, and then incorporating their feedback? If there’s a problem with one of your department’s elements or one of your sequence’s shots, are you on it like a fly on honey? Is your team’s work ethic and output generating a good buzz within the show? Within the studio? And most importantly: are your director and your producer happy? 
CONCLUSION
Hopefully this little article has been an exercise in preaching to the choir. However, if anything here resonates with you as something you’d like to work on, have at it! I routinely check myself against these principles, and readily acknowledge that it takes constant vigilance. It’s so easy to get your head stuck in the sand (or somewhere else) in the midst of production demands. And being a show lead is very demanding…
…when done properly. 
