This document outlines the phases and workflows for a complex cross-platform educational project. It discusses discovery, scoping, building, testing, and live services phases. It emphasizes stacking dependent workflows can increase risks, and constraints are needed to allow efficient work while maintaining creative freedom. Diagrams map the story, media types, educational content, game logic, and more. Effective collaboration tools like Basecamp, Google Docs, and Codebase are recommended. The importance of generalists and bringing in specialists is also covered, along with sample budget and cost-saving considerations.

1. Making It Happen

2. Who am I?
I’ve been creating digital content for about 15 years.
With Channel 4, BBC, Eurovision, Open University and so on.
I’ve worked with brands and broadcasters in hands-on making.
I specialise in youth, entertainment and education content.

3. Project Phases
5% 13%
11% Discovery & UCD
Scoping
16% Build
Testing & Revising
Launch & Live Services
54%

4. Project Approach & Workflows
1. Research & UCD
2. Project Definition
3. Documentation Phase
4. Pre-production & Recruitment
5. Production
6. User Testing
7. Delivery
8. Live Services

5. www.nightmarehigh.com
A 14-episode fantasy blockbuster which teaches
young people about the real effects of transition.

6. the project plan
(it’s a monster)

8. Stacking Workflows
“If you stack workflows you increase risks in dependent tracks. On a complex cross-platform project
one principle needs to be across all tracks so that when you make key decisions the impacts are
checked for feasibility across all tracks”

9. Creative Freedom v Efficiency
“When running multiple workflows that are co-dependent ensure that you issue adequate
constraints to allow the teams to work efficiently, and enough freedom from
the constraints of adjacent workflows so that you don’t strangle their creativity”

10. Our big ideas often start on paper and whiteboards.
If you can DRAW IT then you can MAKE IT.

11. PAPER PROTOTYPES

12. 3 ACTS : MANY MEDIA
This diagram maps the story, act structure, media types, educational value,
unlocking game logic, film content and type (drama or doc) and duration.

13. MANY LESSONS : MANY MEDIA
This diagram maps educational content against media type, and maps on ideas from game
design sessions with children, ideas from game designers and resilience professionals.

14. GAME LOGIC
This diagram maps:
Game Flow
Content Gateways
Achievements
Collectibles
Unique content codes
Content by type

16. Effective Collaboration
People are in multiple locations
Many aspects of the projects require specialist brains
Tools are important. We used these:
BASECAMP = Conversation & decision making
GOOGLE DOCS = Collaborative authoring
CODEBASE = Tracking tasks and workflow

17. Q. where do you find good people?

18. Generalists v Specialists
Your core team should have a high percentage of generalists. Very skilled people
who can apply themselves across tasks (game design, UX, team management and so on).
Specialists should be brought in and out of the project in short bursts.

19. The Team Core Team: 20
Contractors: 37
Jo Roach - Executive Producer
Antonio Gould - Project Manager
PROJECT DEFINITION & UCD VIDEO PRODUCTION CONTRIBUTORS
Jo Roach - Executive Producer Jim Holmes - Producer/Director Fraser Doherty (Jam Boy)
Paul Bennun - Chief Creative Officer Ed Hallifax - Assistant Producer Miquita Oliver
Tassos Stevens - Associate Producer & UCD Sian Larkin - Production Coordinator Gemma Merna
Tom Bowtell - UCD & Researcher Andrea Mercado - Researcher
Labrinth
Glyn Canon - Schools Liaison Jamie Williams - Editor
Dan Hodgson - Camera Operator Danielle Brown
Paul Ruston - Sound Designer Amazing Phil
NARRATIVE James Tovell - Director of Drama Rickie Haywood-Williams
Neil Bennun - Story & Script Writer Matt Broad - DOP Drama Melvin Odoom
Neil Richards - Story Writer Lisa Baker - Camera Operator Drama Amazing Phil
Paul Lucas - Camera Operator
Ed De Lacy - Sounds Engineer
Dubbing Mixer - Nick Read GAMES PRODUCTION
TECH TEAM Project Manager
Rob McHardy - Lead Tech James Miller - Animation
Tomasso de Sanctis - Storyboard Game Designer
David Herse - Front End Coder Level Designer
Clara Udofa - Front End Coder Alice Hopkins - Hair & Make-Up
Developer 1
CAST Developer 2
D'Mentor - Mawaan Rizwan Developer 3
DESIGN Developer 4
Mr Piltdown - Dave Robson
Dean Vipond - UI & Interface Design Artist 1
Ben Steers - Illustrator Miss Xavier - Juliette Goodman
Artist 2
Miss Kerry - Eve Dallas QA
Physics teacher - Adam Shipway
EXPERTS Voiceover Boy - Jack Baldwin
Prof Sandra Scott - Psychology Consultant Voiceover Girl - Annie Simm
Poppy Nash, Uni of York - Transition Consultant Student cast from Bancrofts School, Woodford Green

20. Budget - Sample Rates
Project Experts & Execs:
Producers/Project Managers: £250 - £350pd
Technologists: £250 - £500pd
Concept Artworking: £350-500pd
Design & Usability: £250 - £500pd
Educational Consultants: £400pd - £600pd
Audio/Video
Producer/Director: £250 - £350pd Rate Variation:
Sound Design: £450-550pd Experience
Production Staff: £150 - £250pd Generalist or Specialist?
Skill Level
Creative Efficiency
Illustration: Very variable Length of term
Narrative: Very variable IP ownership
Talent: Very variable Location

21. Cost Saving...
Know when to stop creative divergence
Creative Freedom v Project Efficiency
Utilise and develop generalists in core team
Give new talent a chance
Negotiate lower rates in return for more time
Develop relationships across projects
Continue to develop your own skills

22. (thanks)
I’m joroach on twitter and skype
jroach@makielab.com