We want to share the world of Hutch production with you! In a series of posts we're shining a light on how things roll in the Top Drives, F1® Clash and Forza Customs teams. We asked our Hutch producers to tell us what it's like to work on a game team, plus give their top tips for those looking to work in the industry, or progress their career.

And this time, it's the turn of the Top Drives team! Over to Production Director, Rachael, and Producers, Arturo, Ruby and Toby...

How does production work for Top Drives?

RACHAEL

My personal mantra is that I work with a lot of very smart people and we should listen to these very smart people and their ideas. The way we try and operate on Top Drives is that we listen to team feedback and incorporate those ideas into our processes. We’re very team led with the decisions we make.

RUBY

In Top Drives, the production team embodies the essence of collaboration, innovation and dedication by fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. We focus on improving the performance of the team by keeping the team health focused too.

What does a typical day look like for you?

RACHAEL

It varies per production member. When I was working on day to day production it would start as a stand up, and rollercoaster into solving issues that resulted from that meeting and each day would turn into chasing down new interesting issues. I have since changed roles into Production Director and my role doesn’t have quite as many stand ups but still contains the same rabbit hole of new and interesting issues to deal with. No day is quite the same and each day I’m still learning new things.

RUBY

My day starts with meeting the team before stand-up and checking in on how things are, then stand-up followed by the release meeting to discuss the timelines, issues and help the team solve any blockers for the release. After these, I catch up with our Game Director, Product Manager, Car manager to discuss the liveops plan and keep it aligned with the rest of the team including Marketing, Licensing and rest of the game team. As Arturo mentioned, we focus on less meetings so that the team can focus on the work so we make sure that the collaborative discussions/meetings happen in office days.

ARTURO

We try and minimise meeting time unless strictly necessary due to the 4 Day Week so everyone can focus on their tasks without interruptions. As producers we wear lots of hats so aside from the usual scrum ceremonies like stand-up & planning, it depends on the highest-priority items on our to-do list - these could be checking in on release progress, helping product and devs scope out a large piece of work, collaborating with our licensing team on the brands we want to see in game, and more.

What 3 words would you use to describe your team?

RACHAEL

Talented, lovely, honest

RUBY

Creative, collaborative, charming

ARTURO

Dynamic, engaged, open

What would you say is consistent across production teams?

RACHAEL

Our team first mindset.

RUBY

Our people mindset where we focus on team health and help everyone achieve their best.

ARTURO

The focus on people rather than procedures.

Top Tips

What are your top tips for those applying for jobs in production?

RACHAEL

Research the company you're interested in, and be yourself.

RUBY

One of my top tips is to showcase not just your technical skills, but also your ability to work well in a team, problem solve effectively, and adapt to changing circumstances. Take the time to research the company you’re applying to and understand their products, culture and values. Make sure you understand the job expectations very well,. Production roles often involve finding innovative solutions to challenges, so be creative with past problem solving examples and unique approaches to tasks. If you care about your game and team (strong people mindset along with skills), you will automatically excel in your role and make the team achieve their best too.

ARTURO

Most of the skills needed in production are soft skills, but that doesn’t mean you can’t train them up. Research real-work scenarios - when you start a working day, you know people will want you to deal with 10 things, but you will realistically only have time for 4. How do you prioritise? How do you manage expectations? My controversial opinion is: it’s absolutely fine to ‘fail’ an interview but do pay attention to what questions you’re asked and what the interviewer is trying to gauge with that question.

TOBY

Having been through this process recently, keeping your CV/Cover letter up to date and focused on the key areas of the job you are applying for is essential. If the role is focused on live ops, talk about times you have been involved in that area, and if you haven't then have a think about what skills you do have that can be used in this area.

What's your top tip for those already working in production?

ARTURO

You have to adapt to deal with a wide range of personalities, and that will inevitably include people you won’t naturally gel with. Learn how to do this - I suggest you attend a communication or leadership class. If someone is being rude, chances are they’re under stress, but their struggle within the team is real - don’t forget that. Your job is to ensure that person is being heard, it’s not to please everyone. You’re allowed to say no if you think a suggested change (of structure, procedure, etc.) will harm the team or the product, but think of small steps you can take in the right direction.

A lot of what you learn, you’ll learn on the job, no matter how many qualifications you have. You may reach a point where you think you know how to do things, and while that’ll be true, it only means that there are more scenarios that you haven’t yet been exposed to. Stay humble and ask for advice from more experienced producers, but do put forward your own suggested approach.

RUBY

Know your team! As a producer you deal with people, work on process improvement & management, have product knowledge while focusing on players. No matter how much experience you have, you’ll always learn something new wherever you go. Be humble while working with different personalities, having a good bond with the team will help you improve your team health and eventually help them work efficiently. Be ready to adapt to the changes needed for the team and the game, clear communication ensures that everyone is on the same page. By maintaining open lines of communication and working closely with the team, you can overcome challenges more effectively and contribute to the success of the production process as well as the team's.

TOBY

As a producer you are often a pillar of support to your team. You are the person that ensures they can get their work done and anything holding them up can be resolved. Because of this I would always say you need to be talking with your team and listening to what support they need and how they like to work. How do they best work, do they love Kanban over Agile, do they prefer story points to hour estimates? When you listen to these preferences and make changes to your production process you get more out of your team and they are more likely to talk with you about any concerns they have.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

RACHAEL

Listen to you gut, don’t always assume people in more senior roles have the right answer and stay humble.

RUBY

Dear younger self, As you embark on your journey, remember to embrace every experience, both the highs and lows. Each moment is an opportunity for growth and learning, be kind to yourself, trust your instincts and never underestimate your potential. Stay curious, stay resilient, and above all, stay true to who you are. The path ahead may be uncertain, but know that you are capable of overcoming any obstacle that comes your way. With love and encouragement, Your future self.

ARTURO

It’s okay to be ambitious, but recognise the time it takes to get there. The knowledge you acquire in your more formative years will be more important than the progress you make on the ladder and will make you a better manager in the future. Avoid this!

TOBY

Not everyone in production works the same way, or in other words, there isn’t one process in production that everyone should follow. You can work with people who are great producers, but their personal production process may not align with yours and that’s ok. As you learn and grow into your role you will realise how you want to fit the role of Producer and what your personal style is. Once you embrace this you can make a real difference for the team you work with.

Like the sound of working at Hutch? If you're looking to start a new chapter in your career, check out our current vacancies here: hutch.io/careers. We'd love to hear from you!

And if you want to hear more about the Forza Customs Production team, head here for the first in this blog series.