The Disruptor that Changed Game Development Overnight
The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt, yet game development thrived, demonstrating its adaptability to remote work.
Explore the unique challenges and innovative solutions that emerged from this remarkable experience.
Learning How to Manage Online
The abrupt shift prompted innovative approaches to fostering connections while addressing both team dynamics and production demands. Maintaining team morale and staying connected during such a challenging time proved to be no small task. Each team member faced unique circumstances at home, adding complexity to my role as a leader. It required carefully weighing numerous factors when making decisions about assignments and providing support. By leveraging my leadership skills and practising empathy, I was able to ensure the animators felt valued, understood, and supported throughout the process.
Meaningful Meetings
The rhythm and objectives of meetings took on heightened importance in the realm of remote development. Mastering tools like Teams and effectively managing distractions became essential skills. During this time, I honed my ability to gather and present relevant information while ensuring animators remained engaged and aligned with expectations to meet deadlines efficiently. Crafting strategies to foster seamless communication among key stakeholders,established methods to cultivate team cohesion, morale, and enjoyment.
Technical Support Needed
The animation team faced a unique set of challenges, navigating a pipeline that was both unconventional and lacking in resources and development. The process for editing motion capture and handling camera treatments posed significant hurdles, making mocap retakes particularly difficult for the animators. This became a major pain point, compounded by a complex technical pipeline, frequent changes to character rigs, and evolving models that added to the team’s workload. To address these challenges, the Animation TD, Chris Russel was brought into our weekly kickoff meetings, providing valuable support alongside technically adept Senior Animator, Alan Serra. Their collaboration helped streamline the process and improve the overall workflow.
The Personal Challenge
As everyone faced their own unique challenges during the Covid pandemic, my experience was no exception.
Returning to work after maternity leave during a global crisis presented unique leadership challenges that demanded adaptability and resilience. Daycare centres shut down, and all our carefully laid plans for transitioning back to work were thrown out the window. My husband and I operated on a relentless schedule, trading shifts around the clock. We ran on little sleep, with barely any time to pause and recharge.
Leading a team of 12 animators on Far Cry 6 amid sudden disruptions highlighted the importance of agile planning and clear communication. When external circumstances upended established routines, effective leaders prioritized flexibility, resource management, and emotional support to maintain team cohesion and productivity.
This period underscored how critical it is to focus on time and energy efficiency, foster a supportive environment, and lead with confidence despite uncertainty.
Navigating professional responsibilities alongside personal challenges reinforced the value of empathy, perseverance, and strategic problem-solving in leadership roles during unprecedented times.
Published on March 10th,2025.
Michelle was our Cinematic Animation Lead during FarCry6, and I can honestly say having her in our team was no less than godsend.
Alan Serra
Before she joined in, the animators were facing countless issues daily. Production was chaotic at the time and we were really fending for ourselves in a sea of technical and organizational problems. Morale had already taken a massive hit by then, and the lack of representation on our behalf to the rest of the Cinematic department – let alone the studio – made it all worse.
Animator for Games and Features
She is one of the most dedicated Team lead that I have worked with so far. She makes sure that each animator has everything he/she needs to complete their task. She is a very understanding and approachable person which creates a healthy work environment for the team.
Yogesh Ghadge
Senior Animator