How is concept artist involved in further developing of the game?

[monochrome]

Hallo, I just like to ask some questins about a further involvement of a concept artist in the project, after the concepts are done. I had worked only in one company here, and I was a lead artist and concept designer at the same time - so I had controll over the final product (which somehow doesn't work well in the end - too little time for anything), but how it works if you are "hired concept artist"? Just several questions, and sorry for my bad english:)

1 - how does a cooperation between lead artist and concept artist look like? Do you usually get some sketches of whole "look of the game", or do you just talk and talk with lead artist until he is satisfied you understand his idea, or is the art style of the game completely up to you?

2 - What happened next, after you finish the concepts and get paid for them - does your work end at this point, and you doesn't care what happen with your ideas in the final game? Or are you somehow involved in the further process, for example check whether the modellers understood your ideas and did their work according to your concepts? Or it's the job which lead artist usually does, and he doesn't need you at that time? Or are you communicate with him in some sort of way even after your job at concepts is done?

3 - maybe it's different in each company, maybe en even in each project...

I'd like to hear the answers from people with different experience, I just don't know what is common in this industry...

Thanks:)

[Leopoldo]

Hi,

Here's my experience.

Computer games

The creative pipeline looks like this.

The board of directors (concepts approval, before production)
Creative director (oversees all productions)
Art director (oversees a specific production)
Concept artist (developes concepts for pitch)
Production artist (usually the art director. does production concepts. These are approved by the board and the creative director)
Production manager (manages all production matters except artistic if these decisions dont affect the deadline, staffing or budget)
Lead artists (keeps track of all graphic elements needed to complete the game. No artistic license.)
CG artists, animators etc (are handed their specific asignments. No artistic license.)

and there you have it.
You need creative control to be able to deliver what you have promised to the investors/executive producers/publisher.
Therefore the lead artists are much more of an administration post than an artistic post.

I have worked as Art director and managed a small CG team of 12 artists. All production matters I took with the production manager and all creative matters I took with the creative director. If we had technical artistic questions we consulted the lead programmer and the lead artist.

Cheers,
Leo