Case study · Gener8

Building capability from inside production, ending with a satellite-office launch in India.

Years at Gener8 across progressive roles building, scaling, and operating a technical department, then deploying on-site to stand up the training infrastructure for a 50-to-200+ scale-up in India.

3
Progressive roles
build to department lead
65
Team at
Vancouver peak
50 → 200+
India scale-up
in 7 weeks
4
Productions overseen
concurrently at peak
Gener8 India production floor, June 2015. 200+ artists on active production work.

Gener8 India production floor. June 2015. In-camera panoramic stitch.

Role
Lead → Supervisor → Department SupervisorCompositing
Organization
Gener8 Digital MediaVancouver HQ & Mumbai satelliteLater acquired by Prime Focus
Industry
Visual effects productionActive-show delivery environment
Team
Up to 65 at Vancouver peakIndia department leads during launch
Scope
Workflows, training, QC, people leadership, vendor coordination, launch
Summary

L&D inside production, not adjacent to it.

Much of the training happened on live shows, so the standard had to hold against real delivery, not a syllabus.

Three progressive roles, one throughline.

The brief
01

Build training and operating infrastructure from inside live production.

02

Lead the change as the studio scaled, including a brand-new offshore floor.

03

Hold the operating standard while the work was already running.

How it was done

Three moves, in order.

I came in as one of the department's first hires, with no team and no workflows. As it grew, I built both the operating system and the people leadership behind it.

  • WorkflowsBuilt compositing workflows from the ground up, start to client delivery.
  • StandardsQuality-check and feedback mechanisms, plus the department standard the team worked to.
  • PeopleHiring, performance reviews, performance plans, raises, and promotions.

The training function and the operational function were the same function. For my department, I built both.

Outside vendors became part of the delivery system, but only after they cleared our bar. I built the evaluation and the infrastructure that let internal and external teams work to one standard.

  • Vendors15 evaluated at peak. After several months of testing, 2 cleared the standard and became delivery partners.
  • InfrastructureQC standards, performance metrics, export pipelines, and clean feedback loops.
  • StandardOne delivery bar across internal and external, with the same feedback discipline.

Holding a real standard means most vendors don't clear it. Running that evaluation, then coordinating the two that did, is a different muscle than leading an internal team.

I flew to Mumbai and deployed on-site to take the floor from 50 to 200+ artists on active production work, in about 7 weeks.

Compositing and paint training cohort at week 3, Gener8 India, 2015.
Compositing and paint training cohort. Week 3 milestone. Gener8 India, 2015.
  • PipelineBuilt the department training pipeline and onboarded new department leads.
  • StandardsRebuilt the Vancouver operating standards for the India floor.
  • ConditionsRamp faster than headcount, across language, two time zones, and a brand-new floor.

Training is upstream of change management. Build the capability, and you earn the credibility to lead the change that follows.

What the work produced

Standing up the India floor, artist by artist.

Each square is an artist I interviewed and hired onto the floor. I deployed on-site and took it from 50 to 200+ for active production in about seven weeks, building the training pipeline and onboarding the department leads who ran it from there.

25+Productions delivered
200+Artists onto the floor
The throughline

Training isn't downstream of change. Build the capability first, and the credibility to lead the change follows.

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