Professionalism and The Place It Has In The Creative Industry

At a first glance, many people don't believe professionalism has much of a place within the creative industries - the concept of professionalism is the set standards within a workplace, following ethics and could include something as specific as dress code. This can all differ from workplace to workplace, as each has their own ethos and way to handle their employees. However, this concept is deeply rooted within creative industries and is an absolute necessity to having a workplace with good standards and ethics. 

Professionalism matters within the creative industries as it shows employees what is expected of them. Having ethical practices keeps a studio afloat, as people will want to work with them and the work produced will be of a higher quality, therefore generating more money and interest. There are no downfalls to working ethically and following the concept of professionalism, as it is in favor of the workers - if a company is of high integrity, they will treat their employees fairly and with respect.

Image by Josh Goodwin

Every studio, be it indie or AAA, will have their own differing standards. For example, Rockstar Games - the studio behind video games such as Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption - have stated on their FAQ that "Rockstar Games does not have an official dress code. However, employees are encouraged to dress in a professional manner that reflects the company’s brand and corporate culture." Another company of a similar size, Activision Blizzard (creators of Overwatch) states on their FAQ that "The dress code at Activision Blizzard is generally business casual. This typically includes slacks or khakis, dress shirt or blouse, and dress shoes. Jeans are usually allowed on Fridays." The difference even between two large studios show that each have different values, and this is even shown in the way they wish their employees to dress.

As much as each employee is responsible for their own actions, the company as a whole will be held to accountability if something goes wrong, so it is within their best interests to try keep the employees aware of  their principles and values. Reputation is very important, both for the employers and employees, as being positive within your workplace and respecting others is a major factor in being hired and keeping your job.

Image by Vadim Vasenin

The professional codes of conduct for animation are usually very similar, following a basic concept including responsibility, , and to carry out work with no prejudice i.e. racism, transphobia, sexism and so on. This is typical of most workplaces, as it is a very basic standard to respecting your space as well as others. 

Within the animation and video game industries, most codes of conduct are very similar due to not too dissimilar workloads and tasks - they tend to follow the same core values, and urge their employees to follow them to the letter. From the International Game Developers Association, they have sorted their code of ethics into 3 core values - principles, workplace and leadership. This is so that, for each aspect of the company, the employees will know what to appropriately act like by following these.

Regarding integrity, one exert from the IGDA Code of Ethics is as follows: "[We strive to] Continually strive to increase the recognition and respect of the profession; uphold the integrity of our work and credit contributions where they are due, never representing another's work as our own, or vice versa." This is a very common part of code of conducts within the creative industries, as plagiarism is rife and, in recent years, the rise of AI being use unethically also brings into question the integrity of work produced by studios, so by including this in their code of conduct means that the company can't be held as accountable as the individual(s) who have broken this code.

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Upholding the integrity of your industry is very necessary as companies will pride themselves on reputation, therefore you must treat everyone and everything involved as the company dictates you should. This is relevant regardless discipline or industry, as you don't want to come across as untrustworthy, as this will hinder you within the industry trying to progress. Companies have a specific image they are pertaining, and by going against this will have consequences.

Respecting your coworkers, your clients and the industry as a whole is incredibly important when working within all creative industries, not just animation or video games. Keeping up to date with your workplaces code of conduct, as well as being socially and ethically conscious, help contribute to creating a positive workplace environment that is empowering for staff and clients alike, which is only ever going to beneficial. To be respectful in the industry will help, alongside technical skills, open up pathways and make networking easier - professionalism is wholly needed within the creative industries, and will always be relevant across all creative industries. 

References

Jobzmall, Rockstar Games FAQ (Online) Available at https://www.jobzmall.com/rockstar-games/faqs/what-is-the-dress-code-for-rockstar-games-employees

Jobzmall, Activision Blizzard FAQ (Online) Available at https://www.jobzmall.com/activision-blizzard/faqs/what-is-the-dress-code-at-activision-blizzard

International Game Developers Association, Code of Ethics (Online) Available at https://members.igda.org/page/codeofethics