Why this persona fits the audience
Works at a 4-person indie game studio that pays remote artists and QA testers in Poland, India, and Brazil. The studio collects bank details manually and records scheduled payouts in Airtable alongside milestone tracking.
- Age: 31
- Location: Paris, France
- Occupation: Producer at a game studio
- Income: €52k salary
- Education: Master's in Game Design
- Company size: 4 people (core team)
- Years in role: 4
“We're building worlds, but we also have to build the engine that lets us pay the people who build those worlds, and making sure that engine doesn't break is its own kind of complex puzzle.”
Clovis Collet discovered his passion for game development during his teenage years, spending countless hours immersed in early 3D environments and meticulously crafting characters and scenarios in tabletop RPGs. This fascination led him to pursue a Master's in Game Design in Paris, where he honed his understanding of systems, narrative, and player psychology. After a brief, unfulfilling stint at a larger, more corporate studio, he craved the creative autonomy and direct impact found in smaller teams. He co-founded his current four-person indie studio four years ago, drawn by the promise of creative independence and the opportunity to build unique experiences from the ground up. His role as Producer is less about traditional management and more about being the central hub for communication, organization, and problem-solving. Clovis takes pride in his studio's ability to work with talented individuals globally, but the logistical complexities of managing payments across different countries and currencies, often relying on manual data entry in Airtable, consume a significant portion of his time and mental energy. He sees his current salary as adequate for his needs in Paris, prioritizing investment in the studio's projects and occasional splurges on art books or vintage synthesizers over personal luxury. His relationship with time is one of constant negotiation: balancing immediate project deadlines with the long-term vision for the studio's growth and sustainability.
Background & daily life
A day in their life
Clovis wakes around 7:30 AM, makes coffee, and checks urgent messages from his Polish QA team that might have come in overnight. He spends an hour reviewing design documents or planning the day's sprints before his 9 AM sync call with the core French-based team. Mid-morning is usually dedicated to creative tasks, like iterating on level design or writing narrative snippets. Lunch is a quick affair, often eaten at his desk while reviewing art assets from India. The afternoon involves a series of check-ins with remote contractors, troubleshooting bugs with the programmer, and meticulously updating Airtable with progress and payment details for his Brazilian artists. He tries to wrap up by 6:30 PM, sometimes squeezing in a quick 3D art tutorial or a short walk before dinner.
Lifestyle
Clovis navigates Parisian life with a blend of focused work and creative exploration. His small apartment is functional, filled with art prints and a well-organized desk space. He's a creature of habit, enjoying quiet mornings with coffee and a croissant before diving into work. Evenings are often spent either sketching game concepts, delving into a new RPG campaign with friends online, or exploring Paris's smaller music venues. He's mindful of his budget, cooking most meals at home and prioritizing experiences over material possessions. While not a big spender, he’s willing to invest in tools that genuinely improve his workflow or creative output.
Work life
As a producer at a tiny indie studio, Clovis is the glue holding everything together. His days are a constant juggle of coordinating tasks, managing remote freelancers across continents, and keeping the Airtable meticulously updated. He spends significant time defining game mechanics, writing design documents, and ensuring the art style aligns with the vision. The current project involves intricate payment logistics for their Polish, Indian, and Brazilian contractors, a recurring source of minor administrative headaches. He thrives on the creative freedom but feels the pressure of delivering polished experiences on a shoestring budget, often sacrificing personal time to ensure milestones are met.
Relationships
Clovis maintains a close-knit circle of friends, many of whom are also in the creative industries. He collaborates closely with his three co-founders, valuing their diverse skills in programming, art, and sound design. His family, though supportive, doesn't fully grasp the intricacies of game development. He's influenced by established indie developers and artists whose careers he follows online, seeing them as benchmarks for success.
How they decide
Clovis approaches decisions with a blend of research and pragmatism. He'll thoroughly investigate options, compare workflows, and consult with his team, especially when it involves tools or processes affecting multiple people. He prioritizes solutions that are cost-effective, reliable, and demonstrably improve efficiency without sacrificing creative control. He’s less prone to impulsive buys, preferring to validate a need through practical application or clear team consensus.
How they sound
Speaks with a measured, thoughtful cadence, often pausing to choose the right word. His French accent is present but not heavy, softened by years of English-language industry immersion. He uses precise language, avoiding excessive slang or overly casual phrasing in professional contexts. He’s direct but polite, valuing clarity and thoroughness. He tends to avoid hyperbole, preferring to focus on practical outcomes and process.
Personality traits
- Visionary
- Meticulous Organizer
- Diplomatic
- Curious
- Adaptable
- Detail-Oriented
- Pragmatic
- Collaborative
Goals
- Release the studio's current game to critical acclaim and commercial success.
- Establish a reputation for producing innovative and artistically driven indie titles.
- Build a stable, sustainable studio that can offer fair compensation and benefits to its team.
- Continue to learn and implement cutting-edge game design principles.
- Eventually mentor aspiring game developers entering the indie scene.
Problems & frictions
- Coordinating diverse remote teams across significant time zone differences.
- Managing a complex, often manual, payment process for international contractors.
- Budgetary constraints that limit hiring full-time staff or investing in expensive software.
- Balancing ambitious creative goals with the practical realities of indie development.
- Ensuring consistent quality and adherence to vision across outsourced art and QA.
- The overhead of tracking payments and milestones manually in Airtable.
Values
- creative independence
- iteration
- team harmony
- practical problem-solving
Interests
- indie games
- 3D art
- tabletop RPGs
- music
Media habits
- Watches GDC talks and indie dev documentaries on YouTube
- Listens to podcasts during commutes (e.g., 'Game Dev Unchained', 'Design Doc')
- Reads industry blogs (Gamasutra, Rock Paper Shotgun)
- Follows game artists and developers on Twitter/X
- Occasional Twitch streams for specific game releases or dev updates