Shining the spotlight on Senior Producer, Daniella Zelli-Lim

I loved playing games so much as a kid and was always dreaming that one day I’d get to do it professionally as an adult. To start my journey towards this goal, I attended Art School and studied Illustration with the hope that I would get in to Concept, but that did not pan out for me!

After education I transitioned to working in QA, where after a few years of doing this, I stepped away, and moved into project and programme management within the tech sector. But the hope was always to move back into the games industry, utilising my newfound skills to progress into a Production role.

I like to see my background in both Art and QA as an advantage as it means that I have an excellent attention to detail and understand what can go wrong in games development – both great skills to have as a Producer!

What do you do day-to-day?

Production is notoriously varied day-to-day, with moments of relative calm and quiet followed by moments of intense busyness – and that’s kind of why I like it so much. My days consist of a mixture of attending meetings, scheduling work, helping to solve problems, and supporting the people I'm working with. I love making a beautiful spreadsheet or figuring out how to make life easier for the team. I spend most of my time talking to people, which some might be surprised to learn!

Why Coconut Lizard?

Honestly, finding a Production job in the North-East of the UK right by my home was like hitting the jackpot – I couldn’t pass up the opportunity! It was also a chance to work with Rare, who are one of the original UK games studios, and whose games I grew up playing. The bonus is that Coconut Lizard has such a wonderful team of people with great benefits and opportunities. I’d heard great things about the studio from a number of people, so it was a no-brainer. I feel so lucky to be working at Coconut Lizard and living my dream!

Do you have any top tops for people looking to get into the games industry?

Take advantage of all the incredible events and initiatives the industry has to offer; make contacts and connections. The games industry has one of the highest barriers to entry too, so the more you can refine your skills, the better. And finally, be kind. There’s unfortunately been a lot of toxicity toward certain groups, and the majority of us are not here for that. We’re here to work together in making wonderful experiences for everyone to enjoy!

We're hiring!

Keep a look out for more spotlight features from our team coming soon! In the meantime, why not join Coconut Lizard and come and work with us on some amazing games. To begin your journey take a look at our careers page to see if there is a role that is right for you!