Hollywood and video games

As much as Hollywood enthusiasm and willingness to work in creating an engaging video game title helps, it can also get in the way. All the resources working on an interactive project should have a basic knowledge of the game development process which is so different from film making. Knowledge of timing constraints associated with development can help to ensure that meetings are scheduled and approvals are received when needed. It can be frustrating to reach alphas and betas only to receive a list of proposed changes from an approval request originally sent two months ago.

Its also helpful if the talent understands not only basic game play but also the potential limits when it comes to game design. If an award winning writer does not understand the basic content required for a game story line and dialogue, he might end up writing an amazing script that features little that relates to the title's gameplay or the addition of new and exciting game characters with fantastical physical technology that exceeds the limit of the game engine. The issues that arise from working with some of the most creative minds in entertainment can be resolved but it takes time and unfortunately time is a developer's most valuable commodity.

So this influx of talent from the entertainment industry is inevitable and the addition of some of the most creative writers, directors, animators and artists can do nothing but help the game industry move forward in its quest to create memorable interactive experiences.
From a developers point of view, when working on licensed IP, I've learnt the following lessons.
Take the time to meet with creators at the beginning of the development process to present the team, procedure, project management processes and goals. Most people are willing to resolve the issues that arise when merging one medium into another because noone really wants a bad game, much less a bad game that does not sell well.