Firstly, thank you for stopping by to read my new blogger. I've been thinking about starting one of these for a long while, and I believe that right now is the most opportune time to do so. With many recent changes in my life as well as the advent of new horizons, having a blog will not only help me decompress but will also allow you as the reader to have a look in to my life as a self-made composer and sound designer. Bare with me as I am celebrating the opening of this blog with a long wall of text!
Game Developer's Conference is a giant gathering that happens every year in San Francisco. Developers from all around the world congregate with different agendas, from showcasing their games to learning valuable skills and meeting potential employers/partners/clients. Even the bigwig companies come out and have recruitment booths for specific roles, or to just give away schwag for enthusiasts.
I am a native to this city and as such, every year I've just spectated from the outside. In college back in 2010, I was convinced to purchase the student pass, print resumes and have business cards ready to go. I wouldn't say it was a rude awakening, but at the time I was captivated by the amount of talent and experience that nearly everyone else on the convention floor had over me. It was a very lonesome and expensive experience, but it gave me foresight in to the industry and made me realize that I need to work hard to make it up to the standard that I had set for myself when I decided to pursue music and sound as a career. I remember feeling terrified but invigorated at the same time. My logical brain was at war with my creative side, and the future was a giant question mark followed by an exclamation mark. Take that as you will.
Fast forward 7 years...
So GDC was looming again and applications for "Conference Associate" had opened up yet again. Essentially, you can think of a CA as a volunteer to the conference, only it is paid at minimum wage. In exchange, you get the All Access pass (2,099$ value) and ample time to explore the conference floor. One of the biggest advantages at getting in this way, though, is that you also gain an invaluable network of present and past CAs that have gone through the program and carry with them wisdom and experience. Pretty dang cool, right?
So here I am, hovering over the "apply" button for the 7th time since I was that little freshman in college. I asked myself, "Am I ready for this? Is there someone else out there right now who could use this opportunity more than myself?" Every time since then, this is where I'd stop and decide to skip the application. I'd also tell myself somewhere following, "The chances of getting in are so slim anyway." This year was not the case... For some godly reason, I felt motivated to do so, and I am glad that I did because after the hour it took to apply and the several months it took to get a response, I was accepted in the first wave to attend GDC as a CA. I'll be damned!
Conference week can be compressed in to a few words: tiring yet invigorating! I have quite a few takeaways from GDC, but let's reduce them to the core essences.
- Meet as many people as you can. This means if you're at the indie megabooth or expo floor, show genuine interest in the games that catch your eye. Play them, ask questions, give them honest feedback. Most often, devs will remember you if you give them more than "I liked it" or the opposite. If you hear someone having a conversation about something that interests you while you're in line for crepes, don't be afraid to ask to join in on the conversation (of course, all social rules still apply and you should be wary whether or not your presence is unwanted. Generally, though, this shouldn't be a problem if the topic is open for all enthusiasts)
- Don't be afraid to be yourself. I personally don't think that you should have to change for anyone. You could change your tone slightly according to the situation, but just remember that the best version of you is the version that is genuine and real. If at any point you feel like you're lying too much about who you are, take a step back. Not everyone is there to judge you, and those that are should become very noticeable right away. Be confident in yourself.
- Business cards go a long way. After having interesting conversations with people, I hand them my business card even if they're not particularly looking for a composer. My main goal was just making those connections, because you never know what kind of insight they can bring to your experience, and whether or not they'll have use for a composer later on down the road. In exchange, I usually get one back. I like to write notes on the ones I get. "John is a big fan of Breath of the Wild's chemistry engine." When you give people a way to contact you back, it often leads to friendships and even potential gigs.
- Ask the big questions when they matter the most. Don't be afraid to ask people what's on your mind. You could be sitting in a talk and you could develop a question that's scratching at the back of your head. When the floor opens up to questions, hop on it. Don't even think twice about whether or not it's a stupid question. I'm sure you've heard of that phrase, "The only dumb question is the one that was not asked." The longer you wait, the less relevant it will become.
- Mingle with others outside of your chosen track. Yeah, I love meeting other composers and following them on SoundCloud and Twitter. We also typically have so much in common and we can go on for hours about our favorite soundtracks. My biggest advice in this area, though, is to not seclude yourself. Go out there and meet people with other talents too. Ultimately, they will become your future creative partners. Get to learn a thing or two about what they do and the goods and bads about their practice and disciplines. I feel like musicians in general have this problem the most. I used to be there myself!
- Attend networking events, even if you're not sure how fruitful the networking will be. Worst case scenario, you can always leave the event. I went to a marketing networking party with a friend on one of these nights, and while I felt like it started with me feeling a little out of place, eventually I met a woman who started talking to me about making marketing videos for a select set of games contracted with her platform company. As fate would have it, we are currently working out the details since I have a film background as well! You just never know the kind of opportunities you can get from simply being at the right place at the right time.
- Remember, your experience is dependent solely on what you make of it. Not everything may go according to plan, but plans are there to help streamline a list of possible events. There will often come times where things are out of your control, don't beat yourself up over it if you fail. But if you believe you can be that positive change, all power to you!
- Lastly, GET SOME REST!!! Especially at a big event like GDC, please don't forget to listen to your body. As a first-time GDC goer with the All-Access pass, I wanted to make the absolute most of the event. This included coming out of my shell and finding a way to temporarily extend past my introverted nature. I found that it's okay to tell this lie as long as you remain genuine and honest, and that means honest to yourself as well. Know when it is time to go home and recharge your batteries.
Well, how's that for a first blog?! Did you agree with it? Disagree? I'd like to know! I plan to make many more of these, so stay tuned!
