Dana Lee - GDC 2019

Post date: Mar 30, 2019 7:2:52 PM

This was my second time going to GDC, and it was a pretty different experience compared to last year. For one, we didn't miss Wednesday by getting stuck at the airport, which was a huge plus. Cessia and I were also involved in the Intel Student Expo and Showcase, which was... something, to say the least. Overall, I wish I spent more time exploring the actual expo floor and indie hall (as my first day of actually spending more than 30 minutes on the floor was the very last day), but at the same time I think I still managed my schedule pretty decently and got to see almost everything I wanted to see. Here are my overall takeaways from GDC:

==Have a schedule! But also be flexible==

Last year was sort of hectic, as I spent a lot of time running around trying to get a feel for the expo floor, while also trying to attend roundtables once I discovered that those were a thing. As a result, I missed out on a lot of events and was very intimidated as a whole.

Having a schedule with an overall plan of what parties, roundtables and talks you want to attend gives you enough room to attend everything without stressing about it. This way, you're not forced to rely on slow GDC WiFi in order to doublecheck when everything takes place, and gives you more time overall to be flexible and fit other events into your schedule. Plus it's an easy way to keep track of where things are located. Plan accordingly! You pay so much just to go to GDC, so you might as well make the most of your time there.

==Actually attend roundtables and talks! Don't spend all your time on the Expo Floor.==

One of the most important parts of GDC, for me, is getting to meet fellow industry professionals. Roundtables are so special because you are surrounded by people that share similar interests with you, and as a result it is much easier to make a connection with someone. The expo floor itself is pretty hectic; you are surrounded by people either trying to sell a product or other people trying to get jobs, and as a result it is much harder to build up actual personal connections. As an introvert, it is pretty difficult for me to slide into conversations unless there is some sort of common ground. This is why roundtables(and mixers!) are nice, because it gives you a chance to speak your mind and make a lasting impression.

==You're competing against other students who are not as experienced as you. + Intel Expo/Showcase Experience==

This sounds pretty bad, but for the most part it's... true. This was especially eye-opening during the Intel Student Expo, where Cessia and I had to pitch our game and compete against teams of 8+ people (One of the games had around 70 people working on it!). The only other group that had 2 were students getting their Masters degree. Overall, people that came up to us were pretty surprised to hear that we were a two person team and while our game wasn't perfect and we didn't win anything in the actual Showcase, we still had a good time and it was still a nice experience. I learned a lot regarding how to properly pitch the game and market myself, and I made a few connections and handed out business cards during the event. We had two different high school teachers come up to us, asking if they could showcase our game to their students. That was pretty encouraging and inspiring overall. And even though we didn't win anything in the showcase, it was still a worthwhile experience! We got to meet a lot of people that day, and even though we sacrificed a full GDC day, it was still something unique and different. (Plus it still looks good on a resume regardless)