GDC 2014 March 19-21

Post date: Mar 28, 2014 10:30:35 AM

    This year was my first year at GDC and it was quite the experience to see so much game related "stuff" and I only had an expo pass. Most of what I learned and expierienced was from my time on the career center floor. It was interesting to learn what things each studio i vidited has to say about my portfolio and what they expected to see. I learned a lot about what I need to strive for and what I need to have in my portfolio before some companies even give it the time of day. 

Each studio I visited wanted something different planely put. CLoud imperium wanted strictly high poly scifi models and obsidian wanted nothing but an organic, modular, and medieval oriented portfolio. This has made me realize that before goign back to GDC I should strive to make enough pieces to be able to cover both spectrums and create at least three portfolios contraining the different genres. This way i have a portfolio that appeals to everyone and wont have to have them look at something that doesnt apply to their studio. 

During portfolio reviews I noticed the importance of contact sheet layout.  It was pointed out to me by the portfolio reviews that the layout of my sheets were nice and that it was important that the sheets were organized so that they didnt have to go between mulitple sheets to get information that could have been delivered on one. For reviewers it's far more important to be wowed with one sheet rather than having that "wow" material spread out. 

Also it was pointed out to me that with my beauty shot of the biome some reviewers werent as interested in the shield that I had placed there from my before and after assignment.  It was more important to them to see new information on every sheet rather than seeing old information used in another way. Since I had already shown my shield to them they werent interested in seeing it in the biome. However they did say that if I were to add more information to make it look more like a post battle scene then it would have been fine. I was told a few times that I should add arrow shafts protruding from the shield and the nearby ground. 

Aside from the career center I had also explored the other side of the expo and visitied the Unreal Engine, Quixel, and Algorythmic booths. Here I learned not only about the new useful tools soon to be released but also how oppotunities could be made in places other than the career center. I learned more about the new DDO and NDO being released as well as their new service called Megascans which is mean to replace cgtextures and offer new Ultra high quality images and ridiculous resolutions that have been scanned and rendered for the purpose of texturing and use with the new quixel tools. Additionally I learned a little about Allegorithmics Substance apinter which lets you paint textures directly onto the mesh with a ridiculous amount of precision. It reminded me a lot of the way 3d-coat handles textures but with more control. I had also gone to the unreal booth where I met the lead art director at Chair and found that just by simply having a normal conversation even about things other than games people will be intrigued and want a business card from you. Though Chair does not offer any internships and only hires veterans it's nice to have made a contact in a well known and well off studio.