GDC Observations

Post date: Mar 28, 2014 5:19:1 PM

1. Don't just stand in line and look around. That was one thing that I remembered from last year at my first experience of GDC. It really does help to take a moment and introduce yourself and get out of your comfort zone when meeting new people. You never know who is standing right next to you. A simple "hello" and then a few minutes later you realize that person is actually a working artist in your favorite gaming company. It never hurts to meet other fellow artists and make meaningful connections. Business card exchanges are also very helpful as you want to expose yourself and meet new people easily. We exchanged cards at every line we could, espeically at Riot when we did a group interview with the environment artist (since there were so many people waiting in line). During the group portfolio review he wanted me to exchange cards with me, then told the others to get my card as well.

2. In the Expo Floor, there was a short and brief UE4 demo/tutorial held at their booth. During the 15 minutes in there, I was mindblown at the new UE4 engine and the refined UI and material systems, especially how they now describe surface definition. There are sliders for how reflective/shiny, dull/dry, etc, rather than your typical diffuse/normals/spec. The best part is that you can alter and preview the materials on the fly in real time! Say goodbye to the clunky old material nodes system and the "apply changes" checkbox. Also the ability to easily play in the editor was also amazing. You can preview the Kismet tree and its improved user friendly interface allows the artist to visually see which node is active and currently firing information. I am so excited for UE4 and I was overall very impressed with all its new features.

3. Be professional and do not be afraid to ask questions! While standing in line I have observed other fellow students' portfolio, and lets just say that Ringling has taught us well how to present ourselves and our work in a professional manner. First impressions are also very important when meeting the artists for portfolio reviews. I have learned that it is most effective to state your name and what kind of artist you are as opposed to saying that you are a student at some art college. As soon as they hear "student" they automatically have a lower expectation of your work. Plus your name tag clearly states that you are a student if they are curious. After the portfolio, I think that it is important to ask some follow up questions regarding their company and their pipeline/workflow. I have asked many environment artists about their workflow and the importance of modularity and kit bashing and they noticed that I use lots of reusable meshes and were already impressed at my model breakdowns. They told me that they always encourage versatility and efficiency when looking at models.