GDC Write Up~!

Post date: Mar 25, 2016 1:42:22 AM

    This was my first GDC trip! I had a lot of fun and got a lot of really helpful portfolio reviews! Both sides of my portfolio got pretty positive responses and I learned a lot with a lot of good critique! Both my environments and my particle reel got a lot of positive feedback! I got to hand out a lot of business cards to a lot of cool people!

Observation 1: Creative UI design is skill in high demand.

    I've heard from a lot of presenters that VFX is a skill in high demand, but I hadn't heard about UI design before. Three of the presentations I attended all mentioned companies were searching for both. Before going to GDC I wasn't even aware UI design was a separate specific job! I didn't think there would be a lot of UI jobs in design. 

    After the UI elements we experimented with in programing classes I can see how you'd need someone very skilled to make even unobtrusive functional HUD. Making a whole set of menus and values look amazing takes a lot of skill and effort! I'd like to start learning but I should really focus more free time on VFX too.

:0

Observation 2: I need to specialize my portfolio.

    Almost every talk and review I was advised to specialize my portfolio. I was advised to either show environment art or my VFX reel - but not both. I'm sure indie developers still value a wide set of skills - so is it alright to organize my website and send specific links to specific jobs? Would that still be too generalist? If I was applying online for an environment artist position and linked to a gallery on the website it would still be narrowed down - just with little links on the top of the page to a separate VFX gallery? Both are so cool! I'll have to do some research to figure it out! 

:)

Observation 3: It's never to late to start learning VFX.

    I was really excited to get my portfolio reviewed Friday by David Johnson from Infinity Ward but I was a little hesitant to show my short 3 particle reel. I already knew a lot of things I needed to fix but it also seemed too good of an opportunity to pass up or just show an environment art portfolio. I started explaining that I was a junior and that I really wanted to learn. He gave me a lot of good critique and complimented my work so far! He explained that a lot of studying VFX artists are starting to teach themselves even starting senior year! 

    He told me he was afraid after my introduction that my particles were going to be really bad. He said they were a lot better than other work he'd been shown and that they could be production ready with a few timing fixes and a material change or two! He also reassured me I wasn't starting too late- that I was in a really good spot for junior year and that he expected to see me working! That really got my confidence up and I feel like I might even have a chance at getting a VFX job when I graduate! It's kind of hard to keep practicing on top of school work but at least my work so far has paid off a little!

:D