John Wilson: GDC 2018

Post date: Apr 06, 2018 5:58:5 AM

So GDC for me can be best described as overwhelming at first but quickly turned into an experience that I enjoyed. Going into it with all the preparation time and my portfolio I was feeling very confident. Waking up early was a drag and my excitement certainly prevented me from catching a proper good nights sleep. The trip there was less than smooth thanks to American Airlines. We got stuck at Charlotte for a night sleeping in the terminal, feeling like a refugee, however looking back at that I wouldn't want to have spent that time with any other group of people. When we got to San francisco I was amazed at every sight, it was my first time going to a different state. It was such a new experience to me, I got to the hostel we were staying at and took a quick shower running to the convention to not miss my first day. 

My first observation of the convention was how I was going at it in the wrong way. What I mean by that is I went into my first day going out of my way and making it my goal to give out my new card, picked up from the printers the other day. How a nitwit like me could be so tasteful is beyond me. This was the wrong approach and people will say this to me but I realize you don't really see that until you actually go yourself and try. Im not going to lie, I felt like crap after that first day with a pocket full of business cards. There certainly was a feeling of inadequacy that I felt after that first round. It didn't help that some of my classmates were handing out business cards like they had a gun to their head. I remembered that I wasn't there for the express purpose of getting an internship, I'm there to make a presence and just meet people and have fun. Something I had forgot to do, which leads me to my second observation.

My best conversations and connections came from casual conversation of parties. The show floor itself wasn't or making connections although it can be done. It was more for speaking officially with people but I realized the way you actually make good connections are through the parties and personal conversations you have with people who are in the same field as you. It was really relieving to be able to play some rockband with friends and other people who share the same passion, rocking out to some system of a down. 

My last observation was being able to see the standards that other students and schools hold themselves at. At one of the parties I attended in confusing someone for preston and making an in-joke I got to speak to them and found out they go to LCAD. The college I was about to attend with friends from High school. It was interesting getting to see his work and admire the not very tasteful thickness of his business card. I showed him my work on art station and he showed me his. I followed him and he has yet to follow me back......... Another funny thing was listening to a friend talk about his experience with a girl he met from another school who when he asked what she did gave herself like 20 different titles including concept artist, character artist, 3D modeler, Environment artist, etc. We could barely give ourselves one title but here she is giving herself all these titles. It was pretty funny. 

Overall this GDC was fun and I'm already planning my next trip.