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Post date: Mar 17, 2017 12:3:12 AM
Wednesday was a great opportunity to take in the expo and practice my networking skill, which is not something that comes naturally to me. At the Ringling Alumni party that night, me and my thesis partners were able to talk to some employees from a startup company about our upcoming thesis. I guess this was the first instance of the most unexpected aspect of the trip, thesis advice. I really never thought it would get brought up in conversations much, but it did, and the amount of information, advice and people interested in seeing it was one of the best takeaways from the trip. A great part about it is that it helped my partners and I get excited in our thesis' potential. Later in the week, we were able to tour a submarine, an experience that is proving to be very valuable to our games aesthetic.
Thursday was a dud for me... While I made lots of connections, none of them seemed genuine. However that night, we attended the un-party and had a long conversation with some independent developers. Their lifestyles fascinated me, especially in contrast with the lifestyles of the companies on the main expo floor. Working at an indie studio is something I am interested in now.
Friday I thoroughly explored the independent games area of the expo and this was great. I loved seeing all the stylized art for these games and I am now inspired to try my hand at some stylized 3D art. I also had some good portfolio reviews, making this day much more significant than the last.
Overall, it was probably not really worth the money and absences for me... however, all the great thesis advice, a small handful of connections and the exposure to independent games is something I am really excited about. It could prove to be a worthwhile trip in the long-run.
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