Tudy Gallahan GDC 2k16

Post date: Mar 25, 2016 10:38:50 PM

Observations:

1) Interactions with people are so much easier if you approach them as if they were a "regular" person. This should be pretty obvious, but any associate level artist with little experience in the industry would probably be afraid of approaching someone with a boatload more experience. I always found it easier to talk to recruiters than to actual artists because I was less nervous about their skill level (I know, I know, its horrible), but when I forcibly put that aside this year it became ten times easier to talk to people.

2) That being said, talk to everyone you see, even if you don't think you can "personally gain" from their friendship. I met a random guy last year because of the Wildstar shirt I was wearing. We both played Wildstar and talked about it extensively, later I found out he was in a lead position at Obsidian. A year later, we still exchange emails and play Wildstar from time to time, and he constantly asks when I'll be graduating so he can get me a job. lol. So it goes to show that common interests should always come before business interests, because people will be a lot more interested in you solely for that. And even if you meet people who aren't high level in the industry, they might be one day. That, and you can exchange crit with them without the vulnerability of posting your stuff publicly. Yay!

3) Practice on people who are at the same level as you job or art wise. You can break the ice with how nervous you are to them without sounding like a complete dumbass. Nine times out of ten they will feel the same way. And you can make great friends this way, too. The great thing about making friends with everyone at GDC is that you'll have someone to meet up with when you inevitably come back. Even though I did do a lot of networking and awkward party-invasions, the best part of GDC was getting to see people I hadn't seen in a year again. 

Additional Advice/Observations:

-Bring your sketchbook everywhere and draw in it, if you look like you're passionate enough to draw at a packed party people are bound to notice. This occurred to me when I was drawing to keep people from talking to me. Turns out it has the reverse effect on people. Haha.

-If someone leaves you hanging awkwardly out of a conversation, just leave. They're not worth your time. And they're probably being a jerk. If all else fails, you can approach them later when they're less "busy".

-When you're getting portfolio reviews, make sure you ask for specific feedback. Explain yourself. If you need/want to hear something specific from the reviewer, tell them. For most of my reviews, I asked "What do you think is the strongest work here?" because I was presenting a generalist portfolio with interest in specializing. You might be surprised by what you hear. You can also ask "what steps should I take to get better/what can I do to stand out more?" etc etc... Reviewers appreciate when you do their work for them. haha

-Remember that most of the people you encounter are going to be very, very tired. If grabbing their card is all you can get out of them, don't take it personally.. Email them later! I've had a lot of cases where I met someone who didn't seem interested, emailed them later, and they were extremely receptive to my work. So... don't wear people down more. I know some people feel entitled to getting portfolio reviews or socializing because they paid a shitton of money or whatever, but art directors and recruiters are people too. Give them some space if they seem like they need it.