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Post date: Mar 16, 2015 3:49:51 AM

Kevin Whitmeyer

GDC Observations 

1.     Don’t be a freaking creepy cronie. Just be normal.

One would be amazed at how literally some people took the “casual dress code” for the game industry. And while that’s probably true, you still have to look good. I saw some people who looked like squirrels nested in their he man hair and who rocked some knee high socks like they were on fire sale all week. It was crazy. My shoes may have been a little uncomfortable, but I actually got a compliment on them from a recruiter in line. Now that didn’t really help me any, but it goes to show, people do notice. On that note, please for the love of god--- WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES. We had to get someone to hold our spot in line for a party while we ran to target t but Dr. Scholes implants---the first day.

            But alas, don’t be a cronie. There was this kid at the Epic party who I could not tell if he was drunk or just plain weird, but he literally scared off one of the Epic employees I was talking to. The next day that very same guy helped me get an exclusive Portfolio review. So it goes to show, being professionally laid back and casual can, and will pay off. Don’t be a cronie. You’ll see them there, having crawled out form their gamer holes to scuttle around in sunlight for a bit.

2.     The Carreer Floor isn’t always the best place to actually network.

Yes, it is where your pass will probably allow you to get into, but the first day most of the booths simply had executives or other random employees there simply promoting their business. When asked about portfolio reviews most said that they weren’t giving any or that their artist wouldn’t arrive until a few hours later. To be honest, it was incredibly discouraging at first. Many of the booths in reality aren’t there for you. It seems kind of stupid, but many are their trying to show off what they’ve been doing with such as small team, hoping to get picked up by larger companies, so only the larger more obvious areas are actually interested in us.

            That being said, my best networking happened on my own time when I was doing absolutely nothing. I got the internship I have now by looking for Andy, only to find him talking to a PlayStation Environment Artist. After looking at my stuff, I told him I had applied to the program and he said he would see what he could do for me.

            Alumni. Talk to them. They love to hear how impressed you are with their old stuff they think is horrible. And almost all of them still have love for Ringling, especially the ones at the alumni party. They can help you- no promises, but they are seasoned veterans by this point and really quite refreshing to talk to. In short, Networking really isn’t something you wait in line for. It can be kind of scary, but you literally have to just walk up to someone and introduce yourself. The scariest part is the .5 between ending your sentence and seeing their smile and excitement to meet someone.

3.     To get T shirts, just ask.

This one is a little less of a serious topic, but VITALLY IMPORTANT nonetheless. Almost every company there will have shirts, and many of them will intentionally have extras. I got a sweet Mixamo shirt by literally saying to one of the employees “That’s an awesome shirt, how do I get one?” He said back “Just like that!” And BOOM- free swag.

            At the end of GDC I had 4 free shirts that I had to stuff into my bag and that was honestly a small amount of the number I could have gotten. They’re awesome. Go get yourself some Game Swag.