GDC Summer 2020
Digital conferences are just a little bit strange. GDC Summer was a fun opportunity to meet new friends and learn a little more about the video game industry. I’ve been attending conferences, working conferences, and hosting conferences for nearly 15 years. So I’ve seen a lot, learned a lot, and worked a lot.
Part of what makes conferences worthwhile is the personal interaction with other professionals. The opportunity to commiserate with others in your field is highly underrated. We all often feel alone in our work and lives, now more than ever. With GDC Summer I definitely missed the moments meeting people over drinks and food. I didn’t however, miss the awkwardness of wandering around the expo room alone not knowing anyone.
I think I learned that what I really like about conferences is coffee and donuts. Just kidding…(‘m not kidding)
I’ve definitely, many times, been that person attending a conference who doesn’t know anyone and it feels lonely. So if you’ve ever felt that way at a conference, you’re not alone. Those instances did, however, force me out of my comfort zone and into new situations. That’s how we grow right?
GDC Summer was hardly the best conference I’ve seen, but adapting a live conference to the digital world is such a new challenge. This pandemic is far from over. No matter what the news tells you, things won’t be “normal” again for a while. I respect the GDC staff for putting on this event and really doing their best to make it happen. I applaud that effort, because I know putting events on is thankless and stressful.
So in the audio group chat I found a lot of composers who also wanted to talk shop. I organized two Zoom chat meetings that were a lot of fun. It was awesome to see how many composers across the nation are pushing themselves to learn and grow, and of course network.
After multiple conversations, it landed that this community should continue to stay connected. A new home for composers and sound designers to chat and learn from each other.
So I’ll be hosting a group to chat about tech, resources, orchestration and all sorts of nonsense. I’ve missed the environment of academia where talking shop is the norm. After grad school it was hard to find that community of composers to talk with and learn from. The industry is competitive and cut-throat. Oftentimes people don’t want to share or are just plain cliquey.
So if you’re interested in joining us in conversations, drop me a message and I’ll add you to the group!
Also, if you haven’t already, head over to Robust Coffee Lounge down in Hyde Park. It’s the best.
