Get the Most Out of GDC As a Composer or Sound Designer

The Game Developers Conference (or GDC) can be very intimidating, especially if you’re new to it. I should know; as a struggling composer I once held the door to Moscone West open for Reggie Fils-Aimé and somehow managed to refrain from asking him about his time at Pizza Hut, or if he came up with the idea for the Bigfoot Pizza because he knows where bigfoot is, or perhaps, is bigfoot himself.

Anyway, whether you’re new to the industry or new to the conference, GDC can be nerve-wracking. Game audio folks are not immune to this. In fact, because music and sound effects are often, sadly, an afterthought in many dev cycles–and because audio people are far too frequently the weird orbiting satellites of a dev team, isolated and left out of the loop–GDC can feel even more daunting to us sound-oriented types.

Last March will mark my 10th year at GDC, and in that time, I’ve made about every dumb mistake you can make at a major industry conference.

If you want to get the most out of the conference, you can’t just show up. Lots of people do that, and that’s fine, but if you really want to have an edge, make sure all your ducks are in a row beforehand. Then put your ducks away, weirdo, and make sure you’re ready for the show.

How to Network at Conferences like GDC (As any Discipline)

By far, the main reason we all go to GDC is to meet people. But how do you do that? Who do you talk to, and where? The blanket answer is “everyone” and “everywhere,” but let’s refine that a bit

Best Buds: When I was first starting out, I walked around PAX shakily thrusting my business card into people's’ hands and handing out hastily printed demos of my work. I did it not because I liked it (I couldn’t stand it), but because I thought that’s how networking was done. And maybe in some industries, it is, but I wouldn’t know, because it turns out in games, the way to network is to make friends.

People want to work with people they like. Would you rather hire someone with an incredible portfolio who’s emailed you a hundred times but whom you’ve never met, or that awesome person you met at the Xbox lounge who you grabbed cupcakes with after? Because your potential clients will pick the cupcake bud almost every time.

Absolutely hand out cards, point people toward your music or sounds if the opportunity seems natural, but mostly? Just hang out, and be your cool self. Stay casual, stay relaxed, or fake it (my strategy) until it feels real.

Yerba Buena Gardens: I know it sounds like a Final Fantasy side dungeon, but the park area on top of Moscone East is a goldmine for hangouts. People are all over the place, enjoying ice cream, chatting casually, and breathing in air with the least amount of fecal particulates in the whole neighborhood.

Last year, I literally spent the first three days of the show here, without ever setting foot inside the convention center. The nearby food court makes it really easy to turn meetings into lunch.

Career pavilions (FMOD, Sony, Xbox, Expo Hall Career Theater, etc.): These are valuable, but in my opinion, not for meeting people. It can certainly happen, but everyone is so focused on finding work prospects or asking questions of the experts and presenters on hand, that you’ll have a tough time making new friends here.

Still, if you’re looking for some career advice or have questions about a particular company’s work culture, they’re definitely worth checking out!

Lounges: These are great, considering people often come here to wind down and get away from the bustle of the show floor. Just use your best judgement; if someone is on their phone or zoning out, give them their space, but if they seem approachable, feel free to give it a shot. It can be a great, quiet venue to have a conversation.

Expo Hall: This is the most crowded area at GDC, but also a great place to run into people. Everyone is milling about trying new things, and so there are tons of excuses to strike up a conversation. My recommendation would be to head over to the IGF Pavilion, where you’ll see lots of fun and unique indie games, and meet plenty of nice folks to talk about them with.

Alt Control is also a good bet; it’s hard not to feel a bond with strangers when you’re all playing games controlled by doorbells or teaming up to help a giant animatronic elephant poop or whatever.

Make your own space: A trick I learned from my good friend Akash Thakkar, sound designer for Hyper Light Drifter, put out an open invite for ice cream at a certain place and time on Twitter. Ask that group of people you just met if they wanna continue this conversation by the weird coffee robot in the food court.

Set up an informal hang out in the park or suggest a walk through China Town. Some of the best networking opportunities are the ones you make yourself!

Where not to bother people: Restrooms. But also refrain from bothering people for hangouts at their booths too much. Chatting is fine, but just remember devs currently showing off a game are there to work, and probably don’t have the mental space to talk to you about potential career opportunities.

Networking is a slow, cumulative process: While it can happen, you’re unlikely to leave GDC with a job offer already in hand. That’s ok! Instead, if you’ve made friends and connections, keep in touch with them. Try to see them the next time you go, and the time after that. Be consistent, or as consistent as you can, about going (obviously, not everyone can afford to make it out to SF every year, and that’s ok too).

I’ve gotten plenty of work from going to GDC, but it’s almost always from someone I meet there getting in touch weeks or even months later. Maybe they hire you directly, maybe they know someone who needs a composer.

You kind of never know how it’s going to manifest, so just focus on making as many meaningful connections as you can. Be patient, and don’t kick yourself for not landing a job immediately. It doesn’t work that way.

Make sure you have your absolute best work available online.

This can be a demo reel on your website, a YouTube playlist, a link to your Bandcamp, etc. I myself simply curate the Spotlight section on my SoundCloud to show the best balance between my most recent and best work.

Whatever you post and wherever you post it, it should follow these two rules:

• It should be the absolute best work you’ve done.
• It should take almost no effort to listen to it.

If a potential client has to dig around at all to find your stuff, they’ll move on. Worse, when they get there, if the first thing they hear isn’t amazing, even if there’s something stellar just a little bit down the page, they’ll move on thinking you’re mediocre.

CarouselCon: A Game Audio Meetup

Run by the amazing Matthew Marteinsson - sound designer at Klei. This informal mini-conference is held behind the merry-go-round across the street from Moscone West, and features impromptu talks and just a bunch of great audio folks hanging out. It’s an incredibly friendly place.

But if you’re wondering “why would I want to meet other audio people, aren’t they my competition?” then don’t worry. Audio people hook each other up with work all the time. We’re always letting each other know about openings we can’t take or gigs we don’t have time for, so grab some pupusas from the food truck beneath the overpass and come on over!

Final Thoughts

GDC is the largest game industry show in North America. When audio people ask what conventions they should travel to, I tell them if they can only get to one, make it this one. If you’re going, you’re already better off than the many, many people who didn’t. Try to enjoy yourself, make some friends, and have fun. You got this.

Remember, if you work in games, have worked in games, or want to work in games, you belong at GDC. Remind yourself that you’re not less valuable if you haven’t shipped a popular game, or haven’t shipped a game at all. If someone asks you what you’re working on and you haven’t actually landed a game yet, feel free to talk about what new things you’re exploring with sound.

Maybe you’re trying a new genre, or messing with some new effects and processing. You have as much right to be there as the big AAA guys or the super successful indies, so act like it.

Reflect: How did the show go? What did you do well? What could you do differently next year?

Just remember to steer clear of the free burrito truck. It’s full of ghouls who want to steal your identity and make your butt explode.

[If you want to read the rest of Ryan's advice on GDC, he actually wrote too much for this resource and decided to put all of it on his blog!]

How to Get the Most Out of GDC As an Artist or Designer

If you are reading this then you are most likely a student or a junior artist looking for work. GDC can be a great place to make connections, and I highly recommend you go!

But don't get your hopes up that you will walk away with full-time employment. It is easy to have very high hopes and end up disappointed. It is also stressful seeing all these super-busy developers ignoring you while you aren't entirely sure what to do or where to go.

Practical tips for going to GDC as an artist

Have a portfolio of your work to show.

There are loads of tips online for making a perfect portfolio for your medium, but specifically for GDC remember that you most likely will not have internet and the battery on your devices will most likely die. Bring a backup battery, and download your work.

The talks and the roundtables are hit or miss, but definitely go to a roundtable if you can.

This is a great chance to meet other artists and build your network. After the roundtable, talk to someone that you found interesting from that roundtable.

Follow up with the people who gave you their business card.

I know this is cliche, and you have heard this before. One year I went to GDC, did animation portfolio reviews for students, and given away around 300 business cards. I told every single student that if they followed up with more work or a new reel then I would get every animator I know to look at it and I'd make sure the art director of Irrational games weighed in on their work. 2 people followed up. Be one of those two people.

Don't hit up developers for work while they are socializing.

If developers are hanging out at a bar or at a party after the show hours then they probably don't want to review your portfolio. If you meet a developer and you want to show them your work then ask if they will be around during the show the next day. Try to set a time to meet them during show hours, and show them your work then. Only show your work to someone at a bar if they ask to see it.

The Expo Hall is useful for making connections with Epic or Unity.

It is a good idea to talk to the people that are working on your tech. It can also be fun to see what new technologies are coming online for game development.

I first saw Apex cloth by Nvidia on the expo floor. I ended up using that a ton for Bioshock Infinite.

Breathe and have fun!

GDC can be very inspiring, but it is best to go in without any expectations.

How to Get the Most Out of GDC As an Indie or Solo Developer

GDC is the biggest gathering of developers, publishers, middleware companies, and service providers in the world. You can make important business connections, good friends and memories to last a lifetime.

You do, however, get out of it what you put into it, so it's incredibly important to have clear goals in mind when planning your trip.

The first step is to identify why you're going.

Are you looking to meet publishing partners for your indie game? Are you looking for potential clients for service work? Are you just looking to other developers? Do you want to improve your skills and attend talks?

Once you've identified what you want out of the show, it becomes a lot easier to plan what events you want to attend.

The show can be overwhelming, even with a clear goal in mind, so here are a few survival tips to get you through the week.

Know Your Budget:

San Francisco is notoriously expensive, and GDC is located in the heart of the city. Make sure you've allocated transit costs to and from the area for every day that you're there.

Also, while many evening events have hors-d'oeuvres, it's very important to find time to eat since the days can get away from you. Again, keep in mind that food in SF can be pricey, so budget accordingly.

Hotel Bars:

Many of the meetings at GDC happen at the bars of the nearby hotels (namely the W, St. Regis and the Marriott). It's a great way to meet new people, but be mindful that a group casually chatting may actually be in a meeting before you decide to introduce yourself.

Pace Yourself:

This is especially important for younger developers but extends to everyone. GDC is generally overflowing with alcohol, and it's not uncommon to end up having had too much to drink.

Remind yourself that you are here representing yourself in a business capacity and make decisions accordingly. Most importantly, do not feel pressured to drink or do anything beyond your comfort zone.

Demoing Your Game:

Unlike big studios, you probably won't have the luxury of having a controlled demo environment for your pitch meetings. I recommend always having pitch materials ready on your phone/tablet so that you can demo at a moment's notice.

If you're an authorized Nintendo Switch developer, having a build on a test kit is a really convenient way to demo to potential partners.

More importantly, know when to demo your game. Read the room and don't monopolize anyone's time unless there's genuine interest.

Have Fun:

I've been going to GDC for 15 years, and it's responsible for some of my all-time favorite memories. Make sure to take time for yourself and have fun in this incredibly unique environment.

How to Get the Most Out of GDC When It Comes to Business

There are going to be a lot of opportunities for business meetings at GDC and schedules fill up fast. Set up your meetings 3 weeks ahead of time so you can get a spot with someone before they are bombarded with requests closer to (and during) the event.

Also, be mindful of who you set aside time for. Don’t do meetings with service providers that you 100% KNOW won't ever be useful. But, if you can, take some meetings (like with random indies) that have no immediate purpose beyond breaking the ice.

Only schedule 1 meeting per hour even though they often only take 15-30 minutes. You need time to go to venues, bathroom, snack, etc. That also means schedule eating all 3 meals.

As for where to have these meetings, it's ok if you don't have a pass, just suggest a cafe or restaurant nearby to meet in. Some publishers have meetings in hotel suites. So far all of the ones I've been to have been professional and not gross.

Another thing that’s important is being friendly, especially to students. They’ve got it rough. Being sincerely warm and kind to random strangers might pay off someday, but it also will make you feel immediately less cynical and jaded by the soul destruction of business.

Events are full of opportunities.

Every meal, every session, every lobby, every hallway, is crowded with potential new friends, business partners, and collaborators. The human mind cannot possibly comprehend the fractal of alternate universes that are spawned every second of every conference.

You’ll miss a few opportunities along the way, but that’s how it is. Breathe, think it through, weigh the pros and cons, and let it go. You can do anything, but you can’t do everything. Accept that.

Be Giving, Respectful, and Supportive.

When I met Harry Lee (Sokobond) [in 2014], he said, "This year, I'm not promoting my own work. I want you to try my friend's game. I have it here in my backpack. Do you want to play?" The selflessness of that gesture - of taking the value of a self-promotion opportunity and giving it to someone you want to succeed - touched me, and I think we should all take it to heart.

Of course, just by making friends you'll be promoting yourself. But now is not the time to ask for favors - now is the time for building better relationships. You’ll want a few petty things (introductions, recommendations, invitations), but it’s far, far better to invest in your future now. Wherever you can, be the giver. Be the supporter. Offer to help others where you can.

If nobody asks for favors, that’s fine; go out of your way to show your appreciation for the kindness others have shown you. It sounds trite, but really do pay it forward. If you want to be completely mercenary, then try to see conferences and events as great times to make brand deposits and not-great times to make brand withdrawals.

Make new Friends (Be Visible).

It’s not "just networking" - making friends is legitimately about becoming closer to someone, such that they grow from stranger to acquaintance, and acquaintance to ally. Be friendly, but be yourself. The more friends you make, and the more effort you put into being visible (so others can approach you), the more you can contribute to the greater community.

So get to know these people. Learn about their work. Listen to the words they say. This means that generally, you have to put in effort. Actually learn their name and pay attention to what they’re working on, and be sincere. Be patient. Friendship isn't Kool-Aid mix.

Feed the Beast.

“Feeding the Beast” refers to when you have to do something for the good of your brand/company/product. Going to events you don’t care about, talking with investors, giving talks, tweeting when you’re not in the mood. Everyone has their own approach to feeding the beast, but the truth is there: you have to make some sacrifices to power the engine.

I personally feel I am when I have run out of the energy to have a sincere conversation, yet continue to "network". Don't decline something because it sounds tedious. Don't run away to your hotel room. At least, not every time. Don't cancel meetings because you're nauseous from nerves. Buck up.

Don't Compete or Compare.

It was two hours after I had given my GDC talk. After four days of navigating the tight-rope of friend-making and networking, just as my nervous energy started giving out, I crashed. Hard. It was like a sudden, full-body experience of the indie shame spiral.

I wasn’t indie enough, wasn’t connected enough, wasn’t professional enough, wasn’t stylish enough, anything enough. I felt I didn't belong, because I failed every possible comparison. Amazing, talented, wonderful people are all around you, and while that's inspiring when you're happy, it can feel damning when you're vulnerable.

I challenge you to recognise when someone subtly ramps up the competitive atmosphere, comparing themselves (or their games) to others, and to ramp it back down. Find ways to be supportive. Raise others up, don't tear them down. Be an example of how to always, always learn.

Before Heading Into A Meeting

Define your goals beforehand but be realistic - e.g. if you're meeting a publisher for the first time, don’t expect to walk away with a cheque.

Before any meeting, read up on the other party (person/company). What have they done lately? Anything to congratulate or comfort them about? A few days before the meeting, email a reminder along with your best mode of contact (ideally a cell number) if things change last minute.

At the end of it all, don't take it personally if someone is late to or misses your meeting. They're probably just overworked.

[Tanya contributed to another resource that Pixels made about GDC. There you'll find some interested info about the safe places around the city (and where the bad ones are) as well as some other helpful tips on stuff around San Francisco.]