GDC in San Fran: over and out!
So now that we are back from San Francisco, I can try and explain how things went, without leaving much time to let it sink in. First, one of the main things that pops up to my mind about GDC is San Francisco. What an amazing city! I guess we got lucky because the weather was perfect, but on a more professional level, San Francisco is certainly an ideal place for relocation if you wish to be a part of the Games or Animation Industries. It is not to forget that Silicon Valley is right there, on San Francisco’s doorstep. But big names such as LucasArts, LucasFilms, Pixar, Dreamworks, Google, Oracle, Ebay,... They are all set up in San Francisco; and so many others!
Thanks to the Expo and the conference, we were able to showcase not only the destination (our country is really a point of difference and a selling one), but also the quality of our curriculum, our existing close relationships with major industry partners, the amazing work from our students; and all of these made people stop, listen, ask, and even prepared to board a plane to join the team of staff or students down in Aotearoa.
Certainly, the touchscreen and HDR tour of New Zealand was a hit. So were the free DVDs showcasing 7 of our students’ games. (both undergraduate and graduate level)
All in all, the experience was really positive. And outside the hall of expo and the conference centres, many parties were taking place, increasing the opportunity to network in a more relaxed environment.
What I would like to see come out of our time in San Francisco are students deciding to study with us in New Zealand, more industry partners to be part of our panels, and give feedback both on our curriculum and the students’ work, but also new opportunities of guest lectures and a chance for our graduates to land jobs within the great companies we talked to. And the way I see it at the moment, we are on the right track to achieve most if not all of the above!
Steph at GDC - over and out!
- Filed under: 3D Animation, VFX Motion Design, Game Dev