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!]