Hey everyone!! ☕️
I haven't written a blog post on the site in awhile and wanted to share some details about my experience at Game Sound Con with you.
If you don't know what Game Sound Con. is, it's basically a get together with a bunch of video game audio folks who want to geek out together about our experiences within game audio industry. There is plenty to do within the two day period with a focus on networking, presentations, and studies within our work. This happens every year in Los Angeles and if you're interested in going to it next year, just click the link below! 😁 :
https://www.gamesoundcon.com
This was actually my first time going to the event and it was an incredible time (I highly recommend it to you or to anyone who wishes to make video game scoring or sound design apart of their career). Some of my very good friends and professors attended this event and it was amazing to see some of them on panels: Michael Bierylo, Jeanine Cowen and Laryssa Chan to name a few. You'll also get a sense at how small yet vast the game audio industry really is. I met so many individuals with a huge passion for their craft from all different levels of experience and backgrounds (some even flew in from out of the country just to attend!).
There are four tracks of presentations that were available this year:
1. Game Audio Essentials (Essential and fundamental tips for emerging game audio professionals)
2. Game Audio Pro (Professional tips for game audio specialists)
3. VR Audio (Case studies and information regarding Virtual Reality)
4. Wwise (Tips and Audio Implementation fundamentals via the software Wwise)
Here are some of my overall thoughts after attending the event this year as well as some "oh yeah...that's pretty important" moments:
1. You'll never stop learning
I started my time in the Virtual Reality sessions at the convention, and a lot of the talks ended up talking not only about their success but also their failures regarding their studies to the new and emerging Virtual Reality industry. Because it's a new field of study, even professionals are still scratching their heads on how to create a convincing and immersive soundscape within video games. Many have expressed recording and mic placement challenges as well as implementation issues to create believable spaces via High Order Ambisonics. Many composers within other panels have also expressed how they are still learning about the orchestra, compositional techniques, and technological barriers. But this is what makes growing as audio specialists so much fun in my opinion, because there is so much room for growth and learning together within the industry.
2. Networking is key
While 95% of us video game industry folks are introverted (no statistics involved with that one, purely based on my own experience 😅), one aspect of the event that was great practice for everyone was giving folks the opportunity to mingle and network with one another. Breaking out of your comfort zone can be a challenge, however I ended up getting into some interesting conversations because other people did their best to talk with me and spark a conversation, or vise versa. Sometimes it just takes a simple "Hello, how are you enjoying the event so far" or simply pouring someone some lemonade or coffee and starting from there (there was a looooot of coffee so, if you didn't talk with someone that's on you...) And overall, everyone was very friendly and willing to exchange their business cards or some form of contact information. It's a great way to get to know other people, and you never know what can come out of it. And don't be afraid to ask to get coffee or lunch with folks after the event is over... Don't burn your bridges folks!
3. Improve your skills daily with balance!
The speakers for each event all expressed their daily practice and honing of their skills, even if it's just for a little bit each day. Sharpening skills shouldn't feel like a task, but rather a necessity like breathing or eating every single day. The art of composing and sound design can be taxing at times on the ears and mind, so it's also important to balance your time. If you are stuck, take a walk or have some time to relax in between your work if you need to recharge. Balance your time in a meaningful way. And don't push away your friends and family during the process, because they will keep your sanity through it all! 😉
4. It's not easy getting started, but never give up!
For all of the newcomers in the field, and sometimes even for the people higher up in the industry, we all run into clients that do not treat music professionally. They may not even want to pay us like all of the other sectors of a game project, but at the end of the day we still need to be honest and let people know that we work hard like any other branch of a game project. In-House composers and sound designers on average may work for 10 hours a day (or longer!) and freelancers usually get hired near the end of the project because the game company "forgot" to think about the music or sound which leaves them with 2 months to finish all of the sound. But even with these struggles one thing to remember is to never give up and to know where you stand. Everyone goes through this so don't think you're alone!
5. Stay healthy mentally and physically
While many of us aren't in the best of shape, it's important to provide balance in your life. Sleep well, eat well, stay healthy. You become less productive if you aren't taking care of your body, so make sure to take care of yourself. This is often overlooked as a crucial necessessity for an audio professional, as many of us are used to hearing "Sleep is for the weak" (please... 🙄). Don't kill yourselves people... work smarter not harder.
Like I said, definitely go if you are serious about game audio...it is 100% worth the money and the time if you have some to invest. Keep making the music folks and I hope you got something out of this! 💪