Studio Visits in LA

Next week I head to Los Angeles for our annual student trip to visit studios and meet with industry leaders. I have been rather fortunate over the past five years to acquire some amazing contacts from within industry. Just so you know, I had very few introductions when I started taking students to LA; most of my contacts have been through old fashion cold calling. What I have found was that it was very important to show my students the inside of the industry. I don’t want them to have grand illusions of life in the game industry: I want them to know the realities. I do that by exposing students to what lies behind the doorways of the studios. The trip is not an ominous warning, more like a wake up call. I try to show them what it is like to work and be creative every day, the hard work and long hours. I get to introduce them to people that love what they are doing and also can talk to them about balancing life. Otherwise, we all know, the game industry is the wrong place for a lot people that do not have the stamina.

I should note, that the field trip is a part of a two-semester course. We are happy if we retain 50% of our students for the second semester. The primary reason cited by students for not taking the second semester, “I don’t want to work that hard.” I know a 50% drop rate is high, but to be recruited in this industry, you need to be a real self-motivator, willing to spend the time to do what needs to done. I rather like the fact that those looking for the glamour of the job end up dropping out, those that do stay in for the second semester are much better for it, especially when it comes to their collaborative work.

The other thing that I am really interested in doing on the trip is exposing my students to the wealth of possibilities there are within the industry. How many students really know what roles there are within a big company like EA or a smaller studio like Naughty Dog or Pandemic? I like the field trip because the students can start to visualize themselves working and living the life of a professional in the industry.

What is most exciting is that this year is that I will be able to share the experience I have with my students with you and everyone else in our community. I will do my best to give you the pearls of wisdom they share with me.

Susan

Susan Gold
IGDA Education SIG Chairperson