loudloudloudloudloudloudloudloudloud... (also 0:09😂)

All said, my biggest advice: focus on slow genuine connections, be interested, ask how you can help, and have fun! Also, hand-san & earplugs are a must, the GDC plague is real and afterparties are LOUD!🤧🔊 8/8

While it can be tempting to plan GDC to death, I wouldn’t over-plan at the expense of embracing serendipity and going with the flow. The best events I went to often resulted after randomly vibing with someone and tagging along! It felt like entering a networking flow state haha. 7/8

GDC networking is an ultra-marathon, and while burnout/imposter syndrome are possible, I’d suggest a little self-gaslighting can help to push through. My suggestion: reenergizing doesn’t necessitate time alone—seeking your tribe (eg audio peops) can provide all the energy and reframing you need. 6/8

I’ll also note, attending without a pass is possible! (though can be a turnoff socially). Nevertheless, there are plenty of happenings beyond the official event, and many locals swing by w/o passes during off-hours! 5/8

Regarding passes, next time I’ll likely opt for the friday-only option (~US$200 less than the full week). IMO, aside from the SUPER COOL alt.ctrl.GDC section, the expo floor was more about marketing/entertainment than building connections. 4/8

Personally, I found the best places to meet people were at side-events and afterparties (as listed on the attendee-curated GDC Parties webapp—the best tool for planning out days. Most side-events favoured night-owls, but despite late nights I surprisingly managed to sleep in most days! 3/8

First off, A LOT of people attend GDC (30,000+), and it’s not unrealistic to be standing 12+ hours a day socializing. GDC is a week-long party, with events and meetups running from 8AM until just past midnight. 2/8

was on the fence about packing my shoes but I'll def be out for these!!

hi Martha thanksss😇

(VHorns Brass & Berlin harps’ true pedal are also great for their UIs. Unfortunately, most developers place little emphasis on such interfaces).

This is why I love sample developers such as Ample. Their fretboard UI not only helps non-guitarist composers avoid impossible hand positions, but also functions as a reference/learning tool without requiring an actual guitar. ...

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this (and it’s certainly thrilling to push virtual instruments to extremes sometimes), it’s a tad disheartening to hear piano parts copy-pasted onto other instruments—especially when they’re unplayable. ...

Most media composers write their parts through the lens of the piano keyboard. Thus, when writing for other instruments, it’s often tempting to forgo idiomatic writing in favour of pianistic convenience. ...

Would be remiss not to shoutout @amplesoundtech.bsky.social for developing such a fantastic instrument 👏!

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it haha 😊

Wrote for guitar using Ample's free Guitar M Lite VST for its outstanding UI. This way, composing a natural feeling part and transcribing off the animated visual was a piece of cake! The hardest part was simply learning to play it haha—been nearly 10 years since my Sungha Jung/Tommy Emmanuel phase.