“Everything is backwards now, like out there is the true world, and in here is the dream.”
When Avatar redefined cinema last December, Jake Sully’s short video logs chronicling his new life on Pandora gave us insight into the profound emotional experience of discovering a new world. You already saw the movie, so you already have an idea of what it was like for me to leave the East Coast behind and pursue my dreams at the University of Southern California. Like Jake, I was at first akin to a baby. I had great ambitions but no idea where to begin. My first classes in the School of Cinematic Arts proved that my knowledge of games was far from complete, and my knowledge of film was even further in its infancy. Yet for the first time in my life, I showed up at school with a deep desire to learn.
I came to USC to become a game designer, but I did not expect to do much more than learn the ropes over the course of my freshman year. Suffice to say, while my expectations for the school were extremely high, they were not high enough. During my application process I had sent an email to Jenova Chen, cofounder of thatgamecompany and a USC alum who is one of my inspirations. A few weeks into the school year, I had lunch with him. About a week later, I visited thatgamecompany for the first time to test out their current project. When my first semester came to a close, I felt more than satisfied. I then set a goal for myself that came to define the rest of my year at USC, and will hopefully define the rest of my time as a Trojan. I decided that each semester must be more awesome than the last in terms of my overall ambitions. If I meet this goal, I will ensure that I always make significant progress.
During my winter break I noticed a post on the Interactive Media website regarding a Project Natal class. I was and still am extremely excited for Natal, so I sent an email to the professor, Jeremy Gibson, right away. The description of the course was vague, but I figured that any chance to work with Natal might help me with my goal. A few weeks into the semester I had pitched a game to Microsoft, and had been selected to lead a team in the game’s development. Needless to say, I was incredibly excited. Although the Natal hardware has yet to find a permanent home at USC, I was more than content to have the opportunity to speak with industry professionals at Microsoft as a college freshman. The design and leadership experience I gained from the project was invaluable, and I will take it with me as I move forward with the project in the fall. Immediately before spring break I attended GDC, and I encourage you to check out my blog entry detailing my amazing experience in San Francisco. My college life was working out excellently, but as the semester winded down, I began to worry about what I would do when I left USC for the summer.
Last summer I had a terrific time teaching a game design class at iD Tech Camps, and although they offered me the job again, I hoped to find an opportunity that would help me pursue my goals as a game designer. I was unable to discover any opportunities at GDC, but eventually I had a stroke of luck. Microsoft sent me on a wonderful trip to Seattle to visit and interview at their headquarters. The experience was unforgettable, and the opportunity was enough to simultaneously convince me that I had achieved my goal for the semester and excite me for my future as a game designer. Unfortunately I didn’t end up with the internship, but thankfully, a studio in New York presented me with an offer. I am currently writing this entry in my apartment in Manhattan, just a few blocks away from Worldwide Biggies, where I will begin my internship next week. At this time last year, I was picking out a tuxedo for senior prom.
I have always been vocal in my passion for interactive media, but until USC, my voice was never heard. My freshman year proved to me that although I still have much to learn, the doors for success are plentiful out west. I cannot wait to begin to learn more this summer in New York, and I will certainly make sure that next semester exceeds the awesomeness level of the last. I may not be on Pandora, but I’m as close as I can get.