Master Classes
Entrepreneurship in Entertainment Technology
Though much of this applies to companies in any market, discussion and examples will specifically address the issues faced by companies based in the entertainment industry – including production companies, game development companies and core technology companies.
Carl Rosendahl
Based on a course taught by Carl at Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center, this full day Master Class will give an overview of the skills and resources needed to startup and run a company in the entertainment technology industry.
Topics covered will include:
- Developing the big picture and long term vision – essential for survival
- Finding the right business model – powerful tools to discover how your business really works
- Building a financial model – knowing how the money flows and valuing your product
- Identifying and keeping your customers – it isn't about marketing
- Attracting and keeping the best talent – company culture and value systems
- Understanding some basic mechanics – company structures and legal issues
Games Master Class, Wednesday Nov 16th 9am - 3pm, Telstra Clear centre, Te Papa.
The Game Master Class sold out very quickly last year, so do not miss out. There are a limited number of spaces available.
The AnimFX NZ Games Master Class is designed for anyone working in, or interested in the Games Industry. We have chosen speakers with expertise across a number of platforms and production roles that are relevant to the New Zealand Game Development Industry. The class will be small, interactive and highly engaging.
More than any time in its history, the New Zealand Game Development Industry is poised for success. With the advent of digital distribution, open platforms and easy to access engines and tools, it really is a level playing field now for Kiwi devs.
Come learn from the best in the industry across Smartphone, PC Online, Motion Gaming and other key areas. This unique workshop is a chance to engage and learn and is relevant to people actively working in Game Production, Students, or anyone looking to learn more about the industry. Topics covered are relevant to Producers, Game Designers, Gameplay Programmers and Production Leads.
Speakers:
Eros Resmini - OpenFeint
The Rise of Free to Play on Mobile: Best Practices
Free to play developers successfully leveraged social features on Facebook to achieve viral game distribution, user acquisition and engagement. Recent changes to Facebook have limited what developers are able to do and as a result, the free to play market is rapidly shifting to mobile. Traditional developers are also transitioning to free to play to take advantage of what seems to be the winning business model on mobile.
Join Eros Resmini, SVP of Marketing and Developer Relations at OpenFeint, to learn about the implications of the rise of free to play games on mobile. He'll provide an overview of the free to play model, and explain why these titles are the highest grossing on the charts. Finally, he'll discuss best practices on launching a free to play game and how to leverage channel and distribution partners.
Patrick Hudson - Robot Entertainment
Launching New IP as an Independent Developer: The Creation, Production and Marketing of Orcs Must Die!
Most developers at Robot Entertainment have been making games together for up to 15 years. Many of those years were spent developing as part of Microsoft after being acquired. The group hasn't launched new IP since 1998 and the release of Age of Empires. The studio learned many new lessons in creating and releasing this downloadable title without the help of a publisher. This talk will focus on how the game was chosen, how we executed (and didn't execute) against our original plans, how we built a robust marketing plan, the challenges of shipping on the various platforms, and, ultimately, how we launched the game. Expect this talk to be interactive with an open back-and-forth with the audience.
Tracey Sellar - Microsoft Games Studio
Master Class session on User Research for games. Often overlooked, usability testing can provide invaluable insights into your game. With so many titles available on the market, a smooth and painfree user experience is absolutely essential. Join of the worlds leading experts in Game User Research and learn more about how you can improve the accessibility of your game.
Lance Priebe - Entrepreneur
More details to follow.
Animation Master Class, Wednesday Nov 16th 9am - 3pm
Animators, this is your chance to learn from and interact with four diverse, incredibly talented animation experts in an intimate setting. Morning session starts with Josh Selig, founder and president of Little Airplane Productions and creator of the global hit properties The Wonder Pets, 3rd and Bird and Small Potatoes. Josh will discuss content development, pitching and creating shows from the heart. Enrico Casarova, Pixar story artist and director of the studios latest groundbreaking short film, La Luna, will give animators a behind the scenes peek at the making the film. After a break for lunch and networking, the Master Class will pick up with Oktobor Animation directors Myke Sutherland and Nick Stein, currently sharing directing duties on Robot and Monster, Nickelodeon's newest comedy series. The duo will share real world, practical tips on improving your craft and will close with one on one portfolio reviews and a question and answer session. Special student pricing of $75 for the full day class or $175 for a three day Animfxnz pass, do not miss this opportunity to learn from some of the most successful leaders in the industry today.
Josh Selig - Little Airplane
Josh will discuss his approach to development, being true to who you are and your vision, and share some of his insights into the industry, both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Josh will also share some of the latest work coming out of Little Airplane Productions.
Enrico Casarosa - Pixar Animation Studios
Enrico will share the La Luna short and give animators and inside look into the process of making the short, followed up with a brief Q&A.
Myke Sutherland and Nick Stein, Oktobor Animation
- Introduction and journey into Animation.
- Process and Workflow for the Episodic pipeline. - Reality hits.
- Breakdown of building a shot. From Storyboard to Final.
- The essence of a Killer Performance.
- Building a smokin' Demo Reel.
- Questions and Answers and Portfolio Review.
Games Business Master Class Thursday Nov 17th 10am - 2pm
Starting Up and Running a Game Studio: Current Challenges for Independent Game Companies
The old business models for game development and publication are broken: traditional work-for-hire deals for console product aren't viable for most developers, and while new platforms present new opportunities, they require new skills and agility. For game companies in New Zealand, the challenges are even more daunting as the biggest game markets are elsewhere and each present different risks. The "business management handbook" tells you to consult with strategic, financial and legal advisers when starting up and operating a game studio, but not "why." A group of veteran game industry business development and legal advisers will present a workshop on starting up and operating a game studio in 2012. Topics will include a review of game industry developments and current business opportunities; what to expect when doing business with US-based companies and with European based companies; forming the business, including start up IP and employment issues, strategic planning, business development and legal issues; and operating the studio – actual game development.
Develop a broader understanding of both the substance and process of starting and operating a game studio; understand regional perspectives on development and publishing activities and negotiate better deals.
Development studio personnel, business development personnel, investment bankers, and anyone who has responsibility for negotiating business and legal terms of game development and publishing agreements and managing game development and distribution.
David S. Rosenbaum - Video Game Basics 101
Session Description:The video game business has grown into one of the leading entertainment industries. This session explains how the business has developed: how the hardware cycles define the business and its growth; channels of distribution and how mobile/smartphone and social gaming are changing the paradigms of the business; how game sales compare to film grosses; how game sell by genre, by rating, by platform, and by territory; consumer demographics; how the game business is a global business; who the key industry players are and some names and trends to watch.
Session Takeaway:Develop an understanding of the metrics and history of the video game industry and how that affects opportunities to do business in video games.
Intended Audience: Development studio personnel, business development personnel, investment bankers, and anyone who is interested in managing game development and distribution.
Robert Wallace - Strategic Alternatives
Bob Wallace, founder and principal of Strategic Alternatives, provides business and marketing strategy, positioning, infrastructure development, publisher relationship, and acquisition/divesture counsel to game developers and publishers, as well as governmental agencies seeking to expand their country's participation in the global games industry. He has provided his acumen to over 50 companies in the gaming industry in the US and several European and Pacific Rim countries.
Bob is on the Board of Advisors of GDC Europe (Cologne) and a member of AIAS and IGDA.
Sean Kauppinen - International Digital Entertainment Agency
Sean Kauppinen is the founder and CEO of the International Digital Entertainment Agency. He has more than 16 years of management, business development and strategic communications expertise in the digital entertainment industry. His ability to bring companies together and provide strategic guidance has led to business growth for industry giants as well as start-ups. During this time, Kauppinen has launched more than 500 titles on all major gaming platforms, ranging from big budget blockbusters to value games. He has consulted governments on creating and growing their digital entertainment industries and has served in senior management roles with start-ups and established companies including CEO roles with Frogster America, PlayFast and other companies. Kauppinen has held communications and marketing management positions with Sony Online Entertainment, Ubi Soft, bleem!, and 3dfx. He currently holds advisory board positions with GDC Europe, SXSW, and more than a dozen early stage companies. Kauppinen also serves as the special advisor to the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
He is a former board member of GCDC, GCAC and NLGD.
