I woke up to some incredible news today! I've received a scholarship for attending GDC 🥳 The annual Game Developers Conference is one of the premier events for game developers. The first time I heard of the conference was when I started my honours degree in Sound for Games back in 2018. I've been interested in attending for years but I never found the opportunity to go since it's held in the US and I was studying in the UK, plus all the expenses... It's been an amazing start to 2023, I'm feeling extremely grateful, lucky and overwhelmed with joy! I was beginning to get quite nervous especially because the results took an extra week to be announced since there was almost double the submissions compared to last years program. Thank you so much to those who created this opportunity, I cannot wait to go this March!
WHAT IS THE STAN LEPARD MEMORIAL GDC SCHOLARSHIP? Stan LePard, a talented and multi-faceted musician, was a fixture of the Seattle game audio and music scene for many years. His work can be heard in the Halo and Destiny franchises, Guild Wars 2, Battletech, Crimson Skies, and many other games and software dating back to the '90s. He was always willing to share his time and expertise with others in the community, whether they were a veteran or a fresh face that had just arrived in town. He touched the lives of many people with his humor, musicianship, and spirit. In 2021, Stan passed away unexpectedly, leaving a legacy of kindness and music, but also leaving an irreplaceable vacuum in the game audio community. In an effort to carry on Stan's legacy of enriching those around him with his experience and wisdom, some of Stan's friends and colleagues have come together to offer passes to the Audio Track for the 2023 Game Developer's Conference.
WHO IS SPONSORING THE SCHOLARSHIP? A group of Stan's friends and colleagues on a variety of games have come together along with the generosity of Informa, GDC's parent organization, to sponsor five Audio Track passes to the 2023 Game Developers Conference. The composers will review all submissions and will choose the applicants that will receive the passes. Along with the conference pass, those chosen will receive a stipend for the duration of the conference.
Maclaine Diemer, composer for Guild Wars 2, Crucible, Salt & Sacrifice, and Firmament.
Jon Everist, composer for Overwatch 2, Solitaire Conspiracy and PUBG.
C. Paul Johnson, composer/audio director for the Halo and Destiny franchises, and ProbablyMonsters studios.
Marty O'Donnell, composer/audio director for the Halo franchise, Destiny, and Golem.
Michael Salvatori, composer for the Halo and Destiny franchises.
Austin Wintory, composer for Journey, The Banner Saga, The Pathless, Alien: Fireteam Elite, and more.
Dren McDonald, composer for interactive experiences, theme parks, film, TV and advertisements.
Dan Crislip, audio manager at ProbablyMonsters, SkewSound founder, sound designer for the Rock Band series.