Inaugural SCAD GamingFest Kickstarts in Atlanta
November 7, 2017

Inaugural SCAD GamingFest Kickstarts in Atlanta

Industry talent, artists, developers, and designers will gather in Atlanta for an immersion into the creative development and future of today's most popular games at the inaugural SCAD GamingFest, November 9-10, sponsored by Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). 

SCAD, home to the nation’s largest academic degree program for gaming development, is known for connecting students and professionals. In its very first year, the SCAD GamingFest has attracted experts from Cartoon Network, EA Sports, Google Daydream and more. The event, held at SCAD Atlanta, will feature panels, workshops, and presentations. It is an incredible opportunity for working professionals and the next generation of talent to get in on the ground floor of what promises to be a thought-provoking and inspiring event.

GamingFest, the latest professional enrichment opportunity through SCADFILM, highlights SCAD’s contribution to the 75-billion dollar gaming industry.  

Schedule highlights include:

The Art of Voiceover: Dave Fennoy and Brian Bremer, voice actors for the "The Walking Dead" game and the creative team behind the voices, will discuss how the best voice actors bring a game to life.

In The Huddle: An Evolution of Story in Madden NFL: Some of the creators behind the longest-running sports video game in history, “Madden NFL,” explore how story has advanced in EA SPORTS and how those advancements helped create Madden NFL's first ever story mode: "Longshot."

Google Daydream - AR Lessons Learned for Success: Luca Prasso, technical artist for Daydream Labs at Google, will share important findings to help developers find success as platforms continuously evolve.

Gaming in Atlanta: Top professionals from Nektr, at American Gaming Systems, and the Georgia Game Developers Association talk shop about the business and culture of producing hit games.

SCREENING: 'The Wizard': Enjoy this 1989 cult classic about two brothers who run away from home, meet a girl, and hitchhike across the country to compete in a video game tournament. A conversation on the film's cultural significance and renewed relevance in the world of gaming follows the film.

Another critical component of GamingFest includes a presentation of SCAD+, a groundbreaking university program designed to assist alumni in developing commercially viable digital products. Eight participants were selected from hundreds of applications by the SCAD+ advisory board, placed on teams, provided a living and work space, as well as access to technology and resources to develop their original product idea. The projects focus on gaming, virtual reality, augmented reality and mobile experiences and will be ready for presentation to potential investors at the end of the year. During GamingFest, the teams will provide insights to the SCAD+ program and the yearlong development process.

SCAD GamingFest is the latest professional engagement program through SCADFILM and highlights SCAD’s support of Atlanta’s growing gaming industry, which is now responsible for 3,200 jobs in Georgia.

SCAD launched SCADFILM in 2016 to help Atlanta’s entertainment professionals elevate their careers in filmmaking. Now it’s expanding to include all of entertainment arts, including gaming, animation, AR/VR, etc. Through access to industry leaders and luminaries, state-of-the-art resources, private screenings, and exclusive masterclasses, SCADFILM offers behind-the-scenes experiences and year-round programming for members and guests. 

The first event of its kind in Atlanta dedicated to the artistic development and design for games, the debut of GamingFest is the latest demonstration of SCAD’s leadership in the digital media education space. The Princeton Review and Animation Career Review have praised the SCAD undergraduate and graduate interactive design and game development programs. 

The nearly 5,500 SCAD alumni of gaming and related programs are already working for Electronic Arts, Blizzard Entertainment, Nintendo, and others, and many have already launched their own studios and titles, such as Tiny Monsters and Ker-Chunk Games. Additionally, two games that began as SCAD student projects are now on the market, including Hanako and Prisma, which won the E3 College Competition, one of the world's most prestigious gaming competitions. SCAD GamingFest is another example of the university’s prestigious leadership in the gaming industry.

A complete line-up of speakers, panelists and screenings is available at scad.edu/scadfilm/festivals/gamingfest2017. Tickets are still available, with prices starting at $20. Discounted tickets are available for students, military, and seniors. Or, follow along on the dialogue online using the hashtag #SCADGamingFest.