Game Design Expo Set to Return for Second Year
Vancouver Film School Hosting Two Days of Speakers
Vancouver, BC - November 6, 2007 - Announcing the second annual Game Design Expo & Open House, featuring some of the leading minds in video game design and development, to be held in Vancouver, B.C. on January 19th and 20th, 2008, and hosted by Vancouver Film School (VFS), Canada's largest private post-secondary entertainment arts school.
Compared to last year's sold-out event, Game Design Expo 2008 event is bigger in every way, with two days of lectures and panels by the designers, producers, and CEOs behind some of the biggest games of yesterday and today. Speakers from top companies like Activision, BioWare, Eidos, EA, and Stormfront Studios are coming to present topics ranging from the Console Wars to Digital Acting & Interactive Narrative to Game Audio.
For those thinking about working in the game industry, the Game Design program at VFS will be holding a free day-long Open House event in conjunction with Game Design Expo 2008, with workshop classes and hands-on game demos.
Game Design Industry Expo VFS Game Design Open House
Saturday, January 19th, 9:00am - 7:30pm Sunday, January 20th, 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. Vancouver Film School, 390 West Hastings St.
Sunday, January 20th, 10:30am - 5:00pm
Vancouver Film School, 420 Homer St.
Last year's Game Design Expo & Open House was a phenomenal success, attracting over 500 game lovers who were treated to lectures by luminaries like Glenn Entis of Electronic Arts, and Eric Zimmerman of Gamelab. Game Design Expo 2008 features an expanded schedule, and speakers and panelists include:
Activision
Carl Schnurr
Senior Director - Game Design
Backbone Vancouver
Joe Bonar
Studio Head
BioWare Corp.
Kevin Barrett
Director of Design
Ken Thain
Cinematic Group Design Coordinator
Steve Sim
Senior Sound Designer
Mac Walters
Senior Writer
Crystal Dynamics/Eidos Interactive
Arnab Basu
Associate Producer
Jason Botta
Senior Designer
Riley Cooper
Senior Designer
EA
David McCarthy
Executive Producer - Fusion Business Unit
EA Blackbox
Charles Deenen
Senior Audio Director
Hothead Games
Vlad Ceraldi
Co-Founder
Joel DeYoung
Producer
Ron Gilbert
Design Consultant
Next Level Games
Douglas Tronsgard
CEO
Chad York
Audio Director
Propaganda Games
John Holmes
VP & Studio General Manager
Radical Entertainment
Kelly Zmak
President
Relic Entertainment
Tarrnie Williams
General Manager
Stormfront Studios
Don Daglow
President & CEO
Tickets to the Expo (on sale November 21st, 2007, prices in Canadian dollars) are $80 for both days, $50 for Saturday, and $35 for Sunday. Check www.gamedesignexpo.com for up-to-the-minute information, schedules, registration, and ticket sales.
More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks, including a special keynote presentation.
On Sunday, January 20th, Game Design at Vancouver Film School will host a free Open House event aimed at providing a unique look inside the intensive one-year program. Visitors will meet Head of Department Dave Warfield, see demonstrations of student games, and experience workshop classes on such topics as Game Art, Level Design, and Sound Design and Music for Games, taught by expert VFS instructors.
The Open House was booked to capacity last year, so those interested in attending are encouraged to register early. Registration and event information are available at gamedesignexpo.com.
Game Design Expo and its Event Partners G4TechTV, EA, CAEAA, Annex Pro, Crystal Dynamics, Radical Entertainment, Big Fish Games, Next Level Games, Metropolitan Hotel, and The Province are looking forward to another fantastic event.
- 30 -
Vancouver Film School, founded in 1987, offers a proven education for everything in the entertainment industry. With 14 production-oriented programs and a unique one-year educational model, VFS prepares students to join the creative economy. Under the guidance of industry professionals, students in the Game Design, Animation & Visual Effects, Digital Design, and Sound Design for Visual Media programs develop the knowledge, experience, and portfolios and reels that enable them to step right into the video game industry. www.vfs.com
Our professional faculty and event speakers are available for interviews upon request. For more information, please contact:
Sarah Richards
Public Relations Specialist
Vancouver Film School
+1 (604) 631.3562
sarah@vfs.com