SXU Students Attend Game Design Conference
Saint Xavier University (SXU) art and design students and faculty recently traveled to Orlando for the Unreal Fest Game Design Conference. They joined game developers, filmmakers, artists, and architects to learn about insights and trends, real-time technologies, dynamic tools, and more.
Hands-on labs, presentations, and discussions included tutorials, coding, program updates, and pipeline information, and sessions explored animators, creating shorts and cinematics, artist profiling, and more.
SXU art and design professor Jen Fuller has been exploring different software programs in her classes, including the game engine Unreal, which is free to use and offers substantial assistance and tutorials. Fuller finds the software inspiring and exciting and was thrilled to bring seven students to the conference.
"Being fully immersed in the technology and surrounded by like-minded people was really inspiring for the students. They were able to think of their futures in this industry and make connections. It is one thing to be in class and hear about a program but another to be surrounded by leading experts and the people who are working on the software. The conference was hands-on and motivating, and attendees got to be active participants," said Fuller.
Fuller found that the conference's focus was on making attendees better.
"Unreal Fest is unlike any other conference. I've never been in an environment where everything is so open. It pushes everyone to try to expand what the program can do and report back to share the news. Seeing the vastness that Unreal can help achieve is very inspiring and makes all who attend want to jump right in," said Fuller.
Aylin Flores, a graphic design student, was thrilled to attend the conference.
"As someone passionate about video production and filmmaking, I was fascinated by how the design elements in game development overlap with cinematic storytelling. This was my first industry conference, and I saw it as a perfect opportunity to expand my understanding of the cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of design," said Flores.
Flores learned firsthand how versatile Unreal Engine technology is and saw how it is used across different industries. Flores also had the opportunity to hear directly from professionals in the field.
"Feeling the energy of a visionary community helped me envision the type of work I want to pursue. Conferences like Unreal Fest offer a look into the future of design and expose you to creators and perspectives you wouldn't encounter in a traditional classroom. It's the kind of experience that welcomes original creations and opens your mind to greater possibilities, and I am excited to see how interactive design can advance storytelling and visual communication," said Flores.
Troy Dorian, another graphic design student, has always been passionate about video games and the digital 3D spaces that can be created within them.
"While learning and exploring at SXU, I found myself starting to really enjoy animation. Attending the conference and learning about the workflows involved in a project was really cool because it's similar to my current approach, showing that what we learn here at SXU is very valuable. I learned so much about the incredible possibilities and the direction 3D is heading, both in game design and cinematic production, and I couldn't be more excited," said Dorian.
Dorian believes that high-impact opportunities like these greatly enhance students' professional growth.
"It's a huge part of success, especially in the digital field, where connections and networking play a major role in what we do. From learning from professionals to connecting and interacting with the best in the industry, it was a great experience. I have a goal to further my career in the advertising field and look forward to creating digital motion graphics for advertising purposes," said Dorian.
Fuller hopes to bring game design and motion graphics students to a conference each year. As the program continues to grow, faculty are eager to expose students to more inspiring and hands-on learning opportunities.