𝐁𝐃𝐏𝐀 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐬 was at its finest this past Saturday. A vibrant mix of creatives, seasoned professionals, students, and storytellers gathered not just to meet, but to motivate. Here are the topics of interest (for me):
One of the themes that stuck with me: 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬. The event began with a powerful dialogue around how we teach, mentor, and empower the next generation to move beyond being tech consumers and start using technology to be creatives.
✨ Then came the creative spark: Kathryn Hicks unveiled updates to Baron Von Opperbean and the River of Time (BVO), an upcoming Memphis attraction that’s rich with imagination and ambitious in scope. Learn more at https://www.bvoexp.com.
🎮 Bryce Sharp blew us away with a live demo of a game he's crafting. But what lingered wasn’t just the mechanics but how he wove the technical walk-through into a passionate narrative.
📚 Lauren Brown grounded us with vital knowledge on trademarks, copyright, and ownership. In a space full of creators, this conversation hit home.
Finally, one of the most thought-provoking moments: We asked, “𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦?” A sobering yet necessary conversation on how freelance and personal projects can be misused if not carefully scoped or safeguarded.
I wanted to save this last topic for last because it felt like the heart of the meetup. The room was full of creatives, especially indie animators, each bringing a unique lens to the conversation. Shout out to Naim Hakeem for leading the dialogue.
One thread really stood out: how a creator’s animation project can land differently depending on the audience. It sparked deeper conversations on 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 from hand-drawn techniques to specialized software tools.
There’s also a shifting reality: breaking into the animation industry has gotten harder, especially in the age of AI. COVID didn’t help. It disrupted the traditional pipelines and narrowed access to studio roles.
These days, many are finding that the most viable path forward starts with 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐩𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 as an independent artist.
This was a reminder of how rich the Memphis tech and creative community can be when we show up, share knowledge, and stretch each other’s perspectives.