6/2/2018 0 Comments RTX Sydney 2018On the 3rd and 4th of February, I found myself at RTX Sydney 2018. I always planned on going since I experienced it last year on a weekend pass. When the tickets were first launched I bought them. Then, a couple of weeks before the convention was on there was a second round of tickets made available to be a VIP… and I had was lucky enough to get one. So, I had this awesome opportunity to be a VIP. Yes, it was expensive but it was 100% worth it. I got to see so much, and with that I learnt so much. I was surrounded by people who loved the same stuff I did and aspired for similar futures. There were magnificent cosplays and huge smiles everywhere I looked. To see so many people gathering for an online company built on the hard work of people who wanted to make people laugh really hit a chord with me. It highlighted the passion to do what I loved and how hard work could translate into such happiness. But what was it that I did? Well, why don’t I tell you more. I flew over to Sydney on Friday morning with my boyfriend, Peter. Before long we were at our hotel, which was only a five-minute walk from the convention centre. I could go over what happened on Friday but that’s not why you’re here (for those interested, it involved a lot of walking and celebrating Peter’s auntie’s birthday). It all kicked off on the 3rd, the Saturday when the convention started. We arrived around 9 o’clock and registered ourselves as VIPs. Then, once the convention was open at 10, it was time for my first autograph and photo session. At 10:30 I met Burnie and Gus, two of the ‘founding fathers’ of Rooster Teeth. I remember watching their content from the beginning and meeting them in person was amazing. They were so lovely and were the first to sign a page dedicated for autographs in my notebook for this year. Being a VIP meant I got priority access to those signings, so I wasn’t there for very long. It also meant I had access to the lounge, which had two TVs showing what was going on as well as some drinks. There was also a VIP theatre that would present special panels, so it was pretty cool to have that access. There was also the possibility of bumping into the cast and crew while in there, which did happen to me and resulted in me meeting the awesome Jon Risinger, Steven Suptic, Autumn Farrell and James DeAngelis. Again, absolutely lovely people but I quickly lost my ability to speak coherently since it was not at all planned! Then, it was signing session #2 time with the beautiful Barbara Dunkelman and Lindsay Jones. These two lovely ladies are absolutely amazing and have always inspired me. Their can-do attitude, ability to make me laugh and the positivity they exude blows me away. What made it even more special was Lindsay recognising me from the year before. Yes, I freaked out a little but goodness they were awesome. Next came a proper exploration of the surroundings (and possibly a lot of shopping!). It was awesome to see the different booths and what was available. This eventuated with me buying a whole bunch of new shirts, a dress and some socks, all of which I’ll show off in the near future. The time went by so fast that soon I was meeting Beth Feinstein and Geoff Ramsey. Beth is another fantastic and inspirational woman like Barb and Lindsay, so being in her beautiful presence had me in awe. On the other side, Geoff is another ‘founding father’ who I wanted to see last year but didn’t have the time. He created the ‘Achievement Hunter’ channel, which I watch quite religiously. I could go on for a long time about why he’s one of my favourites but this would end up being a very long blog post. One attribute of his is that he loves reading and is very well read. So, through the anxiousness I was feeling about meeting such an amazing person, I was able to ask him what book he would recommend me reading for the website. Again, Beth and Geoff were absolutely amazing and so lovely to have a small chat to. After a nibble on some food, I had the opportunity to watch some of the Rooster Teeth podcast and the Always Open podcast. Both were funny and interesting to listen to. However, it was the activities later that were a lot of fun. This was the VIP night. Free drinks, food and the possibility to meet some more of the cast and crew, what more could you ask for? Well, include an ‘On The Spot’ after dark edition and ‘Theatre Mode’ and you have yourself a fantastic night. Sunday was just as packed and a little bit more money was spent. First thing on the agenda saw me watch ‘VR the Champions’ with Ryan Haywood and Jeremy Dooley. I have never experienced VR first hand but it is amazing to see how far technology has come. Straight after had me meet Ryan and Jeremy for my last signing, both of them finishing off my autograph page. Again, absolutely stoked to meet those two guys. Their humour never fails to make me laugh even on the hardest of days, and I always enjoy catching their Twitch streams whenever I can watch them. Then, in the VIP theatre was a special panel for what was called ‘Creating Content 101’. This was by far one of the most informative and interesting panels I was able to sit in. I did have a few questions I wanted to ask but decided not to at the time. Hearing Geoff, Adam Kovic, Bruce Green and Steven Suptic talk about the decisions they make regarding their content and the reality behind making so much content really put everything regarding this website and its future into perspective for me. It was inspiring and I’ll be keeping what they said in mind for the rest of the time I work on this website. After some more exploration and food came the last panel I was to watch… Off Topic. Hosted by the Achievement Hunter crew, it’s a podcast I listen to a lot. Informative, funny and boisterous, it’s a podcast that always brings up my mood whenever I feel down. Achievement Hunter has always been one of my favourite channels and I have watched pretty much all of their content since I was eleven years old. I had always played video games when I was growing up but it wasn’t until the Achievement Hunter videos that I started playing Xbox and hunted down achievements. Seeing Off Topic live was a dream come true. And that was it! This weekend was one of the best ones I had experienced and I cannot wait until next year! I’d absolutely love to go over to Austin or London and check out their events over there, but I might wait till I can afford and make time for it. All I can say is that if you have the opportunity to see the people who inspire or motivate you, you should definitely do it because that experience is absolutely amazing. I could start going on about how this company has changed my life, but that’s for another post to look out for! After this awesome weekend, I have a much better idea of the direction for this website. I have loved all the support I have received so far and I hope I can show you just how grateful I am for it by providing interesting content in the future.
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AuthorCharlotte is a reading and writing lover who has completed a creative writing intensive course at the University of Oxford and is a current university student studying a double degree in journalism and creative writing. If you are curious to learn more, check out the 'About' page. Archives
January 2019
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