UNIT IMAGE’s Post

Happy Sunday all! Today I'm going to give my take on Queer representation in gaming, and how we as a community can do better. As someone who is actively seeking to develop titles featuring a very diverse set of characters, during my research I've found it quite alarming when and how LGBTQ+ characters have been featured in media. Growing up, the stories which included these characters were few and far between. In fact, when it DID offer you, the player the option to engage with any form of queerness in the form of a "canon" relationship, the game simultaneously punished you for having done so. I'm looking at you, Fire Emblem: Fates. 😓 Not to mention, in the area of one of my most favorite genres, Otome games. The games which I grew up and now currently play, Mystic Messenger, Ensemble Stars!! Music, a lot of them never gave me the option to choose my gender outside of the assumed 'Female'. Which while I myself am comfortable being called as such, I knew plenty of other They/Them and He/Him individuals who were not. Now I love these games to death, and while they were a core part of me becoming who I am as a person, I'd definitely as someone looking to create the next generation of 'life defining' games would just like to encourage my other fellow Game Devs to think about these things while crafting their own visions. While a fictional character referring to someone as their preferred Pronouns may not be a big thing to many, to someone out there, I know it'd definitely mean a lot when it comes to picturing themselves as part of the awesome world which you're looking to craft. That's it! That's the post! #gameindustry #gamedev #lgbtqcommunity #opentonetwork #genderdiversity

 LGBTQ+ Film School Scholarship Scholarship Name: William Drown LGBTQ+ Film School Scholarship Purpose: To provide financial assistance and promote inclusivity in the film industry by supporting LGBTQ+ students who aspire to attend film school.Eligibility Criteria:Applicants must identify as LGBTQ+.Must be enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited film school or film-related program.Passion for storytelling through film.Scholarship Amount: $10,000 (or an amount that aligns with available funding).Application Process:Applicants submit a short film (5-10 minutes) that reflects their unique perspective and LGBTQ+ identity.The film can be a narrative, documentary, animation, or experimental work.A panel of industry professionals and LGBTQ+ advocates will review the submissions.Selection Criteria:Creativity and originality.Artistic expression of LGBTQ+ experiences.Technical proficiency.Impact of the film on viewers.Deadline: Sept 15, 2024.Award Announcement:Winners will be notified via email.The winning film(s) will be showcased at an LGBTQ+ film festival or related event.

After 9 months of development, Team Charlotte has just submitted The Charlotte Crisis: a narrative Role-Playing Game submitted for our Practice-Based Honours Thesis. If you're interested in storygames and LGBTQ+ issues, The Charlotte Crisis is for you. #gamedevelopment is never an easy process, and The Charlotte Crisis was only possible with all the help from my supervisor and teammates. Kai En Tan - thank you for agreeing to supervise our project, despite our ambitious goal of bringing interactive storytelling, queer studies and game design together in one package. We're really grateful not just for all the insightful feedback for our development milestones, but also in encouraging us every step of the way. Nicole Shiu - thank you for believing in The Charlotte Crisis even from its earliest stages, when we weren't entirely confident in our abilities. As both writer and artist, you've done exceedingly well: from writing 6 whole stages to creating all the art assets needed, you've truly left your own aesthetic mark on the final product. Zhan Hong C. - thank you for applying your coding/UI knowledge skillfully and efficiently to set up all the technical requirements for our game. Using Yarn was new for me, and I'm extremely thankful for all your guidance as we spotted bug after bug, especially through late nights as we were putting everything together. Finally, I guess this is my coming out post on LinkedIn: for those not in the know, I am #genderqueer or #genderfluid, swapping between my "default" male identity and a feminine alter ego called Charlotte through crossdressing. Thus, making The Charlotte Crisis was my way of reflecting my experiences as a crossdresser, reflecting acceptance and discrimination alike. Looking back, I have to thank NUS Communications and New Media for being a safe space, allowing me to be the most authentic version of Jia Yu/Charlotte that I can be. Thank you once again, Team Charlotte. It's been a blast. #lgbtq #gamedesign #gameart #gameprogramming #interactivestorytelling

🌟 **Exciting Visual Storytelling Workshop Unveiled! 🎨📖** Recently, our co-faculty, Mr. Vishnunarayanan . , conducted an enriching Visual Storytelling workshop as part of our Understanding Visual Research module for BA students. It was an immersive journey into the world of capturing emotions, fears, and situations through art. In teams, our students embarked on a mission to explore prevailing social issues around us. From LGBTQ+ rights to employee depression, drug addiction, and more, they delved deep, gathering insights from victims, doctors, employees, and individuals connected to these issues. Through the workshop, they learned the art of translating private stories into visual narratives while protecting the identities of the victims. They mastered the craft of designing frames, transforming sentences into vivid scenes, and illustrating emotions with empathy and precision. The experience was both emotional and creative, as students poured their hearts into recreating the scenes on paper. Sharing their work with each other, they felt the raw pain of the victims and were deeply moved by the power of storytelling. It's crucial that we continue to shine a light on these hidden narratives. By sharing our own stories on paper, we not only raise awareness about prevalent issues but also inspire others to open up and share their experiences. Let's keep the dialogue alive and foster a community where every voice is heard and every story is valued. Together, we can create a world where empathy and understanding prevail. #VisualStorytelling #Empathy #CommunityDialogue 🌟🎨 Liverpool John Moores University Jain (Deemed-to-be University) ISCA - International School of Creative Arts Alagappan Kulandaivelu Varunan Balasubramaniam

How does VR/Spatial Computing affect learning and empathy? It turns out quite a bit. The LGBTQ+ VR Museum has been featured in an article on LGBTQ Nation, which discusses how virtual reality really is better at changing hearts and minds. We firmly believe in the power of VR to drive empathy and promote positive social change.Research from PLOS ONE supports our belief, revealing that immersive VR experiences lead to heightened empathy and decreased fear towards others. Frontiers research echoes this sentiment, demonstrating that VR elicits greater emotional arousal and empathy compared to conventional methods. And according to PwC, VR learners not only forge stronger emotional connections with the content but also undergo transformative wake-up-call moments that foster inclusivity. At the LGBTQ+ VR Museum, we're not just preserving history; we're shaping the future. #VR #XR #techforgood #spatialcomputing #LGBTQVRMuseum #LGBTQ #lgbtqcommunity

BLACK, QUEER & DONE Our first film review... and it's more than we could have hoped for! Huge thanks to the team at The Monthly Film Festival for this brilliant review of Black, Queer & Done. Not gonna lie... I cried a few happy tears as I read through the review. Humbled and super proud of my crew, cast and of myself. Here's an excerpt of the review below; you can read the full, fabulous review here: https://lnkd.in/ehY4CmM5 "Daley’s direction is splendid as she manages to cut through the noise to create and represent a singular vision. Documentary features are tricky this way but what Daley has managed to accomplish is extraordinary. The film represents a microcosm of multiple viewpoints, some in agreement and others not so much, that succeeds in getting to the heart of the issue at hand. From a technical viewpoint, the film is a homerun. "Editing dozens of different viewpoints in a 90 minute long feature was always going to be a challenge but the team behind the project manages to do so splendidly. Equally impressive are the cinematic choices related to colour and shade. From an audiovisual perspective, the feature manages to impress. The narrative pacing is on point, keeping audience interest focused on the issue at hand.   Nyasha Daley’s debut film manages to impress in more ways than one. This is a thoughtful and inspiring feature, one that cements Daley’s rise as a tour de force in filmmaking. "The film is a great stepping stone for Black artists to get more recognition and opportunities in a world that is increasingly marginalised. Judging by this feature, Daley has a lot to share with the world. We hope that she is just getting started and we can’t wait to see what she manages to accomplish next." We really want to share this work as far and wide as possible; if you're interested in screening Black, Queer & Done in your theatre, arts centre, cinema or community centre - hit me up and let's talk commission! Black, Queer & Done trailer: https://lnkd.in/exMizvZ9 #film #filmmaker #filmfestival #blackfilmmaker #blacknarrative #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqinclusion #melanated #melanatedfilmmaker

Mixed Reality and Spatial Computing are only as powerful as the stories we tell with them. That's why we built the LGBTQ+ VR Museum - to preserve and celebrate incredible stories like this one, which would otherwise be lost. 🌈 Object Spotlight: Noah's Urn In this post, we wanted to show you one item in our virtual museum's collection:- a funerary urn submitted by Noah. This urn holds not the ashes of a person, but of clothes. Noah's journey to self-acceptance culminated in a powerful performance ritual, where they burned their old clothes. This transitional ritual allowed Noah to reclaim control and assert ownership over their own gender. The urn and ashes serve as a reminder of the courage it takes to embrace one's true self. We are proud to feature and celebrate Noah's story and the resilience of all who dare to live authentically. In the VR museum, using handtracking, users can explore objects such as this one, and connect with emotive stories from the queer community. Together, we create a world where everyone can proudly be their true selves. #XR #VR #SpatialComputing #HandTracking #LGBTQ #Pride #Inclusion

I need to vent about something that has been bothering me today. As you may know, the Oscars 2024 were aired on TV last night, and I researched the representation of people with disabilities in the awards ceremony (when I say research, I mean I went down a rabbit hole!). Firstly, I want to acknowledge the positive strides that have been made regarding accessibility at the Oscars. This year, there were confidential accessibility requests for all nominees and guests, captioning, audio description, in-theatre assisted listening devices, accessible seating and parking, and a suite of ASL interpretation services, which is fantastic. However, I found no mention of representation of people with disabilities in any of the media coverage or statistics related to the Oscars. Despite the guidelines in place to prevent such omissions, it seems that people with disabilities are once again being left out. I was disappointed to see that articles and information related to diversity at the Oscars highlighted progress made in the representation of BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ people but failed to mention people with disabilities. I understand that not everyone at the Oscars may have been non-disabled. Still, there needs to be more open conversation and representation of people with disabilities in the media because, from the outside looking in, it seems like there were no people with disabilities involved in the nominations. It is frustrating to see that this group is not being given the same opportunities as other minority groups. I recognise that change needs to happen at a systemic level, and it is not just the Academy's responsibility to address this issue. Nonetheless, I hope that more attention is given to the representation of people with disabilities in the future. #oscars2024 #academyawards #disability #diversity #inclusion #DEI #represention #disabledperson photo credit the amazing Vicki Head

That is an actor acting, a producer producing and a writer... looking at himself, unsurprisingly. The backdrop might not look it, but Monday just gone was the most magical of days for FireKeg Productions as it was our first workshop for 'Shock'! What a magical day it was. Magical is the only word that summarises having such a creative cohort come together to expand the play from the page into a real-life physical presence. You can see this on the photos, even if you can't feel the buzz. The room was abuzz, too. Creative energy is always recognisable as its own entity, but especially when artists from all over the South-West attend the readthrough of a new play because they are inspired by and enthusiastic for it. For myself, as the writer, it was a particularly emotional experience. Having such a talented group explore the possibilities of the characters in 'Shock' was priceless. A writer's dream. I, of all people, knew what was going to happen in the story, but because of how everyone breathed life into the play, even I was on the edge of my seat at times, moved at others. Seeing such local artistry only reminded me of the theatrical, creative community we have here in the South-West. And that is just one ethos of FireKeg's: to encourage and expand the potential we have in this region, as well as the stories. We might be starting in Bristol, Swindon, Bath and the larger towns, but we're coming to every corner. We all have stories and the creativity in which to tell them. We should all be able to access and explore this. Therein lies the magic 🎭🔥💫. . . . . #workshop #SouthWest #storytelling #theatre #play #stageplay #actor #theater #art #acting #LGBTQ🌈 #gay #equality #equity #inclusivity #accessibility #stage #nothingaboutuswithoutus

Are you tired of the same old #SocialSunday? If that's the case, STOP SCROLLING 🤨 With how popular these engagement posts have become, it seems just about everyone and everyone is looking to host. Well...NOT ME!!! 😉 Instead, I want to REDEFINE Social Sunday by making a spot for those #OpenToNetwork to show off a friend they know and why they'd be or are perfect for a job in Games. Studies show that a #Referral can lead to an over 50% chance of being interviewed when applying for jobs. If you don't have someone who's willing to vouch for you... IT'S TIME TO CHANGE THAT!!! 👋😆 I'll go first! Today, I'm going to call out my wizarding friend Ulises Rubino (Yes, I'm doing this) Ulises, otherwise known as the AWESOME Chief Wizard of Marketing is a force to be reckoned with. Not only does he manage all of the Indie Game Academy's socials, he's also someone who rather than wear traditional wizard garbs, dawns a blanket Instead. 😎 The reason I'm referring Ulises today is because unlike his wizarding counterpart (Hi Willem Delventhal), I have YET TO SEE ULISES POST ABOUT ALL HIS AWESOME WIZARDING ADVENTURES!!! 🤨😶🌫️ I'm sure we all can relate somewhat to this. 😂 So...Do you have anyone you're looking to call out? Let me see. 😈 #GameIndustry #GameDev #IndieDev #IndieRevolution #Community #Networking #Connections #ProjectManager #LGBTQ+