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I was tasked with creating a video presentation analysing how a fictional character with a phycological condition is portrayed in media. We had to compare the depiction to the criteria set out by diagnostic information in the DSM-TR or the ICD-11.
I picked a game very close to my heart , Spirtfarer which is a game about how we deal with death and how we learn to move on. With a topic like this you may imagine a really dark depressing game but Spirtfarer takes this theme and makes it into a cosy , fun and emotional game. In the game I choose the character of Alice a elderly hedgehog who was diagnosed with dementia.
To present my project I wanted to showcase the game while creating a captivating and moving video. To accomplish this I leaned to use Canva video editor to make my project.
When I chose this topic I knew I wanted to tell a story as opposed to just presenting the facts. Inspired by the end credit of the game which has a memorial list of people who inspired the game. As a game about death including this list and reminding people the power of games to tell somonis story remained curial in my presentation. I didn't want to sensationalise Alice of present her as anything other than what she is. I wanted people to get to know her fall in love and see the consequences of dementia all withing seven minutes. I knew this would be challenging but I was up for it.
After I chose my game and Character I delved into research about dementia and its effects. I used to ICD-11 due to wider availability and its clearer description of dementia in clinical setting. As part of this project we were also tasked to look at the history of dementia and its progression in healthcare
Similarly when looking at dementia I knew this would be a sensitive topic so I aimed to not sensationalise the disorder or present anything that would trivialise the disorder, It had to be personal
The game I picked was Spirtfarer a game about death and loss but in a cosy emotional way. Spirtfarer was one of the first games that changed how I viewed video games I began to view them as art as a unique way of storytelling and a powerful example of what it means to be human. Alice is often brought up as one of most emotional and relatable parts of games. Many people find Alice and her story very poignant and praise the games accuracy in it portrayal.
When talking about dementia I wanted to have a clear and concise definition (the following is an example )
da group ofsymptoms affecting memory, thinking, and social abilities, severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause, but various diseases can lead to dementia.
Common symptoms include memory loss, communication difficulties, confusion, impaired judgment, and personality changes.
I wanted my presentation to be something more than just a simple presentation. However I didn't know who to make videos as such I decided I would learn for this. I used Canva video to accomplish this by adding the raw gameplay into the background with scenes to illustrate my points. In the foreground I had slides and descriptions pop up to help show the important facts and features. This also allowed me to add music from the game to the video adding to the ambiance of video and allowing the to really understand the game.
Developing the script was an important step in bringing this project to life. As stated I wanted to create a compelling narrative so the script played an important role. I decided to present in a timeline of Alices life so in the beginning I only talk about the initial features but as we go on the dementia advances till the end where she unfortunately passes.
This project has given me a deeper understanding of dementia and its cause ,symptoms , and course features. Having learned this I can now will be able to bring my knowledge into my professional work such as designs, websites , and coaching. On a personal note learning about dementia has been really fascinating asnI think its often an unspoken disorder, something that is commonly just seen as part of old age.
Throughout this project I have learned a lot about making this presentation
Overall this project has given me many new skills and shows my ability to covey a story effectively.
Overall this project went quite well. I faced very little challenges in creating this project the main challenge was leaning how to use Canva video and balancing my goals of creating an informative , sensitive and emotional presentation.