Hello Melancholy Marionette,
Thank you for your extended comment. Your insights and feedback has been very helpful and motivating!
I've long wanted to write emotional, respectful and sincere stories featuring main characters with anxiety. I also have had anxiety and depression, and I am neurodivergent. I appreciate how important it is for diverse representation, and I hope that other folks can continue to feel confident representing characters who share our various experiences <3
I hope you can take a shot at this kind of thing if you'd like to in the future. From the very beginning, I tried to limit the characters and the setting to what I had available. Originally I had planned for five characters, including 'Birdman' played by my brother, which would have been about a character whose focus was about completing contracts and fulfilling responsibilities, and a tiger which I'd film at my local zoo, which would have been about making the most of limited time. I think one of the best things about a game jam, is that it does force you to limit yourself and the breadth of your ideas, to aim for a project that is possible to complete. The process of filming something, then editing the footage and ensuring it all works is very time consuming though, which makes it much more viable in a longer game jam like Spooktober.
Regarding lack of in-person contacts... I would consider contacting local amateur acting clubs or organisations, or general creative spaces if there are any nearby. If not... Why not a game that involves video calls between various characters? That way the world is your oyster! You could also consider using stock footage on websites such as Pixabay.
I'm delighted you liked the style and narrative of the footage. I'm certainly inspired to keep going with it in the future.
Once again, all the best,
Ocelot.
(Glad you liked the rap segment too, haha!)