One of the greatest advantages that studying at London College of Communication (LCC) offers is the ability to collaborate with students from aligned disciplines - who have the skills to make an idea become a reality.
And teaming up like this can lead to great success - as proved when students from both LCC’s BA (Hons) Immersive Media and Mixed Reality and MA Virtual Reality (VR) courses had their games concepts turned into fully fledged experiences by BA (Hons) Sound Arts students.
2 of the resulting games were chosen as finalists for the 2023 Rookie Awards, which are open to young creatives in visual effects, animation, games, virtual reality (VR), motion graphics and 3D visualisation.
Hypnagogia, by Margarida Lira Gomes De Almeida Belo and Jason Cui - a first-person VR horror game - was the runner-up for Rookie of the Year, and was also selected for Game of the Year (Immersive Media).
Also selected for Game of the Year was Whimsey Attic - a surreal game based in the eponymous room where each object the player interacts with unfolds into a strange dreamscape. The team behind Whimsey Attic was led by Ronger (Rosaire) Huang and Clara Childerley Garcia.
Meanwhile, LCC MA Virtual Reality graduate Callum Thorndyke won Career Opportunity for realworld one with his project, Inside a Looking Glass - a cooperative science-fiction VR set in a parallel world where each player has to portray a mirrored version of one another.
We spoke to both Margarida and Callum about their work, their collaborations, and what their selection at the Rookies meant to them…
Margarida: My creative practice is quite eclectic and versatile. I don't limit myself to specific themes, methods, or technologies; instead, I embrace a wide range of possibilities, and enjoy exploring new avenues in my work. I’m innately curious - I want to constantly challenge myself and learn.
Callum: I think that stories are so important. I always make this the main focus of any of my creative practice.
I have always been fascinated with how people interact with technology and our relationships with digital media, and that's why I like to experiment with new equipment and tech - which is what originally drew me to virtual reality.
While I think that single player experiences are great in their own way, playing or experiencing a story with someone else in a virtual space has so much potential for immersion. It’s this sharing of a fictional world with others that is the focus I want to put on my career.
Margarida: After learning about VR technology and its potential, I became fascinated with it.
The more I delved into the subject, the more I realised the incredible possibilities it offers for creating immersive experiences and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in various fields - from gaming and entertainment to education and healthcare.
This fascination, and the belief in the transformative power of VR, ultimately led me to choosing to study it at LCC.
Callum: While I was studying my undergraduate degree in Interactive Design at the University of Lincoln, I was first introduced to virtual and augmented reality - and from then on, I knew that it was something I wanted to keep trying.
After finishing my BA, I then found out about the MA Virtual Reality course at UAL and instantly wanted to apply. After some time spent developing my portfolio and my own creative practice, I was lucky enough to be accepted onto the course in 2021.
Margarida: The genesis of Hypnagogia stemmed from our deep admiration for escape rooms - and an admittedly mischievous desire to witness our peers in absolute terror.
Moreover, we recognised the potential for creating an impactful experience by tapping into one of the most fundamental and primal emotions within human nature: fear.
We decided to create a somewhat psychological experience - one that uses some of the most common phobias, and adapts them with escape room-like levels that the player has to beat in order to overcome their worst nightmares.
It, Slenderman and Richie’s Plank Experience were some of the works that we used as reference to design Hypnagogia’s overall flow and gameplay.
Callum: When I was first using virtual reality headsets, I wanted there to be more story-driven experiences that could be shared with others.
Around this time, cooperative-only games such as A Way Out, where you had to play together to progress through a story, were becoming more popular. I wanted to replicate this type of experience within the virtual reality space.
Inside a Looking Glass ended up being a culmination of my own interests and ideas I had for multiple projects such as science fiction multiverse stories, cooperative puzzle games and much more - which initially felt like it would be too much. However, I wanted my final project to be my most ambitious project so I thought: 'why not combine them all?'
Margarida: My role was to lead the team, build and develop the virtual environments, and put everything together.
I was also responsible for incorporating and producing sound in the experience and overseeing the project, as well as writing the game scripts and video editing.
Callum: Inside a Looking Glass was built and designed entirely by myself - from writing and designing to programming and building the final product.
I created the entirety of the project in approximately 5 months, alongside my Masters thesis.
Margarida: It was such an honour to see my work recognised by industry experts and to get feedback that comes from outside the educational scope.
Furthermore, it reassured me that the creative path I have followed up until now has been productive, and that my work has evolved greatly since I first started.
Callum: I felt really honoured and thankful to be even included in the list of finalists, especially when looking at the amazing projects and designers that had also entered.
I was then more amazed to have actually won 1 of the career opportunities with realworld one, where I had the chance to have an interview with their Virtual Reality Developers – it was so interesting and insightful to talk to individuals in the industry.
Margarida: Embrace risk-taking. In the realm of VR, a novel and ever-evolving industry, there's constant room for improvement.
One notable aspect yet to be fully developed is the establishment of technical and moral standards. The freedom to innovate is both a privilege and a profound responsibility.
However, by demonstrating our commitment to this task, we hope to inspire others to join us on this transformative journey. If we can do it, so can you.
Callum: I think that the biggest tip I can give is to not be afraid to experiment and try out all your ideas, no matter how strange or crazy they seem.
Don't be afraid if those ideas don't turn out how you wanted them to. Virtual and Immersive Reality is still so new as a technology, and we don’t fully know what can be achieved - or even what should or shouldn't be done.
So, now is the time to push our imaginations and create new immersive experiences.
Launching on Wednesday 15 November, our Postgraduate Shows 2023 provide a window into intense periods of learning and experimentation.
Producer Tyla Sharp discusses developing a film during Covid restrictions, the importance of gaining live experience, and balancing a focus on logistics with creative vision.
BAFTA-winning documentary-makers Leo Burley and Rosie Alison have been sharing their knowledge with MA Television students at LCC.
Simon Chinn shares his lessons from a life producing some of the most important documentaries in modern British film.