"Pristranskost se lahko prikrade v vsak del procesa uvajanja POC v industrijo"

Desetletja, ne glede na industrijo, so temnopolti ljudje trpeli zaradi pomanjkanja priložnosti in pomanjkanja spoštovanja, zaradi česar so v svoji karieri ostali na drugem mestu.

Industrija iger ni nič drugačna in tukaj na PocketGamer.biz smo želeli prispevati svoj del in pomagati opozoriti na številne neverjetne temnopolte ljudi, ki sestavljajo ta sektor.

Zato se zavezujemo k novi dolgoročni redni funkciji, s katero bomo izpostavili te ljudi in njihove kariere.

So, welcome to our ‘POC v mobilnem telefonu‘ series, where discussion about finding a place in the games industry, the various challenges faced as a minority, and what truly needs to be done to make games more diverse will be the focal points of conversations.

Ta teden smo se pogovarjali z Zynga pridruženi umetniški direktor Lauren Brown o boju proti sindromu prevaranta, o tem, kako obravnavati naravne pristranskosti pri zaposlovanju in zakaj lahko ustvarjanje prijetnega in prijaznega okolja bistveno vpliva na dolgo življenjsko dobo zaposlenih.

PocketGamer.biz: Ali nam lahko začnete s tem, da nam poveste o svoji vlogi v igrah in kaj to vključuje?

Lauren Brown: I am currently acting as an associate art director: I am in charge of reviewing the team’s artwork and ensuring that the work going into the game works with maintaining the visual look and feel of the game while being accessible and enjoyable for players.

I am also a manager, so I am in charge of my team’s career success and guiding them on the right path for what their goals are.

Zakaj ste želeli delati v industriji iger?

I’ve been playing games ever since I was about six years old, to the point where I would design my own player’s guides and characters/levels/stories, etcetera.

I have always loved games but didn’t actually consider it as a viable career option until after I graduated from college and worked in the animation industry.

Spoznal sem, da je industrija iger omogočila več učenja in razširitev moje kariere in znanja, priložnost, da ustvarim in vplivam na to, kar lahko igralci izkusijo v igri, pa je bila preveč mamljiva, da bi jo zamudil.

Kako bi ljudem priporočili, da začnejo igrati igre? Bi svetovali kakšno orodje ali literaturo?

Priporočam, da se naučite čim več o tem, kaj gre v razvoj igre; sledite razvijalcem iger, ki delajo, kar želite.

Eksperimentirajte z delom v Unreal ali Unity ali primerljivem igralnem mehanizmu. Za lažji začetek je na spletu na voljo več virov, popolnoma brezplačnih.

Priporočam tudi, da se pridružite ekipi game jam. Sodelovanje ter neuspeh in uspeh pri ustvarjanju igre v ekipi je najboljši način za ponovitev dejanske izkušnje, kako izgleda delo v igrah.

If you’re an artist, I would also recommend looking at professional portfolios of a similar role to what you aspire to as well as how it’s presented. Look at the quality, polish and subject matter represented and aim for that level of polish in your own portfolio. Don’t copy, but use it as a springboard for inspiration.

Kaj ste študirali (če sploh) za svojo vlogo? Ali obstajajo kakšni tečaji, ki bi jih svetovali ambicioznim strokovnjakom?

V šolo sem hodil za ilustracijo, vendar nisem posebej študiral oblikovanja iger. Ko sem se prijavljal za službo v industriji, sem raziskoval Agile, Scrum, industrijske standardne motorje iger, cevovod in še več. Želel sem biti kar se da pripravljen na to, vendar sem se največ naučil, ko sem bil dejansko v službi.

Ker sem se posebej prijavljal za umetniško vlogo, sem svoje glavne umetniške veščine lahko uporabil precej ena proti ena. tako da je bilo vse drugo, kar sem se naučil, plus.

Kaj menite, da bi bilo treba storiti za izboljšanje raznolikosti, ne le v industriji iger, ampak v vseh panogah?

Mislim, da je mogoče narediti več stvari na različnih ravneh. Mnogi ljudje mislijo, da morajo počakati, da ljudje, ki jih prizadene pomanjkanje raznolikosti, nekaj storijo, preden se lahko zgodi sprememba, a če se bo karkoli spremenilo, nujno potrebujemo pomoč in ukrepanje naših zaveznikov, da bomo sodelovali in naredili to spremembo.

Don’t depend on the affected to take on the emotional burden of figuring out solutions to every problem. Diversify where you look to hire. Make sure that when you get underrepresented employees in, that you’re actually welcoming them into a truly inclusive and equitable environment. Many people churn out of the industry after a few years because of how unfriendly the environment can be.

Reach out, support marginalised communities and be consistent about it. The work is constant and never-ending, so share the burden to make the change actually happen. Only seeing marginalised groups when they’re actively in pain and then forgetting about them is performative at best. Make your support a part of your daily language.

Kateri so največji izzivi, s katerimi ste se srečali, odkar ste se pridružili industriji?

It was the feeling early on of fighting against impostor syndrome: the feeling that I didn’t deserve what I received. Lately, it has gotten a lot better as I have gained more experience and spoken from more of a place of knowledge, but at first, it can be difficult speaking up and feeling confident in a space full of people who don’t look like you.

As those people become more familiar with you and respect you, it becomes easier each day. Your manager makes a ton of difference in your experience as well and if you get stuck with a bad one, it’s not easy to build confidence or your career. Try not to let the toxic mindset that you’re not good enough stop you from getting out of that situation – even if it’s being perpetrated by people who don’t support you. There are people out there who will uplift you. The sooner you can find them, the better it will be on your mental health.

Kaj menite, da je mogoče storiti, da bi spodbudili več temnopoltih, da se vključijo v igre?

Mislim, da je veliko breme na ljudeh, ki so že v sobi, in tudi na igrah, ki jih izdelujemo. Bolj ko se barvni ljudje vidijo kot zastopani, bolj ponotranjimo, da morda obstaja prostor za nas v industriji.

Access can also be a huge issue, so awareness around the resources that are free or cheap need to become more widely available to many communities. Games need to be a more viable and welcoming career option to POC and currently, there is so much toxicity from the community around gender, disabilities, race, LGBTQ+, etcetera. that it becomes all too easy to discount that it as a healthy path for anyone who isn’t white and male.

Ali bi morali zaposlovalci kaj narediti drugače, da bi odpravili pomanjkanje raznolikosti ne le v razvoju iger, ampak v vseh panogah?

Blind resume reviews can be one option. Bias has a way of creeping into every part of the process of getting POC into the industry and we have to try to eliminate all the areas where there’s a chance for it. Look at the demographics of the colleges that are being sourced. If it’s looking homogenous, then it might be time to start looking at different sources.

Poskrbite, da bodo paneli za intervjuje raznoliki; Preveč sem jih videl, ki so sestavljeni samo iz belcev. Kot vedno, bodite dosledni pri svojih prizadevanjih, da pridobite barvne talente. Na Twitterju so celo hashtagi, ki talentom omogočajo, da se pokažejo: #drawingwhileblack #IamPOCinPlay in #WomenInGaming sta le nekaj načinov, kako videti širši nabor zaposlovanja.

Ker ima industrija vedno več koristi od zmožnosti ustvarjanja iger na daljavo, smo manj omejeni na okolje, v katerem se ti studii nahajajo. To je odlična priložnost za pridobivanje raznolikih talentov z različnih lokacij.

Od porasta kampanje #BlackLivesMatters, ki se je zgodila lani, kakšne spremembe (če sploh) ste opazili v celotni panogi za reševanje tega vprašanja?

I’ve seen more efforts being made to donate and to hire, but again, a lot of these measures have been a one-and-done deal. I have heard many stories of companies not following up on their list of potential hirees and not continuing the efforts they promised to commit to.

Zdi se mi, da je ta zadnji val dvignil veliko večjo ozaveščenost o težavah, s katerimi se soočajo temnopolti in POC v industriji, vendar je treba še veliko dela narediti, da se zagon ohrani.

Kaj svetujete temnopoltim, ki se želijo vključiti v igre?

Don’t allow yourself to be your own worst enemy. We have enough issues to face being accepted as professionals for our own minds to be telling us that we’re not good enough or not worthy.

The game industry needs us and this our time. Put in the work to make you undeniable to these companies, and research and apply to everywhere you can once you’re ready. Remember that you don’t have to fill every single requirement on a job listing.

If you’re not already working in games, you have nothing to lose. Take advantage of the vast network out there to meet people and the free resources right at your fingertips to arm yourself with knowledge and support. Above all, be authentic, and be a good team player. People will know you well in this small industry, so make sure you make a positive name for yourself.

Vir: http://www.pocketgamer.biz/interview/76213/poc-in-mobile-zynga-associate-art-director-lauren-brown/