Giving back to the Community: Juanita Bratcher shares her writing experience with video game designers

PETAL et al.’s  Free video training workshops a resounding success; participants learned the basic essentials of designing and developing a video game.

South Holland, IL – Juanita Bratcher, Editor & Publisher of CopyLine Magazine, Author, Poet & Songwriter, shared her expertise in Script Writing to participants at PETAL et al.’s Video Game Design & Development workshops at the South Holland Library in South Holland, Illinois. Bratcher will also teach Script Writing at PETAL et al’s upcoming Training Sessions at Chicago’s Avalon Library, 8148 S. Stony Island Ave., Chicago, IL, on October 22nd and 29th.

Bratcher said PETAL et al. ‘s efforts to offer free video game workshops to teach participants about the multibillion-dollar industry should be commended. “Just seeing the eagerness and the interest on the part of those participating in the workshops was amazing,” Bratcher said. “And to get this training for free makes it all worthwhile. Hopefully, some Foundations will step in and help PETAL et al. in its efforts to reach out to those who have an interest in the entertainment technology arts field that are underrepresented as well as those not having the know-how or available resources to pursue a career in the industry.”

PETAL et al.’s main goal is to promote diversity in the entertainment technology arts field and provide clients with valuable skills needed to pursue their goals in the industry, including training, mentoring, and networking.

PETAL et al., a not-for-profit company, offers the free video game and mobile applications training workshops to develop and enhance the skills of those persons interested in working in the video game industry.

According to Pamela McMillan, President & CEO of PETAL et al.,  “During our free training workshops it was obvious that many of the participants were interested in the entertainment technology arts field but lacked the resources to follow their dream in the multibillion-dollar industry.”  McMillan, through PETAL et al., is making steps to train as many applicants as possible through these free exploratory and training workshops.

During the training sessions, McMillan teaches Introduction to Video Game Design & Development, and Clarence McMillan, PETAL et al.’s Chief Technology Officer, teaches Conceptual Art and Story Boarding. Others teaching in the sessions are: Nitin Khare, Michele McMillan and Anand Rao, some of the top Programmers in Chicago, who will share their expertise with participants; Samuel Piazza, Musician & Sound Engineer, will discuss music and sound effects for video games.

Pamela McMillan emphasized the need to raise awareness about developments in the video game and mobile applications industry. She said video games and apps are not just for entertainment but also educational.

Clarence McMillan said the Video Game Design & Development Workshops sponsored by PETAL et al. focuses on and introduces technology behind many of today’s video games to users of this medium that are under-represented in its making and creation.

About PETAL et al.

PETAL et al. is a non-profit organization, the first of its kind that provides skills development and leadership training to those not having the know-how or available resources in the entertainment technology arts industry, and to help those who have career goals and a passionate interest in the field with mentoring services, world class trainers, industry insiders and experts with expertise and track records in the industry.

The mission of PETAL et al., is to provide training, mentorship and leadership skills for applicants interested in the Video Game and Mobile Applications industry with a focus on job skills development, portfolio enhancement and networking and will do this by working with industry leaders, educators, organizations and corporations for the development of programs to make jobs in the industry tangible.

The vision of PETAL et al. and its founder is to inspire entertainment technology artists to push creativity, passion and their skills to the limit whereas prospective employers keep an eye out for talent coming out of the program.