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We’re collecting personal experiences of depression. If selected, your story will be transformed into a 1-2 minute animation and casual-style mobile game.
Please get in touch with us. We’re happy to answer your questions and provide more information on our process.
A personal experience with depression and anxiety. What triggered the episode? How did you react? How did others? Did you resolve it? If not, what happened? We want to know how you felt and share that with others to de-stigmatize mental illness.
Not at all. We welcome stories from all walks of life. Only at this early stage are we focussing on a few comedians whose stories are, in fact, serious. When you tell us your story, just be candid and honest.
Yes, from anywhere in the world. Keep in mind that if you are selected, we will record you telling your story. We’re located in Toronto, so drop by our office, but if you live outside the GTA, we will arrange for someone to record your audio. English only, please.
We will consider any story about depression. Suicide, overdose and self-harming are, sadly, a reality of depression, and our job is to convey the authentic experience of depression.
We prefer first-person stories to encourage others to come forward. However, we will consider a story told about someone close to you, such as a sibling or spouse.
No. Our selection committee will decide which stories will be used. However, everyone who submits a story will be contacted with a decision.
Open now. Contact Wittle@embreate.com with your contact info and we will follow up. Submission queries end January 7, 2020.
Step 1: You sign a standard waiver, granting Embreate the rights to adapt your depression experience to a game and an animated short.
Step 2: A story producer will conduct a pre-interview with you over the phone or in person to gather more details. This will last one to two hours.
Step 3: We write the animation script and design the game over several drafts.
Step 4: We will consult you throughout production, asking you additional questions and checking details. We want to faithfully reproduce your experience.
Step 5: In the final editing stage, we invite you to our Toronto office so we can record you telling your story. This audio will appear in the videogame and animation. If you live outside Toronto, we will arrange and pay for a recording session near you. This session will take one to two hours.
No. Once you sign the waiver, you are giving us permission to create the videogame and animation.
Yes, but we prefer stories told by the person who experienced the scenario. As mentioned, the aim of WITTLE is to let people who suffer depression tell their story and inspire others to talk openly of their mental health issues. If you request anonymity, it’s best to mention it upfront. We will consider your request on a case-by-case basis. If we both agree, we will publish only your first name or remove your entire name. We will also discuss who narrates the videogame and animation of your story. However, we strongly prefer that you talk about your own experience.
Your experience must centre on depression, not your project or work even if it is related. However, each game/animation will have its own page on the WITTLE website. There, you can mention your project within your short bio and provide a link.
Yes. We pay an honorarium to compensate you for your time.
No. Embreate controls the final videogame and animation, but as you can see, we strive at every step of the process to obtain your input. The final game and animation should match what you told us.