| Written by Stephanie Walker, on 18-04-2008 09:10 |
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 AbleGamers' Stephanie Walker had a chance to chat with Robert Florio about his new documentary "Robert Florio: A New Way to Live." One of Robert's passions is for making gaming accessible to everyone; he is a tireless crusader to that end. His documentary takes on this topic and others as we get a chance to see life through his eyes.
AbleGamers: Can you please describe what your documentary Robert Florio: A New Way To Live is all about?
Robert Florio: A New Way To Live is about a boy's journey to express himself and his passions, to share with the world an inspirational story about overcoming certain defeat after injuring his spinal cord and paralysis at the age of 14, and discovery through video games, the ability to use his mouth to create art, that there is endless possibilities and a great lesson for everyone to learn. It's about finding hope and courage somewhere in the human mind out of survival and through faith. Being all alone at such a young age and growing up very fast, it is a testimony to his life and hard journey that seems to always be defeating him but he never gives up in spite of all the odds being against him. He proves that even though there is no guarantee for success, if he doesn't try for himself nobody will do anything for him beyond what he is capable of. Showing to the world and expressing who he is for his chance at a dream come true and helping people through video games, becoming world renowned and someday helping more people with his success. It is a story of survival and conquering great challenges; standing at the top of a mountain as the winner and hoping somebody sees Robert win the race.
AG: Why did you decide to make this documentary?
RF:I made this documentary because I felt like my story could be inspirational and someday I could be one of the great people in our time to change the world. I always think larger and more successful than I currently am to someday become a great person helping people. This documentary was a chance to use the movie format, the most influential format in our culture today, to inspire people and get out my message. I have tried reaching out as far as I can with local newspapers and television stories but I realize now that writing a book or in creating a documentary that I could have a tool to take with me everywhere I go as a symbol of who I am and someday be the next step in life of the stairs that I climb to reach the top of that mountain. My passion inside of me for creating awareness for game accessibility and sharing with people my story is a way for me to claim my identity once again after feeling like it's been lost after my injury. Somehow I am reunited with my lost feelings and abilities in every form of art that I choose. This form is capable of reaching millions of people as they watch and listen to exactly what I'm trying to say.
AG: Robert - you are a vocal advocate for making gaming more accessible to all people. How much of a role does gaming accessibility play in your documentary?
RF: I have spent four years at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh online division. I am now graduated with my bachelor's degree in game art and design. Even in my class I recognized there is no awareness of helping people with different challenges. I began to think that it was a complete ignorance, a disrespectful lack of any kind of effort and humanity to throw away a great potential in technology saying that certain people were outcasts and that they did not deserve to enjoy everything else when in fact we are all human beings desiring the same things. After struggling using controllers not being able to use my fingers to play video games, I began to think of my own challenge breaking out of depression in rehab and seeing so many children and adults looking at this system but turning away because they know it's not for them. I felt an overwhelming charge inside of me to help people. I was confused and completely irritated that a billion-dollar industry would choose to ignore people just because they are different. To me that means that humanity does not care to entertain everyone, that it's just a business. It is an amazing media in art and a human expression that nobody has stepped up to completely fulfill the task. It is a David versus Goliath challenge. If I can inspire the right person or enough people together united behind me or with someone I know, then people can march around the city of developers and the giant wall they put up as a barrier and break down that wall and finally bridge the gap. It's going to take everyone's effort even gamers without physical challenges to finally wake up the world that there are people that need to be treated equally on all divisions and all social and entertainment outlets. For the most part my documentary has a very large part of game accessibility and the other part shows the individual that I have become through my challenges in life and health. Together I use my passion and creativity to help people beyond just painting but hopefully a career that will support me and allow me to help millions of people.
AG: This documentary is definitely a labor of love for you. What are some of the challenges you faced in getting it made?
RF: The greatest challenge I faced was actually being one person all by myself tackling numerous amounts of technical problems as my computers would crash. It took one year of figuring out the technical problem, altogether two years of development and thinking it would never happen, and finally reaching out to the right friend to complete it. It was myself against all the challenges of any technical problem in any great movie that's ever been created. The filming came together smoothly. The best opportunity was the scholarship I got from the IGDA in 2006 which started the whole process to finally fulfill my goal. But I did not start until I got the opportunity to actually meet the individual and go to the world's largest game design conference. It was then that I realized that I should start recording but I did not anticipate all of the technical difficulties. It is easy to feel like giving up on seeing such a huge potential of my dream to finally come true but when it finally did it is a wonder to behold, an innovative approach of awareness and a unique person in me to bridge the gap of knowledge of awareness about the issues and about inspiring people.
AG: What do you hope people take away after watching your documentary - from the ordinary everyday audience to the people that work in the gaming industry?
RF: My hopes are that first everyone will know my name and it will spread like a vine. The efforts I have done in the challenges in my life that will be a symbol for everyone to in all means not be able to ignore game accessibility, people in wheelchairs, my passion and my voice that is carrying to inspire. For the longest time I felt like my injury was a curse but I quickly realized after looking at the painting I was able to create and the stories that were being written about me and how my passion for life can be an encouragement and help so many people that I could not sit still. I had to get my voice heard and I hope that as loud as it has become in this documentary everyone who watches it tells the person next to them about me and every issue I am trying to get across. People can be a force to not be stopped and it takes the right words spoken in the right persons ear and mind to actually understand what the issue is and hopefully motivate everyone to take a stand on the issue.
AG: I know you're interested in showing this documentary at film festivals and getting a wide distribution going. But until that happens, where can we get our own copy of "Robert Florio : A New Way To Live?"
RF:I have created a web site full of my art and inspirational speaking opportunities at www.RobertFlorio.com . The documentary is exclusively available on my web site for everyone to purchase to help me and my attorney. And in return become rewarded because of your willingness to listen and make a difference.
AG: You certainly are a busy guy Robert. Do you have any other projects in the works right now that we should be on the lookout for?
RF: For the most part the documentary I created is my greatest challenge and outreach project. To promote it everywhere I can, I am encouraging people to go to www.RobertFlorio.com and place the HTML code of the advertisement animation on their web pages, my face, everywhere they can to help spread the word. Currently I am working on a book. A biography about my life and inspirational story about everything I have discovered. A great journey and adventure for everyone to understand more about my life, my passion, and how reading about someone's expressive words or seeing how they choose to inspire people effects everyone's mind to be inspired simply by choosing to listen. Choosing to listen to everything starts how all the barriers can be broken. Because if a blocked mind does not want to hear any of the issues or see somebody asking for help, no matter who you are, together as a people we will not be able to help others. I am becoming more of a advocate by speaking. If anyone wants to invite me out to speak to them or a group of people I can provide that for them by simply contacting me. I am always working on another great portrait each year of some athletes most likely Matt Stover of the Baltimore Ravens.
AG: Robert how can people invite you to come speak for them, for a speaker's fee, to help spread the word and encourage anyone who needs to be encouraged?
RF: I realize sometimes seeing is believing. It is one of my goals to travel the country and the world to whoever will invite me to speak for them to show and share with everybody who needs inspiration, encouragement, and a symbol to actually learn and be inspired also about game accessibility. I can be contacted at my web site www.RobertFlorio.com for further information to invite me to come speak for your group or organization to inspire all kinds of people, and encourage people about the need for accessible video games as well.
AG: Robert, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. We look forward to watching your documentary and seeing the public's response to it. I am sure we will be hearing more about you and the fantastic work you are doing in general, as well as your efforts to raise awareness about the need for game accessibility. We wish you much luck in your future endeavors and with your documentary "Robert Florio: A New Way To Live."
Recommend this article... Last update: 18-04-2008 12:47
| Published in : Disabled Gamers News, General News |
| Keywords : accessibility, advertisement, disrespectful, encouragement, entertainment, inspirational, opportunities, possibilities, difficulties, distribution, |
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