International Journal of Creative Multimedia

Vimala Perumal — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

The International Journal of Creative Multimedia (IJCM) seeks scholarly work that explores the intersection of multimedia technology with creative content and research. We are interested in contributions that take advantage of the affordances of digital platforms in creative ways. The aim of this journal is to showcase current research in multimedia and other creative domains where knowledge of rapidly evolving digital media and its growth towards our lifestyle can be shared. IJCM is a double-blind peer-reviewed open-access journal published bi-annually (April & September) and is offered for online publication free of charge, without any submission, review, or page fees.

Integrating AR Technology with I-Space Theory for Safeguarding Henan’s Clay Sculpture Intangible Cultural Heritage

Hexiang Lu, Mohd Ekram Alhafis bin Hashim — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

This paper presents a theoretical exploration of how augmented reality (AR) technology can be utilised to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of Henan clay sculptures. Drawing on the I-Space framework from information theory, the study conceptualises ICH as a structured flow of information that can be encoded, abstracted, and diffused through digital means. In response to the erosion of original cultural environments, the paper proposes a model that utilizes AR to support the reconstruction and transmission of ICH in alignment with modern digital ecosystems. Three core challenges — technical encoding, semantic abstraction, and communicative effectiveness — are examined through Shannon and Weaver’s communication theory and mapped across the I-Space model. The paper further discusses strategic pathways for enhancing the preservation and dissemination of clay sculpture heritage using AR. While theoretical in nature, this study lays the groundwork for future empirical research that aims to integrate digital technology with cultural preservation, providing new insights for creative multimedia applications in heritage contexts.

Extending Recursive Backtracking for Procedural Generation of Interconnected Rooms and Staircases in Multi-Level 3D Dungeon Layouts

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Procedural Content Generation (PCG) is a powerful tool in video game development, enabling the automated creation of diverse and replayable game environments. This paper presents a novel extension of the recursive backtracking algorithm, which adapted to procedurally generate interconnected rooms and staircases across multiple vertical floors in 3D dungeon layouts. By using parameters such and maximum room chain lengths, staircase probability and directional constraints, the system generates coherent, non-repetitive and fully traversable environments. Through 13 test samples, the API demonstrates its ability to produce varied and scalable dungeons, including multi-level environments, showcasing its versatility and adaptability for diverse game design needs. Performance testing further reveals the API’s efficiency, with low CPU and GPU demands, optimized memory usage, and high frame rates ensuring smooth and visually responsive gameplay. These results highlight the API's ability to deliver high-quality content generation while maintaining system stability, making it suitable for use on mid-range hardware. The implementation offers game developers a robust and flexible tool for creating dynamic and engaging game experiences with minimal resource overhead.

Exploring Instructor Experiences with an E-Module for Online Teaching: A Qualitative Case from Maldives Higher Education

Fathimath Nasiha Abdul Muhaimin, Ts. Dr. Rozniza Zaharudin — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

The shift to online and blended teaching in higher education has increased the demand for effective professional development (PD) that supports instructors in adapting to digital environments. This study explores the experiences of faculty members at a university in the Maldives who participated in a custom-designed e-module for online teaching. The research investigates whether such PD can enhance teaching readiness and identifies support factors contributing to its success. Guided by Mezirow’s Transformational Learning Theory and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the study adopts a qualitative, constructivist approach using focus group discussions with purposively sampled participants. Thematic analysis of participants’ feedback reveals key insights into the module’s design, ease of use, interactivity, and the role of peer and institutional support. Findings indicate the potential of well-supported online PD to improve instructional practice, though challenges in independent application remain. Recommendations for hybrid delivery models and enhanced facilitation are discussed.

Revisiting Family Television Viewing Culture in the Digital Age: The Role of Streaming, Technology and Changing Habits

Kelvin Inobemhe , Sharifatu Gago Ja'afaru, Daniel Ekhareafo — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Family television viewing time was a cherished tradition that members of the unit, particularly the parents were intentional about. The digital age is one with several impacts on human lives and activities. Accordingly, people are becoming increasingly attached to their digital devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers and more. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine family television viewing culture vis á vis the idea of content creation examining how this affect family television viewing culture. The study was conducted based on systematic literature review. Findings showed that there are significant changes in the TV viewing culture noticeable amongst which are in the area of a shift from the traditional broadcast to on-demand content and streaming services, the social media factor, and the appreciation of the co-viewing and co-creation capacity of the new era. Additionally, the researchers revealed that digital media and associated technologies also played a significant role in the changing narratives of family TV content viewing. With the technologies, content creation has been simplified and the space liberalised just as audiences are not just mere passive consumers of contents but now active creators. There are effects associated with this development. The researchers concluded that though there are noticeable changes in the culture of family viewing television, it is simply not the end of an era where families converged to see entertainment and news because of the new ways of co-viewing enabled by technological innovations. The researchers recommended partly that families must understand the place of family and make time to bond even in the face of technological advancement.

Conscientiousness and Gaming: A Scoping Review

Rosnani Abdul Rahman, Mohd Ikhwan Mohd Marzuki — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Conscientiousness, a personality trait marked by organisation, meticulousness, discipline, and reliability, significantly influences various life outcomes and behaviours. This scoping review aims to explore the relationship between conscientiousness and gaming behaviour, drawing from empirical studies, theoretical frameworks, and qualitative analyses. Following Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodological framework, the review systematically identifies and analyses relevant studies in personality psychology, gaming studies, and the psychological impact of gaming. The focus is on how conscientiousness affects game genre preferences, in-game behaviours, and gaming motivations. The findings reveal that conscientious individuals prefer strategy and simulation games that require meticulous planning and long-term progression. They integrate gaming into their routines in a disciplined manner, ensuring it does not interfere with other responsibilities. High conscientiousness is associated with structured gameplay, goal-oriented decisions, and fewer signs of gaming addiction. In contrast, low conscientiousness is linked to increased gaming time, lower self-control, and a higher risk of gaming addiction. Understanding the influence of conscientiousness on gaming can help create positive gaming environments and inform guidelines for healthy gaming practices. This review contributes to the broader discourse on the psychological underpinnings of digital gaming, highlighting the nuanced ways in which personality traits shape gaming experiences.

Monetisation and Meaning: Examining YouTube’s Economic Model, Content Homogenisation and Online Celebrity Culture in Pakistan

Syeda Saba Hashmi — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

YouTube has emerged as a transformative platform for income generation among young individuals in Pakistan, reshaping traditional economic pathways. However, its monetisation model influences the type of content produced, often incentivising sensationalism and trend-based formats over originality. This study explores the effects of YouTube’s monetisation system on content homogenisation, the rise of online celebrity culture, and the spread of misinformation. Using a qualitative case study approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten YouTubers in Karachi. Thematic analysis revealed seven emergent themes, including economic pressures on creativity, algorithmic amplification of sensational content, and the establishment of social hierarchies among creators. Comparative insights from global studies highlight both similarities and regional nuances in creator behaviour. This study contributes to understanding how economic incentives shape content and credibility on digital platforms and offers implications for platform governance, creator education, and digital policy in emerging markets.

Designing Serious Games for Cultural Heritage: A Framework Grounded in Critical and Experiential Theories

HongYuan Sun, Mohd Ekram Al Hafis Hashim — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Against the backdrop of cultural heritage digitalisation, video games have emerged as an effective medium for cultural heritage preservation due to their strong interactivity, entertainment value, and cultural carrying capacity. However, current research faces challenges: a lack of critical perspectives, fragmented gaming experiences, and insufficient cultural communication efficacy. Through a comprehensive literature review, this study integrates Critical Heritage Studies, Virtual Restoration, MDA Framework, Flow Theory, and cross-cultural design, identifying their synergies and complementarities. It synthesizes three fundamental design principles: Triadic coupling-driven contextualisation, Pluralistic cultural epistemology, and Subject-Agentic aesthetic narration, explained through classic theories. The proposed gaming framework emphasizes participatory cultural communication while fostering authentic, immersive experiences, where aesthetic quality and perceptual control synergistically enhance interactive efficacy. Rooted in psychological, cognitive, and aesthetic theories, the framework explores the balance between entertainment experience and cultural sensitivity, optimizing player engagement, and promoting cross-cultural acceptance. It offers practical guidance for developers and a novel theoretical perspective for researchers.

From Structural Logic to Visual Semiosis: Genealogical Trajectories and Digital Translation of Mortise-and-Tenon Craft

Shirong Feng, Mohd Ekram Alhafis bin Hashim — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

This study investigates the traditional Chinese mortise-and-tenon craft through an interdisciplinary framework, exploring its transformation from practical structural logic to a visual symbolic system. Drawing on Foucauldian genealogy, the research analyses the historical rupture and reconstruction in the knowledge system of mortise-and-tenon joints, tracing the shift from tacit embodied skills, transmitted through master-apprentice lineage, to explicit graphic representations such as those found in Yingzao Fashi. By integrating visual language theory and digital media studies, this paper proposes a three-tiered model of “Encoding–Abstraction–Dissemination”. At the encoding level, parametric tools such as Rhino and Grasshopper deconstruct physical structures into geometric units. At the abstraction level, these components are semantically distilled into visual morphemes embodying aesthetic values of East Asian craftsmanship. At the dissemination level, AR interfaces and digital platforms recontextualise these symbols into culturally resonant narratives. The study reveals semantic stratification in the digital visualisation of mortise-and-tenon joinery. While its surface layer expands cultural dissemination through 3D modelling, its deep layer suffers sign deconstruction of structural logic due to commercial conversion. Although conceptual in orientation, the study highlights pathways through which theoretical models may inform creative multimedia practices in areas such as cultural exhibition, interface design, and heritage visualisation. This research provides a transferable visual syntax framework for the digital preservation of intangible cultural heritage, and its methodology for constructing visual language can be applied to cultural and creative industries and exhibition design.

Integrating Animation and Immersive Media into Educational Storytelling: A Mixed-Method Classroom Study

Yu-Xuan Teo, Jun Wei Geuan — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Digital storytelling, supported by animation and immersive media, is increasingly used to enhance student engagement and deepen understanding. This study examines the impact of animated narratives and virtual environments in primary school classrooms, comparing them with traditional teaching approaches. A mixed-method design was employed, involving 46 students over a six-week module. The experimental group engaged with animated lessons, virtual reality simulations, and augmented reality applications, while the control group received standard instruction. Quantitative data from pre- and post-tests showed a 17% improvement in academic performance for the experimental group, compared with an 8% increase for the control group (p < 0.05). Student engagement scores rose across emotional, behavioural, and cognitive domains, while qualitative feedback highlighted improved confidence, greater conceptual clarity, and sustained motivation. Findings confirm that immersive media can support active learning, promote collaboration, and make complex concepts more accessible. While the study was limited by its small sample size, short duration, and potential novelty effects, it offers practical implications for integrating cost-effective immersive tools into everyday teaching practice.Digital storytelling

From Tradition to Transformation: Exploring Gender Portrayals in Pakistani TV Advertisements

Qirat Farooq, Aqsa Qandeel — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

This study examined how gender roles are portrayed in the Pakistani television commercials and analyzed ten selected commercials from different product categories such as household products, personal care, financial services, automobiles, technology, etc. This study utilizes qualitative content analysis to explore themes relating to traditional gender roles, progressive representations, objectification, and empowerment. Television commercials are very significant in establishing norms of society and their representations of different sexes shape society and strengthen cultural ideologies. The findings revealed that the selected advertisement of Nido and Surf Excel aimed to specifically highlight the ambiguous stereotypes, traditional gender roles and how the women in the advertisement are mostly limited to the role of caregiver and homemaker. On the other hand, in Samsung and Sunsilk advertisements, women are embedded as decision-makers, professionals, and independent. Quintessentially masculine advertisements, like Gillette and Honda Civic, continue to re-postulate traditional perceptions of manhood, often portraying individuals as aggressors or powerful authorities. While certain commercials like Coca-Cola and HBL, represent a more balanced gender representation, others still marginalize women or place them in secondary roles. The study also notes that in advertisements for beauty products, physical appearance is often through the lens of objectification, consequently presenting it as a defining characteristic of women. Yet other narratives around empowerment stand, just taking their form in self-affirming advertisements that celebrate financial autonomy and career advancement for women. It suggests advertisers should pursue more balanced and forward-thinking depictions and remind media contents that reflect and promote gender equality instead of perpetuating tradition stereotypes.

Exposing the Distortion of Faith and Jurisprudence in Bidaah (2025) Through Social Criticism in Cinema

Aidatul Fitriyah — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

This research aims to analyse the representation of social criticism against deviant religious practices in the film Bidaah and evaluate it through an integrative framework of Islamic theology, Islamic law, and media studies. This research uses a descriptive qualitative method with a content analysis approach, strengthened by semiotic analysis to uncover layers of meaning embedded in its narrative and visual codes. The main data source is the film Bidaah, which is analysed through thematic identification techniques for scenes and dialogue that contain representations of deviant religious practices. The analysis combined normative evaluation using the Qur’an, hadith, and Islamic scholarship with semiotic interpretation of the film’s visual, symbolic, and narrative strategies as a cinematic text. The research results show that the film Bidaah represents various forms of deviation from faith and jurisprudence, such as cults of spiritual figures that lead to shirk, superstition in the form of seeking blessings that are not syar'i, inner marriages without harmony and legal conditions, as well as polygamy and divorce which are carried out based on ideological pressure, not the principles of justice and consent. At the same time, the film employs dramatic narratives and visual metaphors to highlight how religion is manipulated to legitimize the power of spiritual figures, which creates blind obedience and erodes the rationality of the people. The conclusion of this research is that the film Bidaah not only presents a fictional narrative, but also opens up a reflective space for the phenomenon of deviation in religious practice that actually occurs in society. The film’s representation provides criticism of the dominance of a single interpretation, abuse of religious authority, and the blurring of sharia institutions such as marriage and family. This research has important significance in the study of religious representation in popular media. With an integrative approach between media studies, semiotics, and Islamic law, this study contributes to developing a more critical and contextual religious discourse.

Conceptualising the Digital ESG Shift: A Stakeholder Theory Perspective on SMEs and Emerging Technologies

Anis Farzana Zulkefli, Memiyanty Abdul Rahim, Nor Suziwana Tahir — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are under more pressure to adopt Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices. However, they face problems like not having enough resources, not knowing how to use technology, not having enough skilled workers, and not wanting to change. These challenges make it hard to understand how SMEs can stay competitive while also following ESG rules. This paper analyses the impact of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and digital platforms, on facilitating the adoption of ESG by enhancing transparency, efficiency, and stakeholder trust. Utilising Stakeholder Theory, this research articulates how digitalisation enhances relationships with customers, investors, and regulators. It puts forward a conceptual framework and ideas that explain how digitalisation and ESG adoption are connected in SMEs. The paper also talks about useful strategies like getting help from the government, getting formal training, and working with technology providers. By combining ESG and digitalisation from a stakeholder-focused point of view, the study adds to the ongoing discussions about sustainability and gives ideas for how to make SMEs more resilient and competitive in the long run.

City as Brand: A Review of Reimagine the City Advertising Design Final-Year Project Exhibition

Rosnani Abdul Rahman, Rubinden Kumar, Ellyna Hashim, Muhammad Syahmi Abd Aziz — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

This paper reviews Reimagine the City, a final-year project showcase of the Bachelor of Multimedia (Hons) in Advertising Design, Faculty of Creative Multimedia. Grounded in Malaysia’s multicultural heritage and diverse state identities, the project challenged students to develop 360° advertising campaigns for selected city councils, thereby demonstrating advertising as a tool for city branding. Conducted across two semesters, the project advanced from research and strategic planning to brand direction, production, and multi-platform execution. The review identifies three key findings. First, integrating cultural identity into campaign strategies enabled students to expand city branding beyond conventional tourism promotion, foregrounding narratives of diversity and heritage. Second, the staged pedagogical framework was effective in cultivating both analytical and creative competencies, with students demonstrating growth in strategy, storytelling, and execution. Third, the project evidenced the potential of advertising education to contribute meaningfully to civic discourse, linking creative practice with questions of urban identity. Overall, these findings suggest that Reimagine the City constitutes a model for embedding real-world challenges within creative curricula, underscoring how advertising design can foster critical inquiry, cultural sensitivity, and professional readiness. Ultimately, the showcase demonstrates how student-led projects can propose innovative approaches to city promotion and identity in Malaysia.

VFX Showcase Review: Projects at UNLOCK 2025

Anuar Hassan, Ahmad Azlan, Muhammad Firdaus Hashim — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0800

The UNLOCK Final Year Project Exhibition 2025 presented the culminating works of graduating students from the Visual Effects (VFX) programme at Multimedia University. The showcase featured five projects—Sangkara Putra, Indina, Infectious, Vendetta, and Bongkok Tiga—that explored genres ranging from fantasy and science fiction to folklore-inspired horror. Each production combined technical application of industry-standard tools, such as Houdini, Maya, and Nuke, with narrative experimentation and cultural themes. This review examines the curatorial framing of the exhibition, the approaches taken by student teams, and the broader implications for VFX education and practice in Malaysia. By situating the works within pedagogical, industrial, and cultural contexts, the review highlights how the exhibition reflects both the competencies acquired by students and their potential contribution to the local creative economy.