There is a fantastic article written by lawyer and captioning advocate John Waldo on the issue of the movie captioning lawsuit with Regal Cinemas. Read it and enjoy.
Thanks to John Waldo and those who have fought and continue to fight for movie captioning.
25 February 2011
08 February 2011
"14 Can Do's": Hiring Performers with a Hearing Loss or Disability
"14 Can Do's": Hiring Performers with a Hearing Loss or Disability
© Rhianon Elan Gutierrez
February 7, 2011
With the premiere of the latest CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode, The Two Mrs. Grissoms, Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing audiences saw the mass employment of people with hearing loss as guest stars and extras on an episode about the murder of the fictional scholarship foundation director Dr. Eric Lambert (Anthony Natale) on a college campus. The episode featured notable Deaf performers Marlee Matlin as Julia Holden, a Deaf Studies professor, Phyllis Frelich as Betty Grissom, the mother of one of the show's longtime leads, Gil Grissom (William Peterson), and Tyrone Giordano as the TA of Marlee's character, Julia. There were multiple scenes where extras were in front of the camera at a party and in the dorm rooms, and there were others where they were walking in the background on the campus grounds and in the hallways. It was a great experience for those who were involved, and I have seen many positive reactions to the episode. Deaf and hard of hearing people were proud to be in it and to see their friends in it. I was a background extra in one of the office scenes and found out about the casting call through Deaf Women in Film, who found out about the opportunity through another network. The story of The Two Mrs. Grissoms is one example of how reaching out to members of the Deaf and hearing loss communities produced successful results.
As a director, I've worked with performers with a range of abilities. In my most recent film, Transients, I worked with performers with different types of hearing loss and one with a mobility disability. I not only cast them but I had people on my production team who had varying degrees of hearing loss. However, I continue to recognize that there are some major barriers that performers with hearing loss or a disability face in getting opportunities to work in television, film, or the stage.
I try to focus on the present and the future, so I thought about some "Can Do's" for hiring performers with a hearing loss or disability. Some of these apply to performers, others to casting directors, agents, directors, and studios, and some apply to all of them. I hope that this list will be a useful tool for readers.
1. Encourage directors, studios, and casting directors to seek actors that actually are Deaf, hard of hearing, or with disabilities when casting for roles that are written as such.
2. Encourage writers, studios, directors, and casting directors to open the talent pool to all different abilities.
3. Train new talent with disabilities and those that are Deaf and hard of hearing.
4. Seek roles that are challenging. Don't just look for those that are written as Deaf, hard of hearing, or a person with a disability.
5. Encourage casting agents to really fight for actors and actresses to get interesting roles rather than cliche ones.
6. Challenge others' and your own stereotypical depictions of impairment: work to make characters three-dimensional. For performers: trust your instincts. For writers and directors: consult closely with people who personally understand hearing loss or disability.
7. Train and support more Deaf, hard of hearing, and disabled talent to learn skills behind the camera (directing, cinematography, editing, sound design, graphics, etc) in schools, vocational programs, internships, and paid jobs. Learn about and support their communication needs.
8. Utilize the non-profit sector. Contact and ask non-profits that specialize in serving people with disabilities or the Deaf and hard of hearing for help in finding people who are aspiring performers or even people who have amazing life stories that resemble the role that you are casting.
9. Utilize social media. When you have a role you are casting, post on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Posterous, blog websites, Yahoo Groups, and virtually any website that has dialogue between multiple users.
10. Network. Talk to others who may know of opportunities and tell them that you are interested when there is an opportunity available.
11. Support the work of your fellow performers even if you lost the role to them. It's a competitive business. Representation is important, but so is respect.
12. Show your work. Don't be afraid to show others what you can do, and definitely show your range.
13. Be honest about your communication needs. Communication is one of the most important aspects of a successful production.
14. Support access to your work: advocate for it to be captioned, audio described, or for there to be a transcript made available for other access or translation needs.
© Rhianon Elan Gutierrez
February 7, 2011
As a director, I've worked with performers with a range of abilities. In my most recent film, Transients, I worked with performers with different types of hearing loss and one with a mobility disability. I not only cast them but I had people on my production team who had varying degrees of hearing loss. However, I continue to recognize that there are some major barriers that performers with hearing loss or a disability face in getting opportunities to work in television, film, or the stage.
I try to focus on the present and the future, so I thought about some "Can Do's" for hiring performers with a hearing loss or disability. Some of these apply to performers, others to casting directors, agents, directors, and studios, and some apply to all of them. I hope that this list will be a useful tool for readers.
1. Encourage directors, studios, and casting directors to seek actors that actually are Deaf, hard of hearing, or with disabilities when casting for roles that are written as such.
2. Encourage writers, studios, directors, and casting directors to open the talent pool to all different abilities.
3. Train new talent with disabilities and those that are Deaf and hard of hearing.
4. Seek roles that are challenging. Don't just look for those that are written as Deaf, hard of hearing, or a person with a disability.
5. Encourage casting agents to really fight for actors and actresses to get interesting roles rather than cliche ones.
6. Challenge others' and your own stereotypical depictions of impairment: work to make characters three-dimensional. For performers: trust your instincts. For writers and directors: consult closely with people who personally understand hearing loss or disability.
7. Train and support more Deaf, hard of hearing, and disabled talent to learn skills behind the camera (directing, cinematography, editing, sound design, graphics, etc) in schools, vocational programs, internships, and paid jobs. Learn about and support their communication needs.
8. Utilize the non-profit sector. Contact and ask non-profits that specialize in serving people with disabilities or the Deaf and hard of hearing for help in finding people who are aspiring performers or even people who have amazing life stories that resemble the role that you are casting.
9. Utilize social media. When you have a role you are casting, post on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Posterous, blog websites, Yahoo Groups, and virtually any website that has dialogue between multiple users.
10. Network. Talk to others who may know of opportunities and tell them that you are interested when there is an opportunity available.
11. Support the work of your fellow performers even if you lost the role to them. It's a competitive business. Representation is important, but so is respect.
12. Show your work. Don't be afraid to show others what you can do, and definitely show your range.
13. Be honest about your communication needs. Communication is one of the most important aspects of a successful production.
14. Support access to your work: advocate for it to be captioned, audio described, or for there to be a transcript made available for other access or translation needs.
06 February 2011
Employment Discrimination Against People with Hearing Loss
Employment Discrimination Against People with Hearing Loss
© Rhianon Elan Gutierrez
Originally published on Hearing Loss Nation
February 6, 2011
Unemployment has plagued many Americans, and young people and people with disabilities have been greatly affected by the crisis. On February 4th, the ABC TV show What Would You Do? aired a segment that explores what happens when two deaf applicants decide to apply for a job in a coffee shop in New Jersey. The managers (both male and female) and the two deaf applicants (both female) are played by actors, and the goal of this show is to see what bystanders would do in this type of situation. Would they stand up, remain ignorant, or offer advice to the applicants or manager? See for yourself.
In social psychology, there is a concept known as the bystander effect, which states that people won't interfere in an emergency situation if they know that there are others present who can interfere instead. There were a handful of people who DID interfere in the girls' case, but I wonder how many more would interfere if the situation had been different: with men, with people of color, with people with multiple disabilities, or even with more diverse managers. What do you think?
There are some of us on HLN who have experienced this type of public discrimination, but there are others who have experienced discrimination in private. Since this talks specifically about public discrimination, what are some ways that we can challenge public discrimination if a) it happens to us, b) it happens to our friend, or c) we witness it happening from a distance? I have personally found myself to be a stronger advocate in situations of public discrimination.
It's easy to talk about what we did or did not do in the past.
What can we do NOW and in the future?
How can we build a support team who can help us when we encounter this discrimination from people?
And, how can we strengthen our skills in the areas where we seek employment so that we are ready to show future employers our best?
© Rhianon Elan Gutierrez
Originally published on Hearing Loss Nation
February 6, 2011
Unemployment has plagued many Americans, and young people and people with disabilities have been greatly affected by the crisis. On February 4th, the ABC TV show What Would You Do? aired a segment that explores what happens when two deaf applicants decide to apply for a job in a coffee shop in New Jersey. The managers (both male and female) and the two deaf applicants (both female) are played by actors, and the goal of this show is to see what bystanders would do in this type of situation. Would they stand up, remain ignorant, or offer advice to the applicants or manager? See for yourself.
 |
| Image courtesy ABC's What Would You Do? |
In social psychology, there is a concept known as the bystander effect, which states that people won't interfere in an emergency situation if they know that there are others present who can interfere instead. There were a handful of people who DID interfere in the girls' case, but I wonder how many more would interfere if the situation had been different: with men, with people of color, with people with multiple disabilities, or even with more diverse managers. What do you think?
There are some of us on HLN who have experienced this type of public discrimination, but there are others who have experienced discrimination in private. Since this talks specifically about public discrimination, what are some ways that we can challenge public discrimination if a) it happens to us, b) it happens to our friend, or c) we witness it happening from a distance? I have personally found myself to be a stronger advocate in situations of public discrimination.
It's easy to talk about what we did or did not do in the past.
What can we do NOW and in the future?
How can we build a support team who can help us when we encounter this discrimination from people?
And, how can we strengthen our skills in the areas where we seek employment so that we are ready to show future employers our best?
04 February 2011
Letters to the DOJ
In January, I asked readers to submit comments on the issue of movie captions. There are many ways to talk about the issue and even today I am still learning the intricacies of how captioning really works in various stages of its creation.
My boyfriend Alex and I wrote letters to the Department of Justice about movie captions. I thought I'd share them here, and I'm particularly proud of Alex's. He's captioned a handful of things for me without me even asking him to do so, and I'm grateful for his skills and even more grateful for his advocacy for me and millions of others who use captions.
And now, our letters.
January 23, 2011
Dear The U.S. Department of Justice:
(by Alex)
The technologies for captioning films have come a long way in the decades since the ADA became law, but their implementation has not reached the levels that legislation would imply. My hard-of-hearing girlfriend and I are both filmmakers and well acquainted with what it takes to get a film captioned. This knowledge has added to the frustrations we have felt in attempting to find captioned films to enjoy together.
Those who require captions to comprehend and enjoy the films they pay to see in a theater are limited to a small selection of screenings of a small selection of films each month. A wider selection of films would enrich not only the personal lives of those with hearing loss (as well as the social, cultural, and familial bonds of those connected to them), but could actually see an increase in theater attendance. For one thing, the retired population – which often have more leisure time in which to go to the theater – have a high incidence of hearing loss, and many would find the theater more appealing if they could follow along by reading the dialog instead of straining to hear it. Also, many of the hard-of-hearing film fans I know tell me often how they would love to see a certain film while it is in theaters, but they have to wait for a captioned screening (which never occurs with many films).
They are usually forced to wait for the film to be released in some other way. However, many significant films (such as most of the DVDs released by major documentary distributor Docurama) and the vast majority of titles offered on Netflix Instant Streaming are not available with captions.
Requiring 100% of films to be made available with captions is just as reasonable as requiring all buildings to be accessible to wheelchair users. Distributors certainly have it within their power to caption the films they release, and any major movie theater would benefit from devoting more of their screens to showing film prints and digital projections more often.
(by Rhianon)
I am a filmmaker, activist, and person with a hearing loss. As an emerging filmmaker, I have made it my mission to make films that are artistic, participatory, and inclusive of people with hearing loss. I can see both sides of the issue as a filmmaker and as an audience member. I want people to see my films and those of my peers and not just the larger budget films. The experience of making films is equally exhausting and rewarding. It is a profound experience for filmmakers to watch their work on the big screen. We’ve worked hard to make our films seen and it is through the efforts of many that they do get seen. I have shown my films at numerous theatres to packed audiences who have come up to me afterwards telling me how moved they were by the story and characters. These people have been people with and without a hearing loss. My films have usually been the only captioned ones of many. I’ve struggled to appreciate the films of my peers because they were not captioned. I do not value their work less, but I know that I do not value their work as much as I would if I could access it fully. I’ve been vocal about this because captioning is never just about one person. Captioning benefits many, but for it to matter, many have to speak up about how it helps them and/or those that are close to them.
As theatres transition to the digital age and films are screened with more ease, captioning should be less costly. Captioning files should exist for any film that will play on more than ten screens nationally. Each theatre that has these films should have caption files of each film that plays in it. Moviegoers should be able to access both in print (newspaper, magazine, and theatre printings) and on the Internet (theatre websites and caption search engines like Captionfish) what films will have captions or subtitles in theatres. I am optimistic about the way that technology is progressing and feel that this is a reasonable goal for filmmakers, distributors, exhibitors, and theatre owners to commit to doing, but consumers must also continue to communicate their needs.
There are various ways that moviegoers can access captions. I personally feel that rear window captioning should not be the standard. If we rely on rear window captioning, only select moviegoers will have access to the screens, but in order for the screens to work, the technology must be turned on and the moviegoer has to be seated a comfortable distance from the screen. This is exclusive and does not bring enough awareness to the larger public about captioning. I believe that open captions should become the standard because they can be seen at all times no matter where one sits. However, in order for any screening to have open captions, the captions need to be seamless and not distracting with white over a black and white image, spelling errors, or faces or credits being covered with captions. This is more the responsibility of those that caption the films, but I know that when captioning is done well and is used more often, it becomes a vital and seamless part of the viewing experience and people ask for it.
I thank you for taking the time to read our comments.
My boyfriend Alex and I wrote letters to the Department of Justice about movie captions. I thought I'd share them here, and I'm particularly proud of Alex's. He's captioned a handful of things for me without me even asking him to do so, and I'm grateful for his skills and even more grateful for his advocacy for me and millions of others who use captions.
And now, our letters.
January 23, 2011
Dear The U.S. Department of Justice:
(by Alex)
The technologies for captioning films have come a long way in the decades since the ADA became law, but their implementation has not reached the levels that legislation would imply. My hard-of-hearing girlfriend and I are both filmmakers and well acquainted with what it takes to get a film captioned. This knowledge has added to the frustrations we have felt in attempting to find captioned films to enjoy together.
Those who require captions to comprehend and enjoy the films they pay to see in a theater are limited to a small selection of screenings of a small selection of films each month. A wider selection of films would enrich not only the personal lives of those with hearing loss (as well as the social, cultural, and familial bonds of those connected to them), but could actually see an increase in theater attendance. For one thing, the retired population – which often have more leisure time in which to go to the theater – have a high incidence of hearing loss, and many would find the theater more appealing if they could follow along by reading the dialog instead of straining to hear it. Also, many of the hard-of-hearing film fans I know tell me often how they would love to see a certain film while it is in theaters, but they have to wait for a captioned screening (which never occurs with many films).
They are usually forced to wait for the film to be released in some other way. However, many significant films (such as most of the DVDs released by major documentary distributor Docurama) and the vast majority of titles offered on Netflix Instant Streaming are not available with captions.
Requiring 100% of films to be made available with captions is just as reasonable as requiring all buildings to be accessible to wheelchair users. Distributors certainly have it within their power to caption the films they release, and any major movie theater would benefit from devoting more of their screens to showing film prints and digital projections more often.
(by Rhianon)
I am a filmmaker, activist, and person with a hearing loss. As an emerging filmmaker, I have made it my mission to make films that are artistic, participatory, and inclusive of people with hearing loss. I can see both sides of the issue as a filmmaker and as an audience member. I want people to see my films and those of my peers and not just the larger budget films. The experience of making films is equally exhausting and rewarding. It is a profound experience for filmmakers to watch their work on the big screen. We’ve worked hard to make our films seen and it is through the efforts of many that they do get seen. I have shown my films at numerous theatres to packed audiences who have come up to me afterwards telling me how moved they were by the story and characters. These people have been people with and without a hearing loss. My films have usually been the only captioned ones of many. I’ve struggled to appreciate the films of my peers because they were not captioned. I do not value their work less, but I know that I do not value their work as much as I would if I could access it fully. I’ve been vocal about this because captioning is never just about one person. Captioning benefits many, but for it to matter, many have to speak up about how it helps them and/or those that are close to them.
As theatres transition to the digital age and films are screened with more ease, captioning should be less costly. Captioning files should exist for any film that will play on more than ten screens nationally. Each theatre that has these films should have caption files of each film that plays in it. Moviegoers should be able to access both in print (newspaper, magazine, and theatre printings) and on the Internet (theatre websites and caption search engines like Captionfish) what films will have captions or subtitles in theatres. I am optimistic about the way that technology is progressing and feel that this is a reasonable goal for filmmakers, distributors, exhibitors, and theatre owners to commit to doing, but consumers must also continue to communicate their needs.
There are various ways that moviegoers can access captions. I personally feel that rear window captioning should not be the standard. If we rely on rear window captioning, only select moviegoers will have access to the screens, but in order for the screens to work, the technology must be turned on and the moviegoer has to be seated a comfortable distance from the screen. This is exclusive and does not bring enough awareness to the larger public about captioning. I believe that open captions should become the standard because they can be seen at all times no matter where one sits. However, in order for any screening to have open captions, the captions need to be seamless and not distracting with white over a black and white image, spelling errors, or faces or credits being covered with captions. This is more the responsibility of those that caption the films, but I know that when captioning is done well and is used more often, it becomes a vital and seamless part of the viewing experience and people ask for it.
I thank you for taking the time to read our comments.
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