Access Coordinators in Aotearoa

This webinar provides insights from screen production Access Coordinators and those working with them, along with details of how to factor this emerging role in your future projects in Aotearoa. 

Panelists are Access Coordinators Felicity Hamill and Jared Flitcroft, Tayla Hancock from NZ Film Commission, and Producer Jazz dos Santos.  Hosted by Ness Simons of Spada (Screen Producers NZ) with NZSL interpreters Taryn and Jeremy.

For more information on Access Cordinators visit: https://www.nzfilm.co.nz/resources/access-coordinators

To contact an Access Coordinator email: diversity.inclusion@nzfilm.co.nz

To view a captioned version of this discussion: https://youtu.be/S0g_jNYc0kE

Transcript

0:00

Kia ora, welcome, nau mai haere mai. On behalf of Spada welcome to this conversation about the Access Coordinator role. What it is, who does it, and why, you know, it's a valuable part of our screen industry. Before we get into the discussion, I'm going to start with the karakia. And, and then I'll introduce you to our panelists. Tūtawa mai i runga Tūtawa mai i raro Tūtawa mai i roto Tūtawa mai i waho Kia tau ai Te mauri tū Te mauri ora Ki te katoa Hui ē! Taiki ē! And a translation of that is “Come and from the environment, vitality and wellbeing for all strengthened in unity”, which is for us to have to come together today for this conversation. I'm going to keep the introductions pretty brief because we, have lots to discuss over the next hour. But just to introduce you to the people on our panel today. So, it's a pleasure to welcome Tayla Hancock. So Tayla is the senior advisor of policy and performance at the New Zealand Film Commission and is also the chair of the Staff Diversity and Inclusion Committee. And Tayla has a master's degree in cultural anthropology, and she uses her, lived experience with mental health and neurodiversity to foster safe spaces, champion wellbeing and break down stigma. Perfectly placed for this conversation today. Hello to Felicity Hamill, So, Felicity has over 20 years as a performer and crew member. Ranging from stunt double and dancer to AD and PA, a pretty diverse experience across the industry. And she brings all of this along with a lot more to her role as Access Coordinator. We also have, Jared Flitcroft. Kia ora Jared. So Jared is a director, producer and actor. As a Deaf and indigenous filmmaker Jared's work includes his award winning debut short, ‘Tama’, which was really well received in many places throughout the world. Along with kids series ‘Kids of Kōrero Lane’ and recent release ‘Being Turi’. Jared is also an Access Coordinator. And then on our panel we also have Jazz dos Santos. So, Jazz is a producer in production across documentary and drama and has a real passion for making music videos. Jazz has recently been working with Felicity on a project called ‘Sight Unseen’, and they will tell us a bit more about that during this webinar. We also have two New Zealand Sign language interpreters joining us today, Taryn Banks and Jeremy Borland. Thank you both for being part of this conversation. So we'll get started. Tayla maybe if we start with you. So the Film Commission has been championing the inclusion of Access Coordinators in our industry. Do you want to give us a bit of an overview of what the role is and, and its place in screen sector? Absolutely. Thank you, Ness, for the introduction and kia ora everyone. So yeah, I'll talk a little bit about what the Access Coordinator role is, and how the film commission fits in with that role too. So essentially, the Access Coordinator is a below the line pro role that works with film and television productions to ensure that access and adjustments are implemented for cast and crew who are deaf, disabled and or neurodivergent. And you'll hear us refer to that as DDN today. So it's a specialized role, and it combines expert knowledge of screen production, with lived experience as a DDN person. And that second point is really important. Because Access Coordinators are DDN themselves, and this means that they can draw on their lived experiences and guide productions on simple and effective changes that you can make. So when we talk about access and adjustments, this essentially means the, the creation or the alteration of an environment to ensure that people's specific needs and meet so that everyone can do their job as well as possible. So, for example, this could be information provided and an alternate format. It could be a sign language interpreter. It could be bringing on specialized equipment. However, it's really important to note that not everyone has the same access and adjustment needs. So the access coordinators work with individuals on a production to find out what those specific requirements are, and then they'll work with the production to put those requirements in place so that Access Coordinator can work across all stages of production from development, recruitment, filming, editing. Right through to release and associated marketing and events, as well. So there's two really important reasons why we need access coordinators. Firstly, it's simply to support the people working on your production. So a project or content doesn't necessarily need to have DDN characters or storylines to need an access coordinator. 20% of the world population is DDN, and that means that potentially one in five of your cast and crew will require adjustments as part of their access requirement. So the access coordinator role is really, really essential in ensuring that your cast and your crew feel safe and supported and included and can do their best job. DDN people often can be quite reluctant to disclose their access requirements as well. And at the same time, there might be some non-disabled people who are afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. So the access coordinator, can facilitate some of those really tricky and difficult conversation in order to find out what everyone needs and to help you put tools and systems in play. Secondly, working with DDN talent is vital to opening up access to our industry and the stories that we create. So I think we're all well aware now that distributors and streaming services are recognizing that they can reach more audiences through inclusive and accessible content. And the Access Coordinator can help you ensure that your content is accessible to audiences, and the benefit of that is, the more accessible your content becomes, the more audience as you open it up to. So where does the New Zealand Film Commission fit and all of that? So last year, we were approached by a UK inclusion company called Bridge06, and they provide formal training to become an Access Coordinator, and they launch this in the UK. And they were partnering with Screen Australia to deliver the training for the first time in Australasia, and they asked us to collaborate. So we supported three New Zealand filmmakers, Jared and Felicity, who are here with us today, and Chelsea Bridges to undertake a training course in Australia. And this was a five day course that covered standard production processes and identified common barriers that may arise in production. And, and looked at how to advocate for DDN cast and crew as well. So we at the film Commission are continuing to work with Jared and Felicity and Chelsea to promote and educate the role. And this is because we believe we truly believe that it's such a simple and effective step towards making our vision of an inclusive industry a reality, and it's really my hope that we start to see the Access Coordinator on more and more productions, and that it just becomes an industry norm. So while Chelsea is unfortunately unable to join us today, it's a pleasure to have Jared and Felicity here to talk about their experiences. And I know that you're going to learn a lot from them today, and I'm excited to hear from both as well. So I'll pass it back to you, Ness. Thanks, Tayla. That's a that's a great, overview and some, you know, interesting little insights. One thing that I looked at today was, the annual report from the NZ On Air, which shows that they've had an increase in captioning of broadcast hours and, in the last year, which is great. You know, it's moving towards that accessibility. But the vision into reality, that's why we're here today is a great, great thing to keep in mind. So, this is a really good place to bring in our two Access Coordinators. Jared, we’ll start with you. Give us a little bit of an idea of your background and why you're passionate about your place and your role as an access coordinator. All right. Great. Kia ora. Thank you. And so Felicity and I traveled to Sydney to learn a little bit more about this project and what the role of Access Coordinator meant. And we learned a lot about Bridge 06 in England and what they had done there. And so here in New Zealand, we have a slightly different style and context. And so. The reason that I wanted to become, an access coordinator is me being the only really deaf person in the industry. I wanted to encourage more accessibility for, for people. Specifically because of my lived experience and wanting to have equal opportunities. One of the examples would be in terms of a script that can be fully English. And so what I like to be able to do is to take on a script and be able to translate it back into New Zealand sign language gloss. And so that means that it's much more accessible for a deaf person and they’re able to sign that script. And also, it's working with booking interpreters to ensure that there is more accessibility in those contexts. And it's also about culture as well and how important that is. Deaf culture, Māori culture and the various cultures that we have. The neurodiverse culture. And so having that culture is something that can be shown to people in, film industry and ensuring that they can create a culturally safe space. Now, Felicity, is there anything else that you'd like to add at this point? Thank you. Jared. Yeah. Yeah. The the Sydney journey was fantastic. And it was a real honor to be selected. Along with Jared and Chelsea and, just such a really big learning experience, I think, for all of us. Also, there were, Australian participants training, so, we got lots of different, knowledge in one room. And what drew me to the role, just being in the industry for quite a long time and, personally having, dealing with health issues, just sort of made me reevaluate. How am I going to work in the industry? Where are people like me, and why aren't people speaking up? And also, why aren't we seeing more, deaf, disabled, neurodivergent, so Turi, Whaikaha, And I forget the name it te reo for neurodivergent, my apologies, but it's beautiful. So, yeah, when I saw the role advertised to be trained, I was just like, this just feels like a real natural fit for myself. And so to be selected was a real honor. And I'm just really looking forward to representing all of our community, advocating for and working with producers. And all of, crew and cast, to ensure that we don't leave anyone behind. I think that's me. So perhaps back to you Ness I think. Yeah, that's, that's, Yeah, it's a really, great kind of understanding of where you're coming from is access coordinators. Jared, I have a question for you. You may or may not realize, but I was just ahead of you at film school when you were studying. And, I remember when you had come in for your, interview and there was a big question about can we deliver training for someone who is deaf? What does that mean for us with the program? What does that mean for them as a learner? Where can that go? And, I imagine I know that there will be something that you experience constantly throughout your life in terms of trying to, find a place that fits or that works. You mentioned that you're the only deaf person in the screen sector. What do you how how has that been for you in terms of has that stopped opportunities or has it created other opportunities for you that might not have existed? Well, most of the time there are barriers in place, especially when it's a hearing context, you know, a hearing environment. And so there's a lot of reliance on speaking, and that's something that I can't have access to. And so I like being able to work with people, who are nice to me, you know, who can work well with me. And there are lots of different departments I end up working in with and that just makes my job just so nice, really. And now I have to focus on directors. Producers? The cast. And that was before the access coordinator role. And so at that time, they weren't really interpreters. And so I ended up, when I was studying, relied on other students discussing with them, reading their notes and that kind of thing. And so I was so fortunate to have some experience in film at high school and, and in other contexts just for fun. So luckily I had that. But can you imagine someone with no context at all coming into that world learning about film? There'd be huge barriers in place to their learning. And so I think it's great to me, being deaf now in the film industry, I'm able to pass on information and work with others and educate them. So there are a number of hearing people in the film industry, and they're, now able to make adaptations to ensure that they're meeting the needs of deaf people by providing interpreters or ensuring that scripts, easy enough to read or the call sheet is easy to read and all of those things. So there's a number of areas that can be made accessible. And so yeah, I mean, film school helped me a lot. It really did. But now I suppose I'm currently working, on film and TV and I just feel so privileged to have that opportunity. That's awesome. And, you know, the people that you, working with. Yes, they're doing that and in film and on set, but they probably also taking that out into the broader community, right? That adaptation and the way that they work and behave and communicate. So growing the village wider. So you've recently worked on some productions, your first productions as an access coordinator. How has that experience been to date? Okay, yes. So the TV series that we're working on is called‘Tangata Pai’. And so there are deaf actors as part of this. And so there's, an actor. It's their first time acting. There's also a hearing actor, and they're all using sign language. And so it's a trilingual production. There's English, te reo Māori and sign language. And so I worked in the pre-production stage and they were in touch with me. And that was at, script writing, stage. And so I was able to convert that into New Zealand sign language gloss and provide that to the director. So they could read that. And there's lots of zoom calls, a lot of time spent signing and teaching them the signs to ensure that they were portraying that script accurately. And so I wasn't really working on the actual characterization or anything like that. It's more just how to sign, the script, my role was not, teaching them how to act. And so the actors, the hearing actors and the deaf actors were in touch with me to say, please, can you come on site? And so I said, okay, I will. And so I arrived on site because I was able to teach the sign language at that point and make sure that what was being produced was authentic as well. If I wasn't there on site, then potentially their signing wouldn't be so authentic or accurate. And they may have thought that the rehearsals and what they learned in the rehearsals, would get them through. But sometimes on site it's different, sometimes it doesn't work in reality. And so it's making those adaptations on the fly, really to the sign language and ensuring that it's still fits the storyline. And so that's an access need. So it's not just for the deaf actors it's the hearing actors as well. And at the same time, I've also been teaching all of the cast and the crew sign language as well. So for example, if a deaf actor is a long way away because there's cameras all over the place and everything, you can't necessarily sign to them. And so it's, teaching the assistant director, to, to sign things like turnover or sound or camera or take or all of those things. And so it means that there’s sign language happening directly between the cast and crew to the deaf actors. And I'm watching the monitor to make sure that the signing is authentic and just ensure that everyone has access to what they need. And so it's also ensuring the deaf person is doing a good job. And so I've been doing work there for about three weeks, and a lot of work on site New Plymouth and Auckland. And it's been going really well really seamlessly. Actually. So yeah, I feel like it's been awesome. It's gone really well. That's so cool. You know, they talk about people being like a double threat or a triple threat in terms of being a writer director, I don't think I could count how many kind of strings to your bow. Jared. That sounds really cool. Is there? You know, Tayla mentioned when she was chatting before about sometimes fear can be a barrier. Have you encountered any of that for, in your work so far? I'm not sure I would call it fear. I think it's more just a lack of understanding often in terms of how to make adaptations and how to make things appropriate, really. And so I think it seems to be a lot of people are just really willing, but I just don't know how often. And so that's where I come in, I suppose. And so I say, well, I'm in, I'm in the same boat often. Sometimes all you can do is listen. So it would be great for you to get an interpreter and, and work on the communication and I think that's the most important thing is communication, to be honest. I mean, I'm really thankful that we have Taryn and Jeremy the Interpreters today because I'm signing and, interpreting into spoken English. What I'm signing for the rest of you and vice versa. Would that be interpreters? We wouldn't have access to each other. And so I wouldn't say it's fear I would say it's more just learning to be able to make those adaptations. Absolutely. Yeah. That's, absolutely. On the money. Is there, in terms of work ahead for you, have you already had other inquiries about future projects like, is the uptake happening already? No, no, I mean, hopefully, some others will be in touch with me or the New Zealand Film Commission. I mean, Felicity and I and Chelsea are available, and so, yeah, hopefully they are in touch. Because I think it really is important, to have this role as part of, a film or a TV production. So I'm putting the word out. Please hire me. Be in touch. Absolutely. That is a very good call out and we will come back to you again in a moment. Jared, but for now, I want to go to, to bring Jazz into the conversation, and, Jazz and Felicity have been working together on a project which I believe might be Able's first scripted production, called ‘Sight Unseen’. So do you want to, tell me a little bit about, you know, what you're doing on that project and how you've been working with Felicity so far? Yeah, sure. Kia ora everyone, I'm jazz, and, I, a co-producer on the documentary series‘Sight Unseen’, which was a, which was funded by the youth RFP, from New Zealand on Air last year tailoring to content for young people online. And, I was privileged enough to be one of the co-producers on it and to work with Felicity. On this project, which is Able's first production. And for those who aren't familiar, Able is a company that does a lot of live captioning for TV as well as audio description, for those who need it for their content. And yeah, so when I started on ‘Sight Unseen’ Felicity had already been brought on. So she was brought on, quite early on, which was great. And so we had a couple of initial meetings and she came forth with some documents prepared just explaining about the role and how people who are involved in the project can, engage with her throughout the process. And so, yeah, it was really cool to, engage with those early so that I could, sort of figure out how to integrate, the role into the production because as you know, as we all know, it's a new role. And so thinking about how we can, to bring to to bring it forward was, was really cool. So it was a little bit of experimenting on my end and just sort of implementing things that, I had done in the past with other things. So basically what I did and, I have a few things to learn from this as well, is, as part of the onboarding process for the cast and crew. Normally we do like a Google form that's just like collecting people's document or people's, information, you know, names, email addresses, phone numbers, pronouns, dietary restrictions, allergies, that sort of thing. And on that form, we also, included, would you be interested in engaging with our access co-ordinator, Felicity? Yes. No. Unsure. Those were the options. And so and ahead of that as well, when sending the Google form, I also attached all of Felicity's documents there as well so that they could, know a little bit more of what an access coordinator does before, deciding whether they wanted to engage. And, so we had a few people say yes, and we had a few people say no and a few people say unsure. And so for the people that I said unsure, I said, hey, Felicity, you know, we've had a couple of people that were a little bit unsure about, with, they wanted to engage or not. So maybe if you'd like to send them an email, just to, you know, touch base and say, hey, I'm here if you need anything, let me know and we can we can chat. And, so that's sort of how we began the process. And, I think Felicity can speak a little bit more about, the people or the times that she got to engage with, some of the cast and crew on our show. But after she did that, there were notes that were taken from those sessions that were passed on to me so that I could know the access needs for these individuals. And of course, those notes stay absolutely confidential. And I only share pieces of information. With relevant crew members when absolutely necessary. And often it's not, you know, like, sometimes, it's just good for me to know, you know, maybe someone prefers to receive a word document as opposed to a PDF so they can edit it to, suit their vision needs, stuff like that. So it's like, yeah, helps me know what people need from a production perspective. But yeah, that's that's kind of cool. That's, a very clear kind of illustration in terms of one part of the role that does inform production and support people within those productions as well. So it's a great. Thanks, Jazz. So, Felicity, do you want to let us know Sort of, you know, when you at what stage you were first sort of engaged by Able and like, was that at script? Was that it, you know, pre-production? And just give us a little bit of an idea of what work you did at those stages. Yeah. So, so I would, I think I'm remembering this correctly. The proposal had already been, Oh, no, it was at proposal stage because I was included in the proposal. And then once they got the green light, I was back in, for a sort of an initial chat. And then it was pretty much once pre-production schedule was in place then I was, brought in to, yeah, engage with the, cast and crew. So, yeah, I wasn't involved in the actual, proposal itself for the, show pitch itself. But, yeah, I was really happy to be a part of it. And, to have that feedback from, some of our cast and to be able to just sort of hear their requirements and, sort of funnel that through production was, yeah, just really lovely. And, I think they felt really safe and just knowing that I could just go to work and and get on with it. What was your other question is, you know, that I went, I guess because partly the people who are here or will be watching this later, potentially be their first time connecting with an access coordinator. Yeah. So when that first contact happens, do you sort of give them a sense of what the process is going to be or like, what can they expect? Yeah, definitely. And because because it's so new I'll talk them through. And that was actually my first contact with Able was there was sort of basically like, what's the role? They knew quite a bit about it, but wanted to hear more. And it's also a company that's already working in the disability space. So they were really quite aware that it was, really nice to know that just because you're working in the disability space. So really, it doesn't mean that you're covering everything so they're open to learning new tricks. And then I think, the productions where you don't necessarily have people who are working in the disability space, it's going to be even more sort of eye opening and, exciting for productions. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And, and I guess, you know, for you and Jared, given your background each is it a case of a production needing to find the right access coordinator for their production, or is it a case that an access coordinator can support all productions? In some ways? SHall I go, Jared? I think we can all support productions in some ways. And anyway, I mean, there might be certain productions, I think that we just have an, a natural affiliation with, but no, I mean, the training is such that we can, work with any and all, and, yeah, look at the whole sort of arc of production. So not just those sort of one on one meets, because you might get a production where no one wants to come forward, even though they're living with a chronic illness. Or they're, you know, they're hard of hearing or they mask their neurodiversion or they just don't want to talk about it. So you might you might be engaged in a production and yet absolutely no one wants to chat. And that's okay because you're there in case people change their mind. And also you're there to help production overall to look at what Tayla was talking about earlier. So increasing that sort of one on at 20%. So 1 in 4, one and five people worldwide. So connecting with your audience and being true to, that inclusion and not just sort of a token gesture. So they and just another one for you, Felicity, Jared talked about being on set and you just mentioned you're there to support those people. So what does being there look like for you? Yeah, I think it'll vary from production to production and vary widely. So, the way they've set it up in the UK in the way we've been trained, it, it, it can vary. So you can be engaged for a sort of initial 3 to 5 day engagement period on a production. Help them to get everything in place, help them to, identify anyone who wants to have that sort of check, and see their requirements and just make sure that it's all set up. And then you can also look at how productions are doing things overall, if they have any questions or need extra support, point them in the right direction. Even right at the beginning if they're unsure about. Is the casting being inclusive? Are they connecting with the right talent? I mean, obviously if it's a production where you've got, say maybe a lead who's disabled, deaf or neurodivergent and they might ask for extra support or more advocacy or the production might just, you know, want an access coordinator on for potentially the whole shoot. So it really varies. Jared, I think you were on yours for a lot longer than I was. I personally just sort of did that sort of 3 to 5 day engagement period. And I did all of my work for this, series, remotely, except for one day when I visited while they were in Wellington. Oh, yeah. So I guess that like a lot of roles within the sector, whether it's our sustainability coordinator, the intimacy coordinators, there will be a lot of variance because there's so much range within our projects, of budgets, of scale, of numbers of people. So that's great. So Jazz, you were working with a company that is in the disability space. Were there any surprises that popped up despite that company already being fairly well versed? I wouldn't say there were any surprises as such, but I think a learning for me was I think a few people have already said, this is, you know, not everyone living with a disability actually wants to or needs to engage with an access coordinator. And I, that was a reminder for me that like, oh, yeah, like people, either can advocate for themselves or, can make, you know, make their needs known, or just simply don't see the need. And so, that was a reminder to me that, like, it is awesome to have the access coordinator there just in case. But not everyone necessarily needs it. And, that's cool too. So in terms of surprises, not not really, but that was sort of a, a main takeaway for me. So, because we, we're producers and productions and, and we know had challenged our local productions are in terms of budget, in terms of resource, in terms of time. And this is another role that we're asking people to engage with and find space for. And how did how did that work for this production in terms of budget and resource? So, the budget for this project, was pretty much set by the time I stepped on. I did do some finessing in other departments before going into pre-production, but, the budget for the role of the access coordinator was already set and left it as is. But I think in terms of trying to like from, from a production perspective, trying to, carve out resource for this role. I think it's just up to discussion with your access coordinator. You know, you can really have a gauge on how much time you think, is going to be required, and then you can make an executive decision of how much, resource you want to, carve out for that, but also keeping in mind that you want to have a little bit of contingency just in case, you know, you really are working them hard and you don't want, you know, you want to make sure you're paying your people properly. But, yeah, I think it's when you're bringing them on board, have that discussion and, and say, hey, like, we've got this is the subject matter. These are the people that are involved. They may want to engage. They may not. Everyone might want to. Nobody might. But you know, the the amount is there, for you for the work that, is going to be done. But yeah, I think just up for discussion and, and then everyone's happy, you know? Absolutely. Yeah, that sounds cool. And is there anything else before we sort of move on to the next part, is there anything else from the work together Jazz and Felicity that has popped up for you that you you know, you've both mentioned you would have learnt some things, that you might do things differently. Is there anything else from that experience that you want to share? Yeah, I think, for, for me as a producer or a production person, like we often feel quite, stretched thin, especially when you're in the thick of it. And so, you know, you have you have your mental checklists of the different departments you need to remember to engage with. You know, you've got your camera, you've got your lighting, your cast, you know, art department literally. We all know the different departments. And, and it's a little bit more low key for a documentary, but still it's still there and it's still, you know, a chunk of work. And so an access coordinator was another department that needed to be incorporated into this production. And so it's another thing to remember, another thing to engage with. And I think like from a production perspective, it is important to like think of it as another department, you know, think of it as as important as health and safety, you know, and you put it on the same caliber. So you remember to, send those documents to new, cast and crew that are coming on a bit later. You know, reminding them that Felicity or whoever you have on board is there, to, to engage with should you need and should you change your mind as well? Because, you know, once you learn a little bit more about the role, you might go, okay, like, this might actually be really cool for me. So I think thinking about it as, you know, as important as health and safety, I think is a great way for producers to go. Oh, that's right, this is a thing. It exists. It's just as important. And it's going to make, everyone's experience on this production so much better. And I guess at least my, my other point is like having an access co-ordinator on your project, like, really does help with the sustainability of the industry on a whole, because, you know, we're paying attention to our needs. You know, everyone has needs, whether you're living with a disability or not. But, even just the thought of like, oh, I have, you know, I, I require eight hours of sleep at night or I require time with my kids or, you know, everyone, everyone has needs. And this industry can be very fickle and can, you know, eat up a lot of your time and it can really impact your health. And I've had, you know, a lot of I've had experiences myself, but also my friends, and colleagues in the industry that have been really impacted by burnout. So I think, just having the access coordinated there is actually a symbol for everyone to acknowledge, our needs and, and to remember them when we're working in the, in the workforce. So yeah, that's that's my yap I guess. great points. Felicity, was there anything that you wanted to add specifically about this project? I mean, it was just such a privilege to be on it. And it was the very first, project in New Zealand in Aotearoa to engage with an access coordinator. So, yeah, it was very humbling. And I learned that really, really fast. I learned certain things I'll probably do differently next time. But it was really lovely to just be in such a sort of supportive, small crew, for the first time round. So, Yeah, really grateful to Able for I'm in that door. And, I'm just really excited to just, keep working with productions and, changing things for the better for everyone. Fantastic. Just before we move on to the questions, I just have one myself for Jared and Felicity. We'll start with you first. Jared. What do you need from a production or a producer? Or, key people in order to do your job? Well. I suppose the main thing is. That I need, obviously as a sign language interpreter for myself. And the reason for that is communication is so important. To make things effective for other things. I don't think there's anything specific. I mean, I can read English, I can understand, film lingo and all of that sort of thing. So I suppose effective communication to me ensures that I know what's needed, and then I can make sure that the needs are matched really. So a sign language interpreter is all I need. I'm very simple in my needs. There. Perfect. And what about yourself, Felicity? The broader environment or the culture that can come down from a producer or production or, right. Yeah. You know, how does it how does that impacts the work that you are able to do as access Coordinators. Learning on this job, how I could be engaged more. When we did a bit of a debrief at the end of filming, that was really helpful because I think by now, going forward, feel really good about working with producers to say it's it's easier if, Oh, it's easy to engage you every step of the way, if you're comfortable to, and it might mean that you've done so you two hour, two days of one on ones and feedback to production and then maybe they go, oh, actually, we'd like to engage you for another day because we were a bit unsure about our wording for our marketing. Making sure we're hitting the right tone. In terms of what language is appropriate, language changes all the time, but, just in terms of including everyone, and also things like, are you going to have your show, captioned, is it going to be audio described as your budget for that, all of those kind of things. So I think just a nice open line of communication with the producer and then one specific person within production. And for me, that was Jazz as she came in partway through. It just keeps it really clean. Oh, and I guess you just raised the point of it's holistic. It's not just a stage of the production, but actually thinking about what you're achieving right The way through which, you know, again, in this industry, sometimes we can be dealing with the things that are immediately in front of us at the time that they're there, and then we worry about the rest down the track. So, Jared. Yeah. Sorry. Yeah. Sorry. No, I'm just thinking. Yeah, that's a good thing. Point about holistically, if you problem solve at the beginning, it'll save you money. So you're not sort of retro- fitting corrections at the end. Yeah. Go. Yeah. Was there anything you wanted to add on that, Jared or you. No. Nothing more for me. I think you've explained things very nicely, very clearly there. Cool, we will move on to our first question, which might be one for you, Tayla, although I suspect Felicity and Jared will also have thoughts. But what resources are available for bringing on an access coordinator or for providing access support in lower budget productions? Because we all know the pressures on those lower budget productions. So Tayla have you got thoughts on that? I think I might pass this question to Felicity and Jared. Okay. Right. Maybe just to give a little bit of context, so there was a recent TV series. And they added an access coordinator line in their budget and they also, added the film rate for interpreters. And so we discussed with them with the interpreter saying ‘are you able to match this rate?’ And they said, yes, they could. And so they asked me to to match that rate as well. And so this flexibility, I think, and being able to have negotiations on that. And if you think about pre-production by zoom, sometimes you can have, an interpreter, coming in, sometimes you can use the New Zealand Relay Service. So you have access to interpreters there, who, free. And that's very good for online contexts. That works well for online discussions, for face to face interactions. That's something that we can negotiate in terms of the funding that's available and thinking about what budget is there. And I suppose is other budgeted items, for access, which I suppose I don't really have in-depth knowledge of, because there are other access needs that, that need to be paid for as well. But I suppose what we can do is provide suggestions for accommodations, and then it's up to them whether they take it on or not. And we just say that access is how important. But we say we'd really like to be able to compromise. So maybe we can prioritize the accommodations, in priority order and see which ones can be, can be accommodated within the current budget. So that's a really good tip. Felicity, was there anything that you wanted to add and around resources? Probably just, I mean, there's so much out there online, that's free. And once you start looking, it's it's just a wonderful world of, the diversity and inclusion, in access. So there's loads of free stuff, like not enough time to list everything. But what might be interesting, for some people, is to look at the, Jack Thorne McTaggart speech, which triggered this whole, creation of this role. I'll just check I've got. Yes, I think it's Jack Thorne. Should double check that. But he, Yeah. Did this very moving speech in the UK. He's a writer. Where? Well, I tell all of my. Oh, Someone talking, no? Yeah. So it's, I think it's called either ‘they forgot about the toilets’ or ‘underlying health conditions’. I think it's ‘underlying health conditions’. It's really powerful. There's a lot of statistics in that speech around inclusion, and, Yeah, it's well worth a listen. I will just add something, as well, Ness, and thank you. I just thought it was important for Felicity and Jared to share their thoughts first, we are having some conversations about, kind of co-designing and creating some guidelines or resources for the industry. And that would be a collaboration between the Film Commission and Jared and Felicity and Chelsea. But as I said at the start, it’s a tricky one, because not everyone has the same access requirements. So it's kind of really hard to put out some guidelines or resources that captures everything. And as we know, everything's always changing and language is shifting. So that is something that we are looking at. And I would suggest that, you know, you can come to me at the film commission, or you can go to Felicity and Jared and Chelsea and just as they said, ask some questions. And, you know, we can get a bit of an idea of what you need or, you know, what kind of resources you're after. Absolutely. And I can I appreciate the need for, you know, to be able to adjust to different requirements rather than have something that feels like it's concrete and maybe excludes other, you know, people from, from looking into access coordinators. I've just dropped into the chat, the New Zealand Relay Services link, and also the email address, diversity. inclusion@nzfilm.co.nz Which is a great way to get in touch with Jared, Felicity, Chelsea and Tayla and team. If you looking into, you know, exploring the option of engaging with an access coordinator. We've got another question, here from Paige, who wants to thank you all so much for your insights and generosity and sharing your knowledge. Paige is curious if there are any patterns you found in terms of DND needs that are commonly overlooked that they could try to keep an eye out for with their own team and implement a solution for, Jared or Felicity. Do either of you have anything that Felicity go for? Yeah. So I can you just repeat it? Ness, sorry Just before you, we're going to swap interpreters and we'll just need to change the pin. Yes. Thank you. Good Thank you. Yeah. Apologies for everyone that's watching me do this very slowly. There we go. Thank you. So the question is, have you seen any patterns that you've found in terms of DND Needs that are commonly overlooked or, you know, that people can keep an eye out for with their own teams is a good question, Paige. Thank you. Yeah, that's a great question. Yeah. No, I mean, I think, many things, just, simple adjustments can be made, quite easily. One just being, providing a safe, quiet space, can be, you know, whether you're in the studio or out on location. That can be an easy, easy one to do. And I think that often gets overlooked just because we are all so time pressured. And it's just the nature of the beast, but, I yeah, it's really, really rare to even see that, this is a spot you can go, and that can be for the entire crew. You know, you don't necessarily have to be DDN to appreciate a bit of time out. And often that can be seen as, you know, slacking off or. Yeah. So, other things, I guess, and studios, spaces, things like, what's it called? You wash, you hear hair basins, hair and makeup. I'm not sure if I've ever seen one that's, wheelchair friendly, wheelchair user friendly. So they're all the custom built. Generally, they're all you have to sit. You know, you have to move yourself from that cheer up to a higher tier to get your hair and makeup done. So practical solutions like that, things like in our studios, do we have flashing lights built in, in case there's a fire and emergency. So we're looking after our Turi deaf crew and cast so they know what's going on. I mean, I could go on, but. Yeah, that's just a few. But those are, you know, very obvious kind of, changes that people can make that will actually help benefit because I have a family connection to hair stylists and even watching people who are elderly or, very, you know, young, small people and stuff, those basins, you know, there's a very slim margin for who can actually find those things comfortable. One time, cool. So I've we've probably got time for another question. If we've got, anything else? Anyone else? Got a question? Otherwise. Okay. Is there an access oriented screen organization in Aotearoa or central hub for info and resources for DDN folks? I guess that probably slightly comes back to what you were saying, Tayla, in terms of the challenges of putting that together. And so at the moment, we have the email, was that correct or do you want to add in anything else to that? Yeah, so I can say that there’s a conversation happening, about where this might be best placed right now. Yes, I think it's best to, to come through to the film commission and we can connect you, with the access coordinators. But, you know, we also have the access to Bridge 06. We have the access to those at Screen Australia, and a whole lot of resources. We do have a page on the New Zealand Film Commission website, which has like a really good list of all the different ways that an access coordinator can be used. So at this stage, yes, but, watch this space. Because we are looking at options of where they can be kind of more of a centralized hub for the access coordinators. So and I just, one thing that's occurred to me is I've really been sort of targeting everything, producers and productions. But what if there is a cast or crew member who feels like they need some support? Are they also able to approach you, as access coordinators on their own behalf? Jared, do you want to answer that one for me? Yeah. It's possible that, if they have an access need, we're not scary. And we can make sure we can provide that service. And the opportunities to make sure that people fully understand people's needs. You know, maybe maybe we don't just focus on deaf, but we focus on disability, and all it's and it's forms, including neurodiversity. So, you know, if we do it at the start, it's much, much cheaper than if we arrive halfway through the production once they actually need, realize they need that coordination. It's very hard to kind of go back to the beginning again. So, we can give everybody. It's better if we can give it access right at the start. And the information at the start. You know, if they don't know the information, they can't provide it. I'm sure that some productions, we have one access coordinator. And maybe it is, you know, maybe it's a big job for, for one particular person, but also that can actually make, we can actually cover the needs of bigger productions by using all three of us. So right now, access is really important for everyone. You don't have to be deaf or disabled or neurodiverse. All of us have access needs. It can be big things. It could be small things. So we can also give people ideas and tips to make sure that they're doing things the right way, you know? Perhaps they’re just not aware. That's absolutely the case and it was actually going to be my last question briefly to the four of you. We know that, those groups, you know, these groups are not well represented across our sector. What is is this something that you can think of that people can, you know, for HODs of for Above the Line or, you know, what tips would you have in terms of changing that? And like you say, Tayla, making that vision a reality. Any thoughts? Felicity. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I have so many thoughts, but, but, an easy, sort of, metric to use is, just, just always circling back to that one and four. So if 1 in 4 of us, you know, in the deaf, disabled. neurodiverse community, and that includes people with chronic conditions, that includes, elderly who are now living somewhat more of a disabled life. So they might be our older actors. But, yeah, if you just think of that one. And for when you're hiring, when you're casting and, yeah, as you make your film, as you figure out how you're going to market it, how you're going to make it accessible, and just start with start with one, you know, just, just you and your crew. Can we just include one person who's DDN Because you're going to get a whole lot of new skills you've probably never, worked with, and, it's just going to make your production that much better. So just keep it simple. One and four, ideally throughout your whole crew, but at least just, give it a go and start with one move first. Thank you. Anyone else want to add anything beyond that? Tayla? I mean, well, the obvious one is hiring an access coordinator. But I think, you know, having conversations, about this and talking openly about accessibility and creating an environment where people feel safe to be able to disclose and talk about this and know that they're working in an environment, in an environment where you know, they can approach someone, even if you don't have an access coordinator on your production, that there is an environment where they can raise what their needs are. And I think the more that we have those conversations and normalize talking about adjustments and access requirements, then people are going to start feeling safer and included and more supported, and we're going to see that cultural shift happen as well. And I just want to say that the other night I was watching a TV show, a UK TV show on neon, and I was watching the credits and I saw access coordinator come up and the credit, and I immediately was like, I love this show so much better, so much more now. But it was really, really awesome to see that. And I think we, you know, we're going to see this role more and more, which is really exciting. Absolutely. And it will be fascinating to revisit this conversation down the track and see where, you know, uptake on the role is and what the impact that's had on, on our sector. With that in mind, with five minutes over, because we're having such a great conversation. But I just, want to thank the four of you, Tayla Jared, Felicity Jazz for your time, Taryn and Jeremy for supporting our conversation today. Everyone who came along to, be part of this and ask your questions. This conversation will be, posted on our YouTube and Spotify and Apple Podcasts alongside Spada’s other conversations. So you'll be able to share it with people that you think will benefit from hearing or watching it. And on that note, just to close us out today, I just want to share. a karakia. Kia whakairia te tapu Kia wātea ai te ara whakataha ai Kia turuki Hui e. Tāiki e! And the translation for that is that restrictions are moved aside so the pathway is clear to return to our everyday activities. Thank you all for a wonderful discussion and go well into the evening. Kia ora you so much. Nice. Okay, thanks everyone.