Roy Samuelson

Author, coach, speaker, performer

Audio Description

Audio Description, News, Production

“Possibilities” wins Broader Vision Documentary Award

March 2025 was pure magic. I had the joy of attending the Garden State Film Festival screening of the powerful documentary “Possibilities,” for which I produced the audio description.

Even more meaningful? Sharing the room with some of the extraordinary collaborators who helped bring this accessibility layer to life: AD writer and accessibility champion Colleen Connor, the brilliant voice of AD performer Satauna Howery, director Bill Sarine of Beachglass Films, and Tony Stevens from the American Foundation for the Blind.

Connecting in person for this open AD screening reminded me why we do this work: for inclusion, for immersion, for connection. And then – our hearts grew three sizes bigger – Possibilities won the Broader Vision Documentary Award!

Huge congratulations to the storytellers, producers, and the entire crew. Your commitment to equity and artistry is what flourishing looks like.

More at  https://www.afb.org/news-publications/media/possibilities (and watch the trailer)

American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)

Tony Stephens

Bill Sarine

Colleen Connor

Audio Description Training Retreats

Satauna Howery

Bridget Dougherty Melton

Serina Gilbert

Jeff Ross

An award from the 23rd Garden State Film Festival March 27–30, 2025 www.gsff.org New Jersey’s Premier Independent Film Festival ⸻ Broader Vision Award for a Documentary Feature “Possibilities” Bill Sarine – Director Douglas Sarine, Bill Sarine, Melody Goodspeed, Tony Stephens, Bojana Coklyat, Elissa Cohen – Producers
on screen credits: Audio Description Produced by Parity Endeavors AD Tone by Kevin's Way Audio Description Narrator - Satauna Howery Audio Decription Writer - Colleen Conner Audio Description Producer - Roy Samuelson Additional Audio Description Writing - Bridget Melton Audio QC Specialist - Serina Gilbert Audio Description Engineer - Jeff Ross

ID (& ALT): An award from the 23rd Garden State Film Festival
March 27–30, 2025
www.gsff.org
New Jersey’s Premier Independent Film Festival

⸻

Broader Vision Award for a Documentary Feature
“Possibilities”
Bill Sarine – Director
Douglas Sarine, Bill Sarine, Melody Goodspeed, Tony Stephens, Bojana Coklyat, Elissa Cohen – Producers

⸻

on screen credits:

Audio Description Produced by Parity Endeavors

AD Tone by Kevin’s Way

Audio Description Narrator – Satauna Howery

Audio Decription Writer – Colleen Conner

Audio Description Producer – Roy Samuelson

Additional Audio Description Writing – Bridget Melton

Audio QC Specialist – Serina Gilbert

Audio Description Engineer – Jeff Ross

Audio Description, Interview, News, Uncategorized

Troublemaker Experience Interview with Roy Samuelson

Wearing sunglasses, a smiling Kevin, host of the Troublemaker Experience, wears a white collared shirt with a diagonal striped tie.
Wearing sunglasses, a smiling Kevin, host of the Troublemaker Experience, wears a white collared shirt with a diagonal striped tie.
  • Audio description (AD) is crucial for making visual media accessible and immersive for blind audiences. Roy emphasizes the importance of high-quality, thoughtfully crafted AD that enhances storytelling rather than just being a checkbox for accessibility.
  • The AD industry is evolving, with growing awareness and improvements in quality. Roy highlights the need for professionalism, consistency, and including AD in the production process rather than as an afterthought.
  • There are opportunities and challenges with AI in audio description. While AI can enhance certain aspects, Roy stresses the importance of maintaining the human element, especially for emotional nuance and storytelling.
  • Advocacy and positive reinforcement from audiences are important for improving AD. Roy encourages blind viewers to celebrate good AD work and provide specific feedback to help elevate the industry.
  • Roy’s passion for AD stems from personal experiences and connections, like his friendship with a blind person who could enjoy TV shows with him thanks to AD. This drives his commitment to making entertainment more inclusive and immersive for blind audiences.

Learn more at DJ Troublemaker’s website at https://thetroublemakerexperience.com/troublemaker.php

Audio Description, Audio Samples, Interview, News

Comic-Con Panel 2024

This panel was the official announcement for the presale of my book, found here at roysamuelson.com/book – for the below video, I’ve been doing this 3 minute bit for a few years now, it still seems to resonate and give a sense of the multiple aspects of the audience experience of audio description (AD) in film and tv. (In front of a Comic-Con backdrop, Roy wears a badge around his neck next to Chad Allen. Joshua Loya off camera.)

AD Performance Book