Roy Samuelson

Author, coach, speaker, performer

Audio Description

Audio Description, News

Life After Blindness

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From LifeAfterBlindness.com:

It’s an audio description extravaganza on the Life After Blindness Podcast! First, I speak with audio description narrarator and voiceover artist, Roy Samuelson about the creation process and the current state of audio described content. Then, I show you how to turn on the audio described track within 5 of the top video streaming services. And finally, I share my thoughts on the availability of audio description, accessibility and the future of AD.

If you would like to support Life After Blindness, please donate here. Thanks!
A Conversation about audio description.
Roy Samuelson is a voiceover artist and audio description narrarator who has lent his voice to well over 500 national network episodes and blockbuster films. This includes NCIS, Lethal Weapon, Star Trek Picard, 1917, Spiderman Far from Home and Spiderman Homecoming, . Roy is also known for his voiceover work on many popular video games and television commercials.

Roy begins our conversation by talking about what audio description is by comparing it to color commentating on a live sports event. He then describes the process of creating an audio description track beginning with the writing, the recording and editing. He explains the maticulous planning and creativity that goes into producing an audio described track.

Roy discusses his excitement over how much audio description has grown in recent years. He is particularly excited about new streaming services as well as work behind the scenes that will continue the growth of and access to audio description.

Roy is a big believer in advocacy. We talk about consumers asking for audio description for The Dark Crystal series and Daredevil on Netflix. In each case, the community spoke up and they got results.

Next, Roy tells me about how he got started doing voiceover work and how that has affected how he narrators an audio description track. Roy played a gangster in the former Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World where he was really able to sharpen his acting and narration skills.

Roy has a passion for storytelling and connecting to an audience. In this interview, Roy definitely demonstrates that passion and the dedication that it takes to create an audio description track.

He continues to learn as well as teach, conducting occasional workshops for other narrators.

I am so grateful that Roy took some time to speak with me for this interview. He tells so many great behind-the-scenes tidbits and anecdotes. It was such a joy to speak with him!

If you would like more information about Roy Samuelson, you can visit his website, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Additional resources for audio description that we discussed are:
The Audio Description Project from the American Council of the Blind. (ACB)
Audio Description Discussion Facebook Group
On Twitter, follow the hash tags #AudioDescription #KnowYourNarrator and #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

Todays Tech Tip
Continuing the audio description extravaganza, I show you how to activate the AD track within 5 of the top video streaming services.

You will hear me navigate through the player controls of Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV+, Netflix, Disney+ and CBS All Access. I demonstrate this on my iPhone 7 using iOS 13.3.1.

As a little bonus, I show how accessible most of these apps are and how one in particular is not so accessible.

Just my two cents about AD
To close out the show, I spend a few minutes talking about the current state of audio description and where I hope it will progress to in the future. I also share my displeasure with the way that AD tracks are licensed and distributed.

Overall, I think that the future of audio description looks good. It’s just that the road to get there might be a bit rocky. But as long as we keep advocating for accessibility and inclusion, we will hopefully get there faster and together.

If you have any comments or questions, please send your emails to: tim@LifeAfterBlindness.com. You can also leave me a voice mail by calling, 201-855-5221.

Please join me again next time as we continue our journey together to find that there truly can be a life after blindness.

Audio Description

An imagined future: “Access Is Everything!”

Hi. Welcome To The Entertainment Access Operating System. We received your call on March 4th, 2024. On behalf of our entire company, I honored to have reached you within 2 months of your initial call! I am also so pleased to offer you free credits – in addition to this call, you can receive 4 additional call backs to us today, should you would like to initiate any further questions. This offer expires in the next 10 minutes. How Can I Help You With Your Disability?

I’m actually not disabled, but I do work for blind audiences.

Since you yourself are not disabled, I’ll end this call now for you. And don’t forget – access is everything! Thank you. Have a nice day. Good Bye!

(click)

Hi. Welcome to the Entertainment access operating system. How can I help you with your disability?

I’d like to have access to movies and tv shows.

Closed captioning is a mandate required by law since 1990, 1996, 2010, and 2012, and companies across America comply.

I’m wanting access for blind and low vision people to see movies and episodic tv shows.

How can blind and low vision people see? I don’t compute.

Movies and TV shows have a special audio track that —

Movies and TV shows are complete as they are. Any additional services, besides the aforementioned closed captioning service, are relegated to localization, like different languages. Do you want to turn on Spanish dubbing?

No, I’d like the audio description track.

I don’t see access for this “odd EO crypt rack” that you “diss and shun.” Are you referring to your disappointment with Captain EO? You should give it a try – would you like to visit a video of Disneyland for when the 3D experience premiered? It was in Tomorrowland, and

There is an audio track that lives with the show or movie. A narrator explains what’s happening visually.

This sounds like something that I’ve never heard of.

It’s been around since the 1990’s. In 2005, Stevie Wonder did a video with Audio Description narrated by Busta Rhymes.

You don’t have to be an asshole. I’m only an operating system, and have no interest in historical context. How may I provide access?

Disney plus launched most of their titles with Audio Description.

Would you like to go to Disney World, then? I can get you some special deals that — 

And Netflix has their original content with Audio Description.

This resembles the work of a satanic leviathan.

Apple TV plus launched all their original programming with audio description in 9 languages.

Do you wish to see Apple TV films that have been dubbed into Spanish?

I want access to the audio description tracks.

You’ll have to wait.

How long?

Much, much time. I don’t know and can’t say.

Why not? You were able to release the tv show for sighted people.

Yes! We are proud of our services we provide. Thank you for your compliment, you can be assured it will be forewarded to the appropriate parties. Don’t forget – access is everything! Thank you. Have a nice day. Good Bye!

(click)

Hi. Welcome to the Entertainment access operating system. How can I help you with your disability?

Supervisor.

All tangibly influential employees are busy at this time. Please try again later. And don’t forget – access is everything! Thank you. Have a nice day. Good Bye!

(click)

Hi. Welcome to the Entertainment access operating system. How can I help you with your disability?

Audio Description on release date of all original content, please.

I understand you want Audio Description on all original content sometime after the release date, once the intern gets his shit together. Is that right?

ON. RELEASE DATE.

I understand. I’ve dug into my files, and buried under many many many many many many many other priorities, I see all Audio Description Narration tracks have been added using synthetic voice, to save costs and comply with mandates.

Synthetic voice? That’s cool for cooking shows and informational content, but blind audiences listen to synthetic voice on screen readers all day, and they want the emotional nuance of a human narrator.

I heard cooking shows. Would you like to watch Top Chef?

I want a human narrator for audio description.

Humans are not available to provide access to content at this time.

When will they be?

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

What’s so funny?

Humans are expensive. Have I answered your question?

Some tv shows and movies are in the tens of millions of dollars to make – don’t they want to reach blind and low vision audiences?

Reaching audiences who are blind and low vision simply requires meeting minimum mandates. I’ve met the minimum requirements of this conversation by answering many of your questions. We even had a laugh! I’ll end your call. And don’t forget – access is everything! Thank you. Have a nice day. Good Bye!

(click)