Buffalo Sonnet: A Digital Comic

In a project commissioned by New York’s Lincoln Center, SADC produced an audio-described version of the digital comic, “Buffalo Sonnet.”

This artistic meditation on the Black experience tells the story of the historic San Juan Hill neighborhood in Manhattan, a vibrant cultural hub in the early 20th century that was eventually demolished to make way for Lincoln Center.

In close consultation with the comic’s creator, writer and illustrator Kamau Ware and Lincoln Center staff, SADC developed an innovative approach to making the work accessible for blind and low-vision audiences. We wrote detailed descriptions for the art and used a combination of sound design and voice acting to clearly distinguish the AD from the comic’s own narration, character dialogue, and thoughts. Our narrators, including native New Yorkers, were able to draw on authentic voices and personalities, bringing a unique flair to the script.

The described video adaptation of the “Buffalo Sonnet” comic is featured on the Lincoln Center’s Legacies of San Juan Hill page and you can watch the described version of Buffalo Sonnet on YouTube.

Credits

Audio Description Script writer and Scrolling Video Production: Kensuke Nakamura

Blind quality control: Robert Kingett

Audio Description Narration by [Project Lead Nefertiti Matos Olivares

Voice Actors: Barbara Faison and Thomas Reid

Audio Editing and Sound Design: Thomas Reid.

#BarbaraFaison #KensukeNakamura #NefertitiMatosOlivares #NefertitiNarrator #NefertitiProjectLead #RobertKingett #SADC #ThomasReid

2025 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge

For the second year in a row, SADC produced the audio description that was provided to all of the finalists of the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, a program feature starting last year. As before, no specific information about any of this years fifteen finalist short films was provided to SADC prior to our receiving them, and we delivered Blind-reviewed, sound edited and mixed AD audio tracks for all of them within nine days. This year, the only films audiences were presented at the live announcement and screening of the finalists and at the 12th annual live awards show that followed a week later were “Open AD” versions incorporating SADC AD–as well as open captions. Emcee Nic Novicki gave the AD a fantastic shout-out and screened a brief promo of us as part of the show.

Read more about the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge on their website or our blurb about our work last year.

All of the films showcase deafness or disability on- or behind-the-scenes, and to enter, they had to be scripted, shot and finished within five days by volunteers. They are allowed to run anywhere from one to five minutes, and up to a minute extra for credits. This year the challenge called for a thriller or suspense film.

Project Lead was Thomas Reid. Writers were Cheryl Green, Oliver Baker, founding former member Kensuke Nakamura, and new associates Sean Collins, Casaundra Freeman, and Eboni Gaytan. Blind QC by Nefertiti Matos Olivares and Robert Kingett. Narrated by Thomas, Cheryl, Oliver, Nefertiti, Barbara Faison, Casaundra, and Eboni.

You can watch all fifteen finalist films with open AD and open captions through this YouTube playlist.

#BarbaraFaison #CherylGreen #EastersealsDisabilityFilmChallenge #KensukeNakamura #NefertitiMatosOlivares #OliverBaker #RobertKingett #SADC #ThomasReid

Godzilla Minus One

The latest in our pro bono or “vigilante” AD series of work is a feature-length AD script.

In postwar Japan, Godzilla brings new devastation to an already scorched landscape. With no military intervention or government help in sight, the survivors must join together in the face of despair and fight back against an unrelenting horror.

Read the vigilante script here.

Project lead, writer, and audio/video editor, Kensuke Nakamura. Narrator, Barbara Faison. Writer and Blind QC, Robert Kingett.

#BarbaraFaison #KensukeNakamura #RobertKingett #SADC

Anderson Collection at Stanford University

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the Anderson Collection at Stanford University, the museum recently began rolling out audio and written image descriptions, written and produced by SADC, for every artwork in their collection. The project of describing the whole collection is expected to be complete in 2025.

For those itching to read or listen, already a few dozen artworks have their descriptions available on their individual pages of the Anderson Collection website. These include: The Coat II; Totem Lesson I; Chain Gang; Gansevoort Street; Before, Again IV; Full Time, Number 64; Transfiguration III; Lucifer; Homage to the Square, Diffused; Pendulum; Summer Image (For My Mother); Untitled No. 21 (by Martin); Hans Bricker In The Tropics; Untitled (1969) (by McCraken); The Tale; Living Curve; Untitled (by Irwin); Italian Summer; Sky Garden; Timeless Clock; 1957-J No. 1 (PH-142); black painting; Approach; Plumb Bob; Sinking Brick Plates; and Burn and Glitter. The museum will continue adding the written and audio-recorded descriptions as they become available. We anticipate completing the project in Fall 2025.

Descriptions written by Project Lead Cheryl Green, Oliver Baker, Kensuke Nakamura, and non-member associates Eboni Gaytan, Noah Kemp, Casaundra Freeman, and Sean Collins. Blind QC by Robert Kingett and Nefertiti Matos Olivares. Narration by Oliver, Barbara Faison, Cheryl, Nefertiti, Thomas Reid, and non-member associate Tanja Milojevic. Audio editing by Oliver, Cheryl, Thomas, and Tanja.

#BarbaraFaison #CherylGreen #CherylNarrator #CherylProjectLead #CherylWriter #KensukeNakamura #NefertitiBlindQC #NefertitiMatosOlivares #OliverBaker #OliverNarrator #OliverWriter #RobertKingett #SADC #TanjaMilojevic #ThomasReid

The Last Jews of Guantánamo

Los Últimos Judíos de Guantánamo (The Last Jews of Guantánamo) provides a glimpse of a tiny community at a unique moment for Jews in Cuba. In the city of Guantánamo, following the liberalization of Cuban policies against religion, two women in their 80s are finally to be bat mitzvah; to ritually proclaim their faith and community with other Jews. Members of their historically Jewish family have come out and traveled from abroad for the occasion.

SADC produced audio description for the film, which premieres July 27, 2024 as part of a program on Jews of color, called “Peripheral Visions”, at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.

Project Lead: Cheryl Green. Writer: Oliver Baker. Blind QC and narrator: Nefertiti Matos Olivares. Audio editor: Kensuke Nakamura. Subtitles read by Oliver Baker, Barbara Faison, and Cheryl Green.

#BarbaraFaison #CherylGreen #CherylProjectLead #KensukeNakamura #NefertitiBlindQC #NefertitiMatosOlivares #NefertitiNarrator #OliverBaker #OliverWriter #SADC

2024 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge

Here’s SADC receiving thanks from master of ceremonies Nic Novicki at the award ceremony.

The SADC provided audio description for 15 of the 16 finalists for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, now in its 11th year. (The winner for Best Film, entitled Audio Description, had AD already supplied and central to its story.)

The films each showcase deafness or disability, and had to be scripted, shot and finished all within five days, all by volunteers, and this year all in the form of a buddy comedy.

Prizes are awarded in six categories. At the same time, winners also receive exposure and introductions to entertainment industry professionals and executives.

This was the first year in which finalist films were provided professional AD in advance of the winners being announced. Given the contest’s constraints, the description had to happen fast and under secrecy.  SADC is proud to have been the EDFC’s choice.

Project Lead was Thomas Reid. Writers were Cheryl Green, Oliver Baker, and Kensuke Nakamura. Blind QC by Nefertiti Matos Olivares and Robert Kingett. Narrated by Thomas, Cheryl, Oliver, Nefertiti, and Barbara Faison.

Check out a playlist of the open captioned, open audio described finalist films.

#BarbaraFaison #CherylAudioEditor #CherylGreen #CherylGreenWriter #CherylNarrator #EastersealsDisabilityFilmChallenge #KensukeNakamura #NefertitiBlindQC #NefertitiMatosOlivares #OliverBaker #OliverNarrator #OliverWriter #RobertKingett #ThomasReid

SADC produced AD in English and Spanish for video documentation of the inaugural town hall meeting of the NOVA Victim Advocacy Corps at the University of New Mexico in April 2023.

AD written and Audio Edited by Kensuke Nakamura. Spanish translation, Blind QC and Narration by Project Lead Nefertiti Matos Olivares.

https://socialaudiodescription.com/2024/05/06/nova-victim-advocacy-town-hall/

#KensukeNakamura #NefertitiMatosOlivares

A clairvoyant neurosurgeon embarks on a weekend get away with her best friend only to discover the mountain range has a haunting history.

Audio description written by, Kensuke Nakamura. Blind QC, Robert Kingett. Narrator, Barbara Faison. Blind QC and audio editor, Thomas Reid.

View theNegro Mountain film details on Alicia’s website.

https://socialaudiodescription.com/2023/09/20/negro-mountain/

#BarbaraFaison #KensukeNakamura #RobertKingett #SADC #ThomasReid