“Ava’s Story,” the episode of Fox’s new anthology crime series Accused, is a huge step forward for Deaf representation on screen. It features a story told from the perspective of Deaf characters, played by Deaf actors, and directed by Deaf filmmaker and Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin. For Canadian Film Centre Producer’s Lab alum and DGC Ontario Set PA Claire Desmarais, who grew up with two Deaf siblings, that meant an unexpected opportunity to use her ASL skills and experience with the Deaf community to ensure everyone felt included in the production.
We spoke with Claire about her experience on Accused, the importance of visual cues and other assistive tools, reflecting authentic life experiences, and how we can work towards a more diverse and representative entertainment industry.
Could you walk us through how you became more involved with accessibility on the set of Accused, and more specifically, the episode directed by Marlee Matlin? (“Ava’s Story”?)
Claire Desmarais: I saw a posting in the “help wanted” section of the DGC Ontario newsletter looking for a 1st AD fluent in ASL. When I’m not producing I’m typically a Set PA or a 3rd or 4th AD. I’m also not fluent enough in ASL to be an interpreter, but I grew up with two Deaf siblings, so I was signing before I was even speaking and used sign language at home. But it’s been a long time since I’ve lived with those siblings, and I knew I wasn’t qualified to take this position as a 1st AD fluent in ASL.
However, I have a relative, Susi Bolender, who has worked with Marlee Matlin as her interpreter for about 20 years on various projects. I thought Susi would definitely be able to help in some way. I found out that she and Marlee had already connected because Susi is typically who Marlee uses as an interpreter when she’s in Canada. I asked Production if there was any way that I could help because I really wanted to be part of this, and so they created a 4th AD position just for my role in Marlee’s episode.
My role was to be primarily focused on the Deaf cast and liaising with the interpreters, our Director of ASL, and anyone who was Deaf or was in a support role for a Deaf person, whether they be cast or crew. I was looking at my whole job through the lens of, how can I support Marlee and help her do her job? How can I support our director of ASL, our Deaf actors and the interpreters for those actors?
There was always an interpreter directly on set, right next to the camera. In between shots, the Director calls “cut,” and then usually, there’s a bunch of chatter about what needs to happen next. Marlee was signing directly with the actors, and the interpreters were right there to make sure they were interpreting anything they could hear for the actors. This way, the actors weren’t sitting there wondering, “Okay, what’s everyone talking about? What are we doing differently on this next take?”
We also had to figure out a lot of signs along the way. Throughout production we also realized there was a lot of set terminology we didn’t have signs for – so the interpreting team would collaborate with the Deaf folks on the team to establish sign language we could all use to communicate what was happening on set. The team from CODA was there, like the director of ASL and her interpreter, plus Marlee’s ASL interpreter Jack Jason, and they brought fresh, first-hand experience telling Deaf stories in an authentic and inclusive way, but the film industry still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to accessibility, so we were still learning a lot as we went. Jack Jason was there with a really specific job. He was always right next to our script supervisor, and he was mic’d every day and transcribed any ASL dialogue so that if the Editor didn’t know sign language, they could have the track playing and know what the actors were saying.
“One thing that is different about a green room for Deaf actors versus hearing actors is that lighting is very important. We would find a space where we could set up adequate lighting for the Deaf actors to communicate.”
-Claire Desmarais
Tell us about the day-to-day of your role on this set and what your responsibilities were in this unique 4th AD role.
Claire Desmarais: In the morning, I would talk with Transport and with Hair and Makeup, and our Trailer AD, so I knew which of the Deaf cast was going to be where and when. I would relay that information to our interpreters and then assign one interpreter to one Deaf cast member. Usually, I would be in base camp until the first Deaf actor travelled to the set. We made some accommodations in base camp to make it easier for our trailer AD to communicate with the Deaf cast, like installing doorbells on the Deaf actors’ trailers that flash lights inside when they’re rung. We did resort to a lot of texting as a communication method to give 5-minute warnings and set updates as well.
Whenever any Deaf cast travelled to set, I would travel with them, plus their interpreter. We would do a blocking, and establish where the green room was. One thing that is different about a green room for Deaf actors versus hearing actors is that lighting is very important. We would find a space where we could set up adequate lighting for the Deaf actors to communicate. I was on set all day, as a normal AD would be, but staying very close to the actors. Any time there was a cue required for any of the Deaf actors, I would be there telling them what I was hearing on my walkie while they were waiting on their mark.
Did you and the team work with any consultants or disability advocates to ensure that the set was fully accommodating for everyone?
Claire Desmarais: Marlee and Susi helped ensure some things were in place before we even started shooting; for example, the entire crew used clear masks so the Deaf actors could read lips. On day one, when the first call sheet went out, a letter from Marlee was attached to help the crew understand the roles that were created for the production of this unique episode in the anthology and help set expectations for working with Deaf cast and crew. There was also a document provided, created by Deaf West Theatre, of best practices for working with Deaf collaborators. Of course, this is from a theatre company, so it’s a bit different than film and television. But there are some great general best practices in there for working with Deaf people, like prioritizing sightlines and making sure your face is visible so Deaf people can read your lips.
“People quickly caught on to that and learned that once we’re rolling, you’re not only perfectly silent, but you’re planting your feet. You’re not blocking any Deaf person’s sight lines between them and their interpreters or the monitors. With all the ADs, we got into the habit of not just saying “rolling” and “cut” – all those standard things an AD will call out at everyone – but signing them as well.”
-Claire Desmarais
What resources would you hope to see developed that could help to highlight the importance of accessibility in production and how to support disabled and Deaf individuals on set effectively?
Claire Desmarais: When I was at Primetime in Ottawa this year, I went to a great session on accessible production led by Shay Erlich, who runs Shay Erlich Consulting for film and television, and the Disability Screen Office. Consulting firms like Shay’s and organizations like the Disability Screen Office are who we should be consulting with when a project is greenlit and ready to start pre-production. I think it should just be a given to go to organizations like the one that Shay runs, led by disabled people, before locking in the budget. It requires starting as early as possible, not just in prep but in budgeting. You’re bringing in interpreters, and it’s not like you just find the interpreter who lives closest to where the production is. And just because someone knows sign language doesn’t mean they’re a qualified interpreter. A lot of Deaf people will have their preferred interpreter they have the right to work with, so that requires budgeting for travel and accommodation. It can’t be an afterthought. It has to be something that’s considered as early as possible.
I do have to commend Fox and Accused for being so flexible and as accommodating as possible. I remember there was something in the script where one of the Deaf characters said something about picking up the phone and calling someone. They asked, “Can we change that action to be more reflective of something a Deaf person would do?” And the producers said, “Absolutely, do whatever you would typically do .” Everyone wanted our story and our depiction of Deaf life to be as authentic as possible.
Are there any moments on set that come to mind as particularly rewarding, something that will always stick with you?
Claire Desmarais: Everyone on the crew was so keen to learn sign language! People kept asking, “How do I sign this? How do I sign that?” Especially people who interacted directly with the actors, like Hair, Makeup, Costumes and Camera Operators. I think for them, it sometimes felt impersonal, going through an interpreter, but that’s the way that Deaf people move through the world. It’s not impersonal to them, and it’s really helpful to have a qualified interpreter there to translate what they’re saying.
It was really nice that everyone was learning to be more aware of their senses in general. When the cameras are rolling, we’re used to the idea that everyone needs to stay completely quiet. But on this set, it was also really critical for everyone to stay completely still. If you’re in the eye line of a Deaf actor or Marlee, that’s incredibly distracting, so working quietly or travelling quietly around the studio while we’re rolling was not considerate of the Deaf people on set. People quickly caught on to that and learned that once we’re rolling, you’re not only perfectly silent, but you’re planting your feet. You’re not blocking any Deaf person’s sight lines between them and their interpreters or the monitors. With all the ADs, we got into the habit of not just saying “rolling” and “cut” – all those standard things an AD will call out at everyone – but signing them as well.
Everyone was really excited about what we were doing, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who got emotional when the cameras started rolling for our first take on day one. We made history with the first episode of network television to be directed by a Deaf person. The story is told from a Deaf person’s point of view, and I think that will be really eye-opening to people who take their hearing for granted. The Deaf actors were incredible to work with, and was an honor to work with Marlee Matlin, an absolute legend.
