The ADNA Presents Know Your Narrator Series: Roy Samuelson
Release Date: 07/21/2020
J. Michael Collins
The ADNA Presents
J. Michael Collins has 30 years in voiceover, 50+ industry awards, and runs the largest voiceover conference in the world. He also still has things worth saying. In this conversation, J. Michael and Roy talk about why the voiceover industry is unusually decent, what abundance actually means in a business full of competition, and how Audio Description continues to earn its place at the table at VO Atlanta. J. Michael is candid about the cost of people-pleasing, the math of saying no, and what it looks like to take real risks in a career that spans agency work, online casting, and everything...
info_outline
Maren Garcia
The ADNA Presents
Voice actor Maren Garcia joins host Roy Samuelson to talk about how she first discovered Audio Description, and why it immediately felt personal. Maren shares the moment she was hired for a full feature film, after being found through the Disabled Voice Actors Directory, a resource built to support authentic casting. She talks candidly about vetting an unfamiliar company before saying yes, then falling in love with audio description as both craft and service. They dig into what makes audio description work when it is done well: intention, empathy, and choices that support...
info_outline
Meg Ryan -
The ADNA Presents
info_outline
251 - David Grabias "Brailled It"
The ADNA Presents
Join Roy Samuelson as he chats with Emmy-winning filmmaker David Grabias about his groundbreaking documentary "Brailled It." Grabias shares his innovative approach to incorporating audio description and working with blind filmmakers, challenging traditional views on cinema. Learn how this unique project redefines collaboration and creativity in filmmaking, and get an exclusive peek into its premiere at the Slam Dance Film Festival. Don't miss this exciting discussion that poses the thought-provoking question: 'What is blind cinema?’ If you like this podcast, please like, subscribe,...
info_outline
Story Over Sight: Rethinking Audio Description with Alison Eardley
The ADNA Presents
What happens when we stop treating audio description as an afterthought, and start treating it as storytelling? In this episode of The ADNA Presents, Roy Samuelson sits down with researcher and accessibility innovator Alison Eardley, whose work reshapes how museums understand inclusion, perception, and the power of narrative. Allison reveals why audio description guides attention, builds emotional journeys, and creates experiences where everyone belongs. SO much more than visuals. She shares how pan-disabled co-creation transforms design, why “neutrality” is a myth, and how a patch of...
info_outline
The ADNA Presents: Rebecca Odum
The ADNA Presents
Audio description is crafted, refined, and checked with extraordinary care, with thanks to quality control specialists. On this episode of The ADNA Presents, Roy Samuelson interviews Rebecca Odom, a blind audio description quality control specialist whose expertise ensures that scripts, narration, and final mixes deliver clear, authentic, and emotionally aligned storytelling. She discusses the evolving landscape of AD, the behind-the-scenes work of QC specialists, and how professionals like herself are shaping the future of accessibility in entertainment.
info_outline
Why Bob Bergen Endorsed Roy Samuelson for Performer Governor
The ADNA Presents
In this special episode of The ADNA Presents, we're doing something different. And deeply personal. Voiceover icon and longtime Television Academy leader Bob Bergen shares his journey advocating for voice actors, opening the doors to inclusion, and why he's endorsing me, Roy Samuelson, for Governor of the Performers Peer Group. If you care about how performers gain recognition, how accessibility reshapes inclusion, or how AI is already impacting our craft? This episode delivers a front-row seat to how real change happens behind the scenes. From fighting for VO membership in the Academy to...
info_outline
The ADNA Presents: Tabitha Kenlon: Connection Beyond the Ocular
The ADNA Presents
What happens when you start teaching for connection? In this conversation with Dr. Tabitha Kenlon, an English professor who teaches students across the world (including in Afghanistan), we explore what it really means to see one another when sight isn't the main channel. Tabitha shares how her experiences with low vision reshaped her classroom, and how vulnerability, curiosity, and access can transform both teaching and storytelling. We talk about authority as a bridge instead of a throne, about “sprinkling” inclusion instead of siloing it, and how risk can become an act of generosity....
info_outline
Layers of Storytelling: Horror, Sound, and the Power of Audio Description
The ADNA Presents
Filmmaker Naomi Ross thought audio description was just an obligation - until it changed the way her whole family watches movies. Join Roy Samuelson as they dive into the power of sound, representation, and what happens when storytelling becomes an invitation instead of a checkbox.
info_outline
Bridget Interviews Roy part 3
The ADNA Presents
In this final segment of Bridget's interview, Roy Samuelson pulls back the curtain on a years-long campaign to get audio description performers formally recognized by the Television Academy, a move that opens the door for blind professionals to take their rightful place at the table. He shares the staggering 180-degree shift from being told “there's nothing we can do” to a full green light, and reveals what happened behind the scenes to make it possible. Roy and Bridget dive into the emotional labor, strategic advocacy, and sometimes frustrating opacity of accessibility progress, including...
info_outlineWith tremendous thanks to American Council of the Blind: Get to #KnowYourNarrator - this weekly Audio Description Narrators of America series interviews your favorite narrators for movies and episodic tv. Roy Samuelson presents his keynote speech from the 2020 virtual convention