Performer, crew member, Access Coordinator and Wiftie Felicity Hamill has shared in detail how access coordination can help productions remove barriers early, support cast and crew, and reach wider audiences.
She was recently featured by Screen Guild, and we found her insights so insightful and useful she agreed to share them here for her WIFTNZ colleagues.
Making Screen Work More Accessible: Felicity Hamill
Screen production is built around tight schedules, changing locations, and constant decisions about time, budget and people. In that environment, access needs can sometimes be treated as something difficult to add on, an extra cost, another layer of planning, or something that might slow the day down.
But when access is considered early, it becomes part of good production planning. It helps teams ask the right questions sooner, identify barriers before they become bigger problems, and create conditions where more cast, crew and audiences can participate.
For this Special Feature, we spoke with performer, crew member and Access Coordinator Felicity Hamill about what access coordination looks like in practice, why it matters for productions of all sizes, and how the Aotearoa screen industry can create more space for Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people on both sides of the screen.
You’ve worked across the screen industry as both performer and crew, from creature work and motion capture to production and on-set roles. How did that journey lead you toward access coordination?
In a nutshell, just as things were getting incredibly exciting in my film career, my health went to absolute sh*t. An avoidable iatrogenic condition meant life as I knew it came to a screaming halt. (Cue the horror music, jarring discordant violins, years of blood and gore and many an epic cry. I cry less these days but do an excellent line in wincing, gasping and dark humour.) I did a lot of patient advocacy when able while bedbound, and when the chance came up to apply for the Access Coordinator training, I saw it as a meaningful opportunity to combine my on-set experience, skills in advocacy and love of film.
I still have an intense passion for performance, especially bringing creature roles to life. These days I make sure to bring my accessibility rider and move differently now; which I’ve silver lining found creates more nuanced subtleties in my work.
For crew or producers who have never worked with an Access Coordinator before, how would you explain the role in simple terms?
The access coordinator brings a combination of lived experience with disability and production know-how to support Film and Television productions as they look to identify and remove barriers to access for Deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent practitioners within our Screen Sector.
The role brings a skillset that can shine a light on each touchpoint of production where accessibility of your processes and final product can be improved. Coordinating with the team to bring together all pieces of the puzzle and connecting you with appropriate experts when needed.
It’s a practical, affordable tool towards more equity and representation; and understanding why accessibility matters in our sector.
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You can read the rest of Felicity's interview on the Screen Guild website HERE.