Expertly crafted by a seasoned team of trailblazers comes Contours, a truly beautiful short film about two people feeling the weight of time lost and the invisible distance forming between them.
Viewers are welcomed into an art gallery where Spirit (Lauren Ridloff) and Van (John Autry II) are in their own emotional experiment to find each other, causing a spark and igniting passion. Their energy blends seamlessly with the thought-provoking images around them, taking them from a place of chance meetings and subtle smiles to the reality of life passing and devotion diminished, as if the meanings of the paintings somehow dripped off the canvas and played it out in front of them, harmonizing their vulnerabilities. The art that adorns the walls of the museum, combined with the artistry in the chemistry between the characters, creates an intimate narrative mix of sincerity and excitement, longing and meaning between two people and their purpose to one another.
Contours exudes a feeling of familiar wholeness.
A feeling of connectedness, a human hunger.
Art on film.
As the credits rolled, two words came to mind: Narrative. Excellence.
Directed by Aisha Amin, Contours is screening during the Slamdance Film Festival as part of the narratives shorts section. Two Disability Belongs™ Entertainment Lab alumni, Kiah Amara and Asha Chai-Chang, served as the film’s Production Accessibility Coordinators. Asha Chai-Chang caught up with Disability Belongs™ for an interview on the importance of Contours.
Q: As an Accessibility Coordinator, what are your key focuses to ensure accessibility for everyone on a busy film set?
Asha Chai-Chang: The main focuses were communication, accommodations, and ensuring that I was a resource for our cast and crew members with disabilities and without disabilities. I worked with a Director of ASL (DASL) on set and had the opportunity to speak with the writer before filming to get the essence of the creative behind the film. For communication, the DASL provided tutorials for the crew members to use while on set, including, “last looks,” “rolling,” and such. As the Accessibility Coordinator, it was important to familiarize and echo the DASL’s training throughout the filmmaking process.
When I met with the actors, each one had different communication styles and accommodation requests. Once I ensured understanding of those, I shared and trained the Director and First Assistant Director on communication styles and accommodations. This was the first time I had used a laser as a form of communication for an actor! The laser was used to convey standby, rolling, starting eyeline of the Director’s choice, and action!
With the crew, using sign language in between takes added to the comfort of our actors and other deaf/hard of hearing team members. Honestly, I think we should use quieter methods on set in general – we rarely had to sign “quiet on set” since it became the standard. For longer conversations, we would share notes or text messages.
Q: I’ve had the good fortune of seeing your work as a disability and accessibility coordinator first-hand on a show we worked on together. You had a sensory relief box ready to go should I or anyone else need it; that meant the world to me as a performer with a disability. What are some of the unique approaches you took on Contours to provide accessibility for the cast and crew?
Asha Chai-Chang: Thank you! It was wonderful working with you too. Yes, I do equip myself differently based on the project and with Contours, the first day I came with sensory relief tools for the crew members, lasers for cast members, clear view face masks, and so on. I’m glad that I keep a tape measure handy as well – one unique situation that came up was providing accessibility for the Director of Photography (DP) and Camera Operator.
When filming ASL it’s key to include as much of the body of the performer as possible, including sound and facial expressions. We had the task of filming in a tight bathroom, and I remember when the crew called me over and asked, “Is there any way possible to get all our key team members and cast in here plus capture the full shots that we need?” And within minutes, I measured the space, thought of materials we could use to expand the area, and built a sustainable platform that could hold both the DP and camera while creating space for lighting. We had to get creative for sound as well. Our team talks about it often because it was the first time for some of the crew members when they realized accessibility is not solely for people with disabilities. Accessibility is for all.
Q: What are some of the most common accommodations you find are often overlooked when it comes to providing an accessible work environment and what would you recommend to help employers avoid those mistakes in the future?
Asha Chai-Chang: Communication is often overlooked or thought of from a singular perspective. Accessible work environments could benefit from asking and providing information in more than one way. Being able to fully participate in any work environment requires the ability to share information.
Q: What was your favorite part about working on Contours?
Asha Chai-Chang: The amazing team and story! I originally learned about and accepted the role as a fill-in for my friend and colleague, Kiah Amara, and it was also a helpful distraction as I was navigating a difficult personal experience. Contours was therapeutic and helpful for me in more ways than I realized at the time. It’s a story and experience that will stick with me forever. I admire that the team was open to accessibility from the start and continues to champion accessibility and deaf/disability representation.
The next screening of Contours will be in Los Angeles at the Slamdance Film Festival on February 22, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. PT in the Narrative Shorts Block #2. For more information about where to watch this film, follow its Instagram account: @contours_short_film.
