#also imagining an advocate-buddy system bc it would be cute

[bilbobagginsomebabez]

watching lola sebastian's video the movie james franco doesn't want you to see which discusses atrociously offensive autistic representation and makes me think of all the ways you could do it differently (read: acceptably, well).

i think i would ask a nonverbal autistic person like that blogger* on here that talks a lot about their experience and relationship to language and communication to co-write and/or produce depending on which roles are needed to ensure they're taken seriously. there are absolutely nonverbal autistic people who want to participate in communal acts of creation, who want to present their experiences as art and a representation of what it means to be human. it's worth the effort to find them and involve them. it's necessary.

which brings me to how. this is also a logistical question! depending on their comfort with unfamiliar social environments, i'd probably either A) set them up with a livestream of set at home, a groupchat w the actor, director, producer etc, and whatever other accommodations they need to provide feedback and perspective or B)** if they were comfortable on set, get noise cancelling headphones, a private trailer for Safe Quiet Dont Bother Me Zone, an ipad or something for the groupchat system, and pre-plan a flag-for-attention signal in case any texts get missed. i'd also need a system of hard-drives or cloud storage so my collaborator could review footage at their own pace during filming and catch anything they might have missed. as I understand it, nonverbal autistic people also need extra time to parse language which can be exacerbated by a frantic/urgent/high pressure social environment. so asking them to provide all their feedback on set during filming is just. no.

based on the movies [never been on a set], i think the 'do not enter' zone on a set is communicated through social signals like everybody just kind of avoiding the area and assuming it's obvious, but that isn't obvious for autistic people. so maybe like green screen colored tape around the areas that will be in the camera's view that day. spraypaint on the grass? if sets do not already have this as standard practice, they should.

and these accommodation ideas might be shit! they might suck ASS and be completely different from what my autistic collaborator wants and needs. at which point I'll go "yay! you know exactly what you need and that makes it easy for me to help make it work." but the fact that I was already thinking about it and already have ideas helps them feel more comfortable in sharing their real needs and feel confident that I will do my actual best to accommodate.

I sit here thinking about how to get compassionate and considered autistic representation on screen and i say. ok autistic people need to be directly involved and in a position of authority and control. they have to have a role where they cannot be mown down. and they have to be able to exercise that authority. exercising that authority requires comfort and navigability. so I also have to think about making sure they are comfortable on set and can easily navigate it. so I have to think about what nails-on-a-chalkboard microcosms of hell are lurking on set to surprise and overwhelm.

this forces me to think about what actually bothers autistic people. I have to sit here and identify problems and risks, and that makes me better able to identify them in other contexts. i'm not a film-maker and i'm probably never going to make a movie. i'm never going to put these specific accommodations into place on a movie set. but thinking about it like this situates me to see the environment as the problem, not the disability or the disabled person. if I'm working with an autistic person and they have a meltdown, i don't look at them with fear or frustration, I look for the environmental trigger and how to remove it. I think about how to facilitate their involvement and contribution without putting them through psychological distress.

*don't actually follow them or remember the url, apologies. they just appear on my dash semi-regularly.

**some nonverbal autistic people have a caretaker that also acts as "interpreter" and i understand that this is controversial and sometimes seen as dehumanizing due to the inherent power imbalance. the caretaker is often neurotypical and a family member, and the caretaker's word is often respected over and above clearly communicative body language and vocalizations by the nonverbal autistic person who is assumed to lack full reasoning capabilities. they have little recourse in cases of misinterpretation. however if the nonverbal autistic collaborator has a person like this that they value and would prefer to have on set with them, that person would also probably need to be paid. if they have a job to support themselves and their autistic loved one that they'd have to take time off from to help with filming, participation in the project would financially harm them without paying the caretaker as well. so one paycheck could very well become two and that should be expected.

[damnedreams]

❔ !

send ❔ and i’ll list a couple muses that i’d like to throw at yours! @guiltscorched

BNHA muses:

izuku and katsuki to shinsou: i still have to get to know your shinsou but i feel there would be a lot of snark between him and katsuki. at least from what i’ve seen in fanwork, because that’s where i tend to be most times when it comes to bnha lmao. izuku and shinsou can be buddies, good friends because izuku likes making friends. katsuki doesn’t, but i think he’d have his respect for the sweat, blood, and tears he’s gone through to making it into the hero course. overall just them growing closer and being like i got your back type of bond. plus of course they got this whole war they’re going through too. i just feel there’s a lot of play with and i am always happy to play in the sandbox and create new stories and aus! So yeah! I think the possibilities of their dynamics can be fun and neat! c:  

izuku and katsuki to aizawa: this is one stems from their canon familiarity, with aizawa being their teacher and all. i just think it would be neat to have them interact. i believe they have a lot of respect for aizawa and even after they graduate they will hold him in high-esteem. i think izuku would visit him from time to time, and drag katsuki with him sometimes. imagining moments of them relying on his guidance, seeking his guidance, and bonding as teacher and students. i don’t think he’s had a class that has gone through as much as they have. 

JJK muses:

Yuta and all three of your JJK muses c: 

Gojo: I just... simply put Yuuta and Gojo’s interactions look like they would be a lot of fun. I don’t believe I’ve interacted with a Gojo, so I’m ready to jump at the chance. It’s obvious these two have their story to tell, given that Gojo advocated for Yuuta and then brought him to the school. Yuuta seems to admire his sensei, despite his oddities lmao. Look whatever Gojo asks, Yuuta will most likely do, so him being involved in whatever schemes his sensei up to to annoy his coworkers. 

Megumi: Yuuta I believe would always be happy to interact with his underclassmen! Take them under his wing and give them support, tips, and tricks! Also like Yuuji (look i always saw him petting them or holding them the animals) and....I feel Yuuta would totally love seeing Megumi’s summons. He wants in on the fun. I mean...how can anyone resist those cute animals. 

Inumaki: before i saw fanart of them, i was like they’re cool. after i saw fanart of them i was like CUTE. i just....they seem like a cute pair of friends and yuuta wants to be his friend okay. learn to communicate with him, oh what about them coming up with their own communication system? and they’re just having a good time before everything goes to shit. posting peace sign selfies on their social media (idk if they even have it ( or allowed to have one) but im just letting my mind wander yanno). lmao tell me why i just pictured them going on an assignment and yuuta over here like take a pic as he poses by a curse they just took down just to be funny (i don’t think they show up on pictures right? idk lmao are they like vampires that way). Anyway yeah best bros i’d love for them to be. 

Fire Emblem muses:

I’m still playing the game, but once I’m done I wanna throw whoever makes it on the roster to your FE muses!! That’s why I didn’t choose any...bc idk who is going to make right now other than Claude (but he’s test muse status still). 

If I didn’t bring up a muse you wanna interact with, please lemme know! I’m always open to hearing ideas! ^^