>>> THE UPCOMING PROGRAM WAS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS PROGRAM ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF WTJX OR ITS STAFF .

>> GREETINGS AND WELCOME TO ABLE TO RAISE, I´M YOUR HOST, AMELIA HEADLY LAMONT ON BEHALF OF THE DISABILITY RIGHTS CENTER OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS .

TODAY, WE HAVE A VERY INTERESTING GUEST.

HIS NAME IS JAMES ROBINSON AND HE IS A DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER.

GREETINGS AND WELCOME.

MR. ROBINSON.

HOW ARE YOU?

HOW ARE YOU?

>> I´M DOING VERY WELL.

SO PLEASED YOU AGREED TO TALK WITH US TODAY.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> DECIDING TO DO THE KIND OF WORK THAT YOU DO I WOULD IMAGINE IS NOT AN EASY CALLING.

TELL US HOW YOU GOT INTO DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING .

>> IT STARTED WHEN I WAS REALLY YOUNG.

I STARTED PLAYING WITH MY PARENTS CAMCORDER.

I DIDN´T HAVE TELEVISION UNTIL I WAS ABOUT 12 YEARS OLD.

I THINK NOT HAVING TELEVISION AS A KID, AND THEN AT 12 I STARTED WATCHING DOCUMENTARIES AT FRONTLINE AND THAT KIND OF THING.

I FOUND THAT VIDEO IS SUCH A POWERFUL MEDIUM.

IT WAS KIND OF GRADUAL.

I WENT TO COLLEGE.

THAT´S HOW MY PASSION FOR DOCUMENTARY REALLY TOOK OFF THERE.

I´VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO KIND OF STEP INTO THE REAL DOCUMENTARY WORLD SO TO SPEAK.

IT´S BEEN A LOT OF FUN.

>> I GUESS WHAT YOU ARE SUGGESTING IS THERE IS ALLOWING A YOUNGSTER TO IMAGINE DEVELOP AN IMAGINATION .

RIGHT?

INSTEAD OF -- >> ABSOLUTELY.

>> THAT´S A VERY COMPELLING MESSAGE.

WHAT DRAWS YOU TO A PROJECT?

DO YOU HAVE A TYPE OF GENRE THAT YOU PREFER?

>> IT´S FASCINATING, I USED TO THINK OF DOCUMENTARIES AS THINGS THAT HAD TO BE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE FAR AWAY.

OVER TIME, I´VE DISCOVERED THAT DOCUMENTARIES ARE ALL ABOUT TRUST AND PROXIMITY AND SOME OF THE BEST STORIES ARE THE ONES THAT ARE CLOSEST TO YOU.

CERTAINLY IN THE VIDEO I MADE ABOUT MY OWN EYES, WHERE I TURNED THE CAMERA ON MYSELF, WAS KIND OF INSTRUMENTAL IN UNDERSTANDING THAT POWER.

YOU LOOK FOR VISUAL POSSIBILITIES AND THEN YOU LOOK FOR AREAS WHERE YOU ARE ABLE TO BUILD TRUST AND REALLY STRONG CONNECTIONS.

THINKING ABOUT AT NIGHT, I HOPE IT´S A STORY OTHER PEOPLE LATCH ONTO AS WELL.

>> WHEN YOU FILMED THIS STORY ABOUT YOURSELF, YOU ALSO FILMED YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS.

HOW DID THEY FEEL ABOUT IT?

>> THAT´S A GOOD QUESTION.

THAT STARTED WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE.

IT WAS LIKE MY CAPSTONE PROJECT MY SENIOR YEAR.

THEY WERE OPEN TO IT BECAUSE IT WAS THIS REALLY SMALL FILM JUST FOR MY COLLEGE CLASS .

I DON´T THINK THEY REALIZED ANYONE WOULD SEE IT.

AT FIRST THEY WERE OPEN TO IT.

IT WAS OVER WINTER BREAK OF MY SENIOR YEAR.

I SET THEM DOWN IN THIS ROOM ACTUALLY AND PUT UP A BLACK CURTAIN AND ASKED THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT MY EYES.

IT WAS REALLY EXPERIMENTAL AND I WAS TRYING TO ASK SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT HAD ALWAYS BEEN THERE BUT THAT WE HAD NEVER REALLY DISCUSSED OR TALKED ABOUT COMPLETELY OPENLY.

THAT WAS SUPER EXPERIMENTAL AND REALLY CASUAL.

I THINK YOU CAN SENSE FROM THE FILM, EVERYONE IS REALLY LOOSE AND THAT´S BECAUSE WE WERE LIKE TELLING JOKES BACK AND FORTH AND THERE WAS A LOT OF --WE WERE JUST HAVING A FUN TIME.

IT WAS SUCH A SMALL PROJECT AT FIRST.

IT KIND OF TOOK OFF LATER AND BECAME MORE PUBLIC.

>> TELL US ABOUT WHAT WHALE EYES IS.

I WILL NOT EVEN REMEMBER THE SCIENTIFIC NAME.

SOMETHING YOU SELF IDENTIFIED AS AN EYE CONDITION.

TELL US WHAT THAT IS, PLEASE.

>> I HAVE A CONDITION CALLED -- AND MY EYES POINT OUTWARD AND I HAVE ANOTHER COMPLICATION CALLED A.R.C.

GROWING UP, I COULDN´T REMEMBER THE NAMES EITHER.

PEOPLE WOULD ASK ME AND I WOULD TELL PEOPLE I HAD A LAZY EYE BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING PEOPLE LATCHED ONTO.

IT WAS SOMETHING THEY HAD HEARD OF, SO WHEN I SAID, IT´S JUST A LAZY EYE, THEY WOULD SAY, OKAY.

I STARTED MAKING WHALE EYES FIRST BECAUSE MY FAMILY ASKED ME, WHAT´S IT LIKE WHEN YOU SEE THE WORLD?

HOW DO YOU SEE THE WORLD?

I SEE OUT OF ONE EYE AT A TIME AND THEY SWITCH BACK AND FORTH.

RIGHT NOW I´M LOOKING OUT OF MY LEFT EYE BUT I CAN SWITCH AND LOOK OUT OF MY RIGHT EYE.

WHEN THAT HAPPENS, EVERYTHING APPEARS TO JUMP SUDDENLY.

I STARTED MAKING THIS FILM BECAUSE MY FAMILY LITERALLY ASKED ME, WHAT DOES THAT JUMPING LOOK LIKE.

AND THEN IT ALSO BECAME A WAY TO KIND OF EXPLORE A QUESTION WHICH IS THE WAY I´M SEEING OR HOW DO I WANT PEOPLE TO SEE ME.

THE FILM BECAME ABOUT TWO THINGS.

HOW I SEE AND HOW I WANT TO BE SEEN.

THE NAME WHALE EYES COMES FROM THE FACT THAT ALL OF US LOVE LOOKING AT WHALES AND WE HAVE NO PROBLEM LOOKING AT ONE EYE AT A TIME.

SO, BY CALLING THEM WHALE EYES, IT WAS GIVING MY EYES A NAME THAT I COULD REMEMBER SO HOPEFULLY OTHER PEOPLE COULD HAS A LITTLE HINT IN IT OF HOW I WANT TO BE LOOKED AT WHICH IS , LOOK BACK INTO THE I THAT IS LOOKING AT YOU.

THAT IS HOW THE NAME CAME ABOUT.

ONCE WE RELEASED THE FILM, I WAS REALLY LUCKY A LOT OF PEOPLE LATCHED ONTO THE PHRASE .

PEOPLE WOULD SHARE WITH ME, GREETINGS FROM A WHALE OR GREETINGS FROM A FELLOW WHALE.

IT´S BEEN FUN, BUT IT´S BEEN MEANINGFUL TOO BECAUSE IT´S A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT.

>> HOW DO YOU BEGIN THE UNDERTAKING OF A DOCUMENTARY?

HOW TO GET STARTED TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

>> THE FIRST STEP IS THE HARDEST PART.

YOU´VE JUST GOT TO START.

OFTENTIMES, I DON´T REALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT´S GOING TO TURN INTO, BUT I HAVE AN IDEA OF THE UNDERSTANDING I´M TRYING TO CREATE.

REALLY BROAD.

I WANT THIS DOCUMENTARY.

I THINK OF DOCUMENTARIES LIKE RIDGES.

I KNOW WHERE MY BRIDGE WANTS TO GO.

THAT IS STEP ONE.

THEN, FOR STEP TWO, I START WITH ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE.

FOOTAGE THAT ALREADY EXISTS THAT PERTAINS TO --I WAS JUST LOOKING AT VISION AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.

THEN, I STARTED WORKING ON A QUESTIONS LIST FOR QUESTIONS I COULD ASK MY FAMILY.

AND THEN, YOU GET INTO THE EDITING THE FILM AND SCRIPTING NARRATION AND THAT KIND OF THING.

IT TAKES A LONG TIME THOUGH.

THERE IS A LOT OF GOING BACK AND REWORKING .

THERE ARE MANY ITERATIONS.

>> DO YOU DO THIS ALL BY YOURSELF?

>> FOR THE MOST PART, YEAH.

I WORK WITH EVERY TYPE OF PROJECT EVER, YOU NEED SOMEONE YOU CAN SHOW IT TO AND SAY, WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS ?

DOES THIS MAKE ANY SENSE?

SOMETIMES IT DOES AND A LOT OF TIMES IT DOESN´T.

KNOW.

I DO ALL THE SCRIPTING, NARRATION, AND EDITING.

IT TOOK ME A LOT OF TIME AND YEARS TO BUILD UP THOSE SKILLS AND I´M ACTIVELY LEARNING WHILE I´M CREATING A FILM STILL, TO THIS DAY.

BUT I DO ALL THE TECHNICAL STUFF AS WELL.

>> WHAT IS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT FILMS YOU´VE WORKED ON, AND WHY?

>> I THINK IN THIS MOST RECENT SERIES WE DID A FILM ON STUTTERING FEATURING JIM HENDRIX, AN EDITOR AT THE ATLANTIC.

THAT WAS THE PREMISE OF THE FILM.

JOHN , LIKE MANY PEOPLE, HAS A STUTTER.

IT TAKES HIM A LONG TIME TO GET HIS WORDS OUT, SO TO SPEAK.

THE CHALLENGE IN THE FILM AND THE REASON I DECIDED TO TAKE IT ON WAS , IT WAS LIKE THIS QUESTION.

CAN WE HAVE SOMEONE FLUENT IN A MEDIUM , WHICH IS ONLINE VIDEO, WHICH REALLY FAVORS FLUENCY AND FAVORS A SPEED OF TALKING WHICH CAN BE REALLY ALARMING SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ON TICK-TOCK OR WHATEVER WHERE PEOPLE ARE TALKING AT 100 MILES PER HOUR.

THAT WAS A CHALLENGE, BECAUSE I WANTED TO PUSH BOTH MYSELF AND LISTENERS TO BE MORE PATIENT THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF VIDEO.

SO, ULTIMATELY, WE CREATED THIS IMAGINARY DEVICE .

FIRST, WE TAKE OUT ALL OF HIS STUTTERS AND AS THE FILM PROGRESSES, WE START LEAVING IN ONE TYPE OF STUTTER AT A TIME.

TRYING TO BUILD THAT PATIENTS WITHIN THE LISTENER AND TEACHING PEOPLE HOW WE SHOULD BE LISTENING TO PEOPLE LIKE JOHN.

>> THAT´S A GOOD POINT.

VERY WELL DONE, BY THE WAY.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR SERIES WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES AND HOW THAT CAME TO BE?

>> YEAH, THE SERIES IS CALLED ADAPTABILITY.

IT´S FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES OPINION VIDEO TEAM.

THIS STARTED A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO.

I HAD DONE THE VIDEO ABOUT MY EYES CALLED WHALE EYES AND THAT WAS MET WITH KIND OF AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE.

I DON´T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE EXPECTING BUT I WAS CERTAINLY TAKEN ABACK THE MORNING IT PUBLISHED.

I WOKE UP AT LIKE 4:00 A.M. BECAUSE I WAS GETTING MESSAGE AFTER MESSAGE FROM ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO HAD EYES LIKE MEAN MINE AND HAD NEVER SEEN THEM PORTRAYED POSITIVELY ON SCREEN.

IT WAS LIKE THE MOST GRATIFYING MOMENT.

THE SUCCESS OF WHALE EYES MADE ME THINK, MAYBE WE CAN DO A SERIES ALONG THESE LINES.

SO THEY ASKED ME TO LOOK INTO THREE VIDEOS ABOUT THREE CONDITIONS.

SO I STARTED REACHING OUT TO ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY AND ASKING WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS THAT COULD USE VIDEOS .

THERE COULD BE LIKE A VIDEO LIKE THIS WOULD BE HELPFUL.

IF WE DID A VIDEO ON AGGRESSIVE VISION LOSS , THAT WAS INSPIRED BY SEVERAL EMAILS I HAD RECEIVED FROM PEOPLE WITH THE CONDITION WHO HAD ASKED IF I COULD MAKE A VIDEO ABOUT THEIR CONDITION.

WE CHOSE STUTTERING AND FACE BLINDNESS.

CONDITIONS THAT CAN BE EXPLAINED THROUGH A VIDEO.

>> DREW AN INDIVIDUAL AS WELL.

EVERYONE THAT I´VE SEEN IT COMES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN INDIVIDUAL.

AND HOW THAT IMPACTS THEIR LIFE AND THEIR LOVED ONES AND THEIR IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY.

DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE A PITCH TO THE NEW YORK TIMES TO DO THIS KIND OF THING?

HOW DID THAT GO?

>> IT WAS A LITTLE INFORMAL AS I HAD A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TEAM.

THEY ASKED ME TO LOOK INTO THIS.

INTO THE THREE VIDEOS.

IT WAS JUST AN EMAIL, BUT IT WAS A LONG EMAIL ABOUT THE VISUAL POTENTIAL THOUGHT THE SUBJECT I HAD CHOSEN WAS WORTHY OR WOULD MAKE FOR A GOOD SUBJECT TO REPRESENT THIS CONDITION.

IT´S KIND OF A LONG PROCESS TO FIND THE PERSON WHO WE ARE GOING TO PROFILE AND WHOSE VOICE IS GOING TO BE INCLUDED.

ABSOLUTELY.

>> SOMEBODY WAS INTERESTED IN DOING FILMMAKING.

WHAT KIND OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM?

>> START TALKING TO PEOPLE IS MY FIRST ADVICE.

A STORY, IF YOU ARE RESEARCHING ONLINE OR READING A BUNCH OF BOOKS, THAT´S ONE THING.

DEFINITELY READ BOOKS AND DO YOUR RESEARCH ONLINE, BUT FOR ME, THE TRANSFORMATION ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE SPEAKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES.

IF YOU SPEAK WITH PEOPLE IMPACTED BY WHETHER IT´S MY CONDITION OR --IT COULD BE ANYTHING.

IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.

I THINK YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PIECE BECOMES MUCH MORE PERSONAL.

DOCUMENTARIES I THINK ARE ALL ABOUT ADDING EMOTION TO FACTS AND FIGURES AND ADDING EMOTIONS TO THINGS WE MIGHT ENCOUNTER EVERY DAY.

YOU ONLY GET THAT I SPEAKING TO PEOPLE AND ALSO BEING OPEN TO HAVING WHAT YOU ORIGINALLY THOUGHT.

WHETHER IT WAS WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOUR DOCUMENTARY WOULD ABOUT OR WHAT THIS PERSON WOULD SAY.

BE OPEN TO THAT BEING CHALLENGED AND TRANSFORMED AND COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU EXPECTED.

>> THAT´S A GOOD MIND-SET.

>> I READ IN YOUR MIND BIO THAT YOU WERE EITHER INTERESTED IN FIREFIGHTING OR ACTUALLY DID FIREFIGHTING .

IS THAT CORRECT?

>> YEAH, THIS IS MY ONE DOCUMENTARY PROJECT THAT KIND OF FLOPPED, UNFORTUNATELY.

YES, I DID BECOME A CERTIFIED WILDLAND I WAS HOPING TO DO A PROJECT ON THE IMPACT OF FIREFIGHTERS PARTICULARLY IN THE WEST COAST AND COLORADO AND NEW MEXICO AREA.

I THINK THAT´S ANOTHER PART OF IT.

BE WILLING TO GO THERE AND BE WILLING TO GET THE CERTIFICATION YOU NEED SO YOU CAN REALLY GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.

ALL THESE STORIES ARE BEST TOLD WITH PROXIMITY .

ANY SORT OF -- WHETHER IT´S RADIO OR VIDEO, I THINK YOU CAN SENSE PROXIMITY.

BOTH PHYSICAL PROXIMITY AND EMOTIONAL PROXIMITY IN A WORK.

IT´S SOMETHING YOU JUST SENSE AND FEEL.

THAT WAS A PROJECT THAT DIDN´T WORK OUT , BUT I STILL WAS PUTTING IN THE WORK TO KIND OF GET THAT PROXIMITY AND I LEARNED A LOT THROUGH THE PROCESS.

ABSOLUTELY.

>> I WOULD IMAGINE THESE ARE ITEMS THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO SAVE >> FOR SURE.

>> ARCHIVING ITEMS.

IT´S NOT LOST IS MY ASSUMPTION.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR SCHOOLING.

DID YOU STUDY FILM?

>> YEAH, I WENT TO DUKE UNIVERSITY AND DUKE HAS A SPECIAL CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY STUDIES.

THEY HAVE A WIDE VIEW OF DOCUMENTARIES THEY CONSIDER WRITING, AUDIO, VIDEO, EVEN ART INSTALLATIONS, TO ALL THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF DOCUMENTARY.

ALL THROUGHOUT MY COLLEGE AND EVEN SOME OF MY HIGH SCHOOL TOO I WAS TAKING THIS REALLY WIDE VIEW OF DOCUMENTARY AS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT FORMS, NOT JUST VIDEO.

I´VE SETTLED ON VIDEO AT THE MOMENT AS MY FORM BUT I´M STILL USING THAT EDUCATION OF JUMPING BETWEEN FORMS BECAUSE I THINK IT´S SOMETHING ANYBODY IN THE INDUSTRY TODAY HAS TO DO, OR JUMPING BETWEEN TEXT AND KIND OF VIDEO FORMATS .

TIMED MEDIA FORMATS.

IT´S A REALLY WIDE VIEW BUT I THINK I HAVE BENEFITED TREMENDOUSLY FROM THAT BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE.

>> I´M A LITTLE INTRIGUED.

TELL ME ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HORIZONTAL VIDEO AND A VERTICAL VIDEO.

>> THIS WOULD BE VERTICAL.

IT´S LIKE 16 BY NINE.

HORIZONTAL IS SORT OF THE NEW TIKTOK TREND OR INSTAGRAM TREND.

WITH THIS ADAPTABILITY SERIES I GAVE THE TIMES TWO CUTS.

ONE WAS WIDE AND ONE WAS TALL.

THAT KIND OF FLEXIBILITY , SOME FILMMAKERS KNOW SHADES OF THEM BUT THEY REALLY BELIEVE IT HAS TO BE WIDE.

16 BY NINE IS THE DIMENSIONS AND THAT´S KIND OF IT.

THE FLEXIBILITY.

I THINK THE STORY IS WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT AND WHETHER YOU WATCH IT IN A RECTANGLE OR A SQUARE, AS LONG AS YOU ARE WATCHING IT, THAT´S WHAT I CARE ABOUT MOST.

>> ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO MORE VIDEOS FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES SERIES?

>> WE TALKED ABOUT COLLABORATING IN THE FUTURE.

I´M SURE AT SOME POINT WE WILL DO MORE DISABILITY STORIES.

I´M NOT SURE IF IT WILL TAKE THE SAME FORM AS THE ADAPTABILITY SERIES.

BUT THAT WILL BE AN ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH THEM.

>> YOU SAID ADAPTABILITY SERIES SO AM I TO ASSUME THERE WILL BE MORE --YOU HAVE FOR RIGHT NOW, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, FOUR FOR NOW.

AND THEN WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

>> WHAT ELSE IS IN STORE FOR JAMES ROBINSON ?

>> MY NEXT BIG PROJECT, I´M WORKING ON A BOOK WITH RANDOM HOUSE.

IT WILL BE AN ILLUSTRATED MEMOIR.

IT´S VERY LIKELY GOING TO BE CALLED WHALE EYES AS WELL.

IT WILL BE ABOUT MY VISION AND SOME OF MY DIFFICULTY WITH READING AS WELL.

I WILL ALSO BE DIGGING INTO FINDING THE POWER OF WORDS THROUGH VIDEO THROUGH A NEW FORM.

THAT´S THE NEXT PROJECT.

STARTING SUPPOSED TO BE THIS WEEK.

MAYBE TOMORROW.

>> LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD YOU.

IT´S GOING TO BE A CHILDREN´S BOOK?

>> YEAH, LIKE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS.

>> YOU MENTIONED THIS EARLIER THAT YOU DON´T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY YOU SEE BUT YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY YOU ARE SEEING THE.

MANY PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE OF ABLEISM.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE WHAT THAT MEANS TO YOU AND HOW CAN A COMMUNITY AT-LARGE DO A BETTER JOB AT ELIMINATING ABLEISM.

>> I THINK ABLEISM IS SOMETHING WE SWIM THROUGH EVERY DAY.

A LOT OF TIMES, FOR ME, ABLEISM THE MIRROR AND LEARNING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT I´M SAYING AND THE WORDS THAT I´M USING.

THE HISTORY BEHIND SOME OF THOSE WORDS.

IT´S ALSO ABOUT -- IT´S LOOKING IN THE MIRROR .

KNOWING THE WAY I´VE BEEN LOOKED AT.

A LOT OF TIMES, IN MY CHILDHOOD, WHENEVER WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE TREAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, IT WAS ALWAYS, DON´T WORRY.

BE KIND.

I THINK THERE IS MORE TO IT THAN THAT.

I THINK A LOT OF US FEEL TREMENDOUS DISCOMFORT FROM OTHER PEOPLE´S DISABILITIES.

I DON´T THINK THAT´S NECESSARILY OUR FAULT THOUGH, BUT STILL, TO THIS DAY, 25% OF AMERICANS HAVE A DISABILITY, YET 3.5% OF TELEVISION CHARACTERS ARE DISABLED.

WE DON´T SEE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ON SCREEN.

WE DON´T LEARN THOSE SOCIAL CUES OR LITTLE THINGS LIKE HOW TO LOOK AT MY FACE OR HOW TO LISTEN TO SOMEONE WITH A STUTTER.

A LOT OF MY WORK IS ABOUT GETTING COMFORTABLE AND LEARNING WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE LEARNED.

A LOT OF WHAT I´M TRYING TO DO IS FLIP THE SCRIPT OF THE TRADITIONAL DISABILITY PROFILE THAT I SAW A LOT GROWING UP WHICH TENDED TO PROFILE SOMEBODY WITH A DISABILITY AND HOW THEY OVERCAME IT.

INSTEAD I TRY TO PUSH AN ABLED AUDIENCE TO OVERCOME THEIR DISCOMFORT WITH HIS ABILITY.

FOR SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY, DISABILITY ISN´T SOMETHING THEY ARE ASHAMED OF OR THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO BEAT.

IT´S JUST A FACT OF LIFE.

SOMETHING THEY LIVE WITH.

I THINK OVERCOMING ABLEISM TO ME IS ABOUT OVERCOMING THAT DISCOMFORT AND ALLOWING PEOPLE TO WALK THE WAY THAT THEY NEED TO WALK AND TO SPEAK THE WAY THEY NEED TO SPEAK AND LOOK THE WAY THEY NEED TO LOOK.

>> OTHER ANY DOCUMENTARIES IN ADDITION TO YOURS OR BOOKS WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DISABILITY CULTURE OR DISABILITY ISSUES?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK THE FOREMOST DOCUMENTARY IS DASH CAM.

BARACK OBAMA´S -- SHE HAS THE DISABILITY VISIBILITY PROJECT.

SHE HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE LEADER FOR THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY AND IS SOMEONE I REALLY LOOK UP TO.

THOSE ARE TWO GREAT PROJECTS.

>> HOW CAN OUR AUDIENCE FIND YOUR WORK AND HOW CAN WE KEEP UP WITH YOU?

>> I´M ON SOCIAL MEDIA .

IT IS @ JAMES ROBINSON.

AND I HAVE A WEBSITE TOO.

>> THAT WAS EASY.

HOW DOES YOUR FAMILY FEEL ABOUT YOUR SUCCESS?

YEAH.

THEY ARE REALLY EXCITED.

I THINK, IT´S INCREDIBLE TO HAVE THE NEW YORK TIMES PLATFORM TO GET TO MAKE SOMETHING AND HAVE IT BE OUT THERE AS SOMETHING IN THE WORLD.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKED AFTER I DID WHALE EYES, I PUT THEM ON THE SPOT IN THAT FILM AND I SAID, DO MY EYES MAKE ME UGLIER AND ALL THESE --THEY ARE UNFAIR QUESTIONS, BUT I WAS SUSPENDING THEM WITHIN THIS TENSION THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY LIVE WITH EVERY DAY.

THEY LOVE ME AND THEY KNOW THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO LOVE ME BUT THEY ALSO KNOW THAT WE´VE NEVER SEEN EYES THAT LOOK LIKE MINE ON ANY SORT OF MAGAZINE COVER THAT REPRESENTED BEAUTY.

THAT´S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKED , WERE THEY DISAPPOINTED OR LIKE DID THEY FEEL LIKE I THREW THEM A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE SPORTS ABOUT IT.

THEY UNDERSTAND I WAS PUTTING THEM THROUGH THE RINGER BUT THEY ARE A BRIDGE FOR THE AUDIENCE TO ENGAGE WITH MY EYES AND SORT OF LEARN FROM ME.

IT´S DEFINITELY EASIER.

THAT DISCOMFORT, YOU SEE IT FROM MY FAMILY MEMBERS TOO AND IT ALLOWS US TO ACKNOWLEDGE, I HAVE SOME DISCOMFORT WITH OTHER PEOPLE´S CONDITIONS AS WELL.

YOU TALKED ABOUT, HOW DO YOU OVERCOME ABLEISM ?

I THINK THE FIRST STEP IS RECOGNIZING WHERE IT IS.

MY FAMILY HELPING PEOPLE FEEL THAT DISCOMFORT AND BEING THE VEHICLE THROUGH WHICH MANY PEOPLE WERE GUIDED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND MY EYES.

THEY´VE BEEN GOOD SPORTS.

>> HOW DOES YOUR MOM FEEL ABOUT THE 50 POUNDS OF POPCORN FROM THE FILM AS A BACKDROP?

>> JUST AS A BACKDROP.

>> WAS THAT FOR REAL?

>> I THINK WE WERE TEASING HER A BIT ABOUT THE POPCORN.

SHE DECIDED THAT IS NOT HER FAVORITE BRAND, IT WILL SAY, BUT YEAH, I THINK SHE WAS OKAY WITH IT.

IT GOES BACK TO , I THINK, FOR YOUNGER FILMMAKERS, THOSE DETAILS AND THAT LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY, PEOPLE REALLY LATCH ONTO THAT.

THAT WAS SOMETHING MENTIONED OFFHAND AND I WAS LIKE, IN THE BACK OF MY MIND I WAS LIKE, MAYBE I CAN USE THIS FOR SOMETHING.

I DIDN´T KNOW IT WAS GOING IN WHALE EYES BUT IT JUST SEEMED LIKE A FUNNY MOMENT.

>> I DIDN´T FORGET.

>> NEITHER DID I.

THE FUTURE OF DOCUMENTARY MAKING?

SHORTER FORMATS BECAUSE PEOPLE´S ATTENTION SPANS ARE GETTING SHORTER AND SHORTER BY THE MINUTE ?

WHAT YOU SEE IS THE FUTURE FOR DOCUMENTARY MAKING?

>> I THINK THE EXPANSION IN THE SHORT FORM IS SOMETHING REALLY EXCITING.

SHORT FORM IS THE MOST ACCESSIBLE FORM OF DOCUMENTARY.

YOU DON´T NEED A $100,000 BUDGET TO MAKE AN EIGHT MINUTE FILM.

I THINK THE FUTURE OF DOCUMENTARY IS REALLY EXCITING.

I THINK IT WILL BE MORE SHORT FORM .

MORE VERTICAL VIDEO.

I THINK WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE EVERYONE BECOME THEIR OWN DOCUMENTARIAN.

I THINK THAT IS INCREDIBLE ESPECIALLY FOR MANY COMMUNITIES WHO HAVEN´T REALLY BEEN GIVEN ENOUGH SPACE IN THE DOCUMENTARY WORLD HISTORICALLY.

SO, YEAH.

I´M REALLY JUST EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF DOCUMENTARY.

>> IT SOUNDS LIKE IT´S GOING TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE AS AN ART FORM, RIGHT?

AM I CORRECT IN THAT ASSESSMENT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THAT´S ABSOLUTELY THE TRUTH.

EVEN WITHIN THE DOCUMENTARY COMMUNITY, THERE´S MUCH MORE EFFORT TO EXPAND WHO IS TELLING THE STORIES.

I MENTIONED IT´S ALL ABOUT PROXIMITY AND GETTING CLOSE.

SO, HAVING PEOPLE TELL THEIR OWN STORIES IS THE CLOSEST YOU CAN GET .

THAT´S SOMETHING I´M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.

>> HOW ABOUT DISTRIBUTING IT?

HOW CAN YOU GET THE WORD OUT OR GET YOUR STORY OUT?

>> DISTRIBUTION IS COMPLETELY CHANGE THESE DAYS.

EVERYONE CAN POST ON TICK-TOCK AND YOUTUBE AND INSTAGRAM.

THAT´S A WONDERFUL THING.

I THINK THAT IS ONLY BENEFITING THE DOCUMENTARY WORLD AS FAR AS DISCOVERING STORIES AND HAVING NEW FORMATS TO SHARE THEM.

YEAH.

>> ESSENTIALLY, DISTRIBUTION IS A CHALLENGE FOR ANYBODY, CORRECT?

WHAT ELSE?

>> THEN YOU CAN GET INTO LONGER FORM STUFF.

IN THE LONGER FORM , NETFLIX AND HBO, THERE HAS BEEN A GREATER SHIFT OF THE PAST COUPLE YEARS TOWARD MORE DOCUMENTARY WORK.

I´M NOT TOTALLY VERSED IN THE LONGFORM DOCUMENTARY ROLE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THERE IS MORE INCREASED OPPORTUNITY IN THAT REALM .

BUT I TEND TO STICK TO MORE OF THE SHORT FORM WORLD.

>> UNDERSTANDABLE.

OKAY.

WE HAVE A COUPLE MINUTES LEFT.

TELL US AGAIN HOW WE CAN FIND YOU AND SEE YOUR WORK.

>> JAMES- R- AND THEN THE SERIES IS CALLED ADAPTABILITY.

IF YOU GO TO NEW YORK TIMES YOU CAN LOOK UP WHALE EYES AND THERE WILL BE A LINK TO ALL THE FILMS THERE.

>> EXCELLENT.

IT´S BEEN A PLEASURE MEETING YOU , LEARNING ABOUT YOU, TALKING ABOUT YOUR WORK , YOUR PASSION, I LOOK FORWARD TO WHATEVER OTHER PROJECTS YOU ARE ENGAGED IN.

FOLKS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING ABLE TO RAISE.

HAVE A SAFE DAY.

TAKE CARE.

UNTIL THE NEXT TIME.

BYE-BYE.

>> THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PROGRAM ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE THAT WTJX OR UNDERWRITERS.