Interactive Cinema and the Use of Alternative Mixes for Autistic Accessibility and Representation of Autistic Experiences

Autism research and media representation has been mostly limited to stereotypes and a focus on adolescents (primarily adolescent boys), along with the perspective being through the parents with autistic children. Sound design, together with the provision of alternate mixes, can be used to better represent autistic listening experiences, as well as providing greater accessibility. I created an interactive short film called ‘Processing’, that follows an autistic character and allows users to listen to the film in three different ways: a traditional mix, inspired by the usual post-production process for audio, a representative mix, inspired by the heightened sound perception autistic people may experience, and an accessible mix, where sound intensity was reduced in order to provide audiences with audio processing conditions a more comfortable experience. Autistic listening, while as uniquely varied as all listening experiences, is typically characterised through increased awareness and heightened sensitivity due to a difference in the cognitive processing of sound. The creation of ‘Processing’ is the result of engagement with literature on the topic, an analysis of media representation and accessibility work, as well as participatory group studies with autistic people. This research has demonstrated that autistic audiences desire a greater level of purpose built and customisable accessibility to support their needs as a viewer as well as more diverse representations in media. The use of alternate mixes also proved promising in supporting audience choice, for the purpose of accessibility, as well as representing autistic listening experiences.