THE Team
DIANE JOHNSON, CEO & President
Diane Johnson has been an active member of the broadcast industry for more than 20 years. She's had a very successful career in Radio and Television and has received awards at PromaxDBA, the world's largest television and marketing conference. Diane was also the Marketing Manager for the Walt Disney Company. Her years of experience in radio and television have led her to establish Descriptive Video Works, Canada's foremost Described Video provider. In June of 2011 Diane was named a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. She is the only finalist in the special citation-social entrepreneur category, a unique recognition acknowledging an entrepreneur's achievements in driving social change. As a founding member and former chair of the BC Chapter of Canadian Women in Communications (CWC), in 2006 Diane was awarded the "Chapter Leader of the Year" Award by CWC. The same year, she received a distinguished scholarship to attend the Banff World Television Festival, where she was one of the speakers. Knowing that there's more to television than meets the eye, Diane truly is a leader in the emerging field of Described Video. Her commitment to exceeding expectations with outstanding teamwork, attention to detail, and integrity, sets very high standards for Descriptive Video Works.
Email: diane@descriptivevideoworks.com
BRENT CRAVEN, Director of Technical Operations
Technical Operations Manager Brent Craven has been with Descriptive Video Works since it began. He brings exceptional knowledge to the unique process of Described Video. A graduate of the Broadcast Communications Television program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, Brent has worked as a Senior Editor, a Post Supervisor at Starpost Digital, and also at Video Publishing Group, where he gained expertise with various formats of tape machines and editing systems. Brent has won awards for his work with corporate and music videos, television series, and documentaries. He has worked in television producing, editing, and as a director. He takes great pride in ensuring that each and every show that Descriptive Video Works returns to a producer or broadcaster meets the highest possible standards. No matter what technical challenges are presented, Brent is Descriptive Video Works' solution finder. He is continually abreast of the latest technology in the industry.
Email: brent@descriptivevideoworks.com
MHAIRI MORRISON, Business Development Manager USA
Mhairi comes to the team at Descriptive Video Works with 5 years of business experience in Audio Description in both Europe and the United States. She developed a passion for Audio Description while working in London at ITFC, the UK's premier Audio Description company. From 2005 to 2009 she did the Audio Description and voiced numerous television programs including CSI Vegas, Charmed, Ghost Whisperer, Dora the Explorer, and films that include Factory Girl and Happy Feet. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2010, she has continued working in the field of Audio Description, writing for several US broadcasters and producers.
Email: mhairi@descriptivevideoworks.com
LIZ CHARTRAND, Business Development Manager Canada
Liz came to Descriptive Video Works over three years ago with a solid background in broadcasting and accessibility issues. A graduate of Ryerson University with a B.A. in Radio and Televison Arts, Liz considers television to be a critical link to current culture, and for the past 15 years she has been a passionate advocate of accessible television for all. Liz formerly chaired a subcommittee of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters that worked to establish national guidelines for Closed Captioning. She also worked for 12 years as a manager at CHUM TV Toronto where she helped to develop and administer expanding accessibility options. After describing hundreds of television shows, as well as narrating many shows for DVWorks, we are proud to have Liz as our new Canadian Business Development Manager in Toronto.
Email: lizchartrand@descriptivevideoworks.com
ELIZABETH MARLEAU, Recherche et Développement, Marché Français
Elizabeth joined our team three years ago as our French writer and narrator. She has written description for and voiced numerous television programs, including Emilie de la Nouvelle Lune, and Ray Bradbury et Les Légendes du Corbeau. Her enthusiasm for making Described Video more widely accessible has driven her to further develop the Described Video market in French-speaking Canada. In addition to being a writer for DVW, Elizabeth is successfully pursuing a career in the performing arts as a stage and film actor, in addition to writing a bi-weekly column for the False Creek This Week. She studied theatre at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasedena, California and she has completed the acting program at the Vancouver Film School.
Email: elizabethmarleau@descriptivevideoworks.com
Descriptive Writers/Trainers
ROBERT CHOMIAK, Trainer/Describer
Robert Chomiak has been with Descriptive Video Works for more than 6 years and, to date, has described a combined total of 700 TV episodes and feature-length films. Robert graduated from the University of Lethbridge in Alberta with a B.A. in Dramatic Arts and went on to study for two years in the Film Program at Simon Fraser University in B.C. His passion for screenwriting led him to co-write a zombie comedy feature, Fido, which was produced with an $11 million budget and has since developed a cult following. He has also written English adaptations for three animated theatrical features (Jin-Roh, the Wolf Brigade, Escaflowne – The Movie) and 207 episodes on seven animated series (Gundam Seed, Zoids, Inuyasha), which have aired on Cartoon Network and Teletoon. His other television work includes the sitcom Alienated and the Gemini-nominated children’s special Twisteeria. In addition, Robert has been awarded screenwriting grants on three other feature film projects, one of which has attracted Hollywood interest. As a describer he has been instrumental in raising the bar in order to provide the highest quality descriptions for the blind and vision impaired.
MIRANDA MACKELWORTH, Head Writer and Trainer
Miranda is a seasoned writer who came to Descriptive Video Works in 2007. She has described hundreds hours of television programs, documentaries and feature film projects. As an indispensible member of the team, she has contributed invaluable research, helped to establish writing guidelines, provided training for new writers, and has chaired the Committee for the Development of Live Audio Description Standards. She also works with the co-chairs of Research and Development, organizing focus groups to ensure that our descriptions meet the needs of the end-users. As a writer of children's stories, Miranda loves the idea that Described Video is "painting pictures with words" for the blind and vision-impaired audience. She believes there is no greater compliment than hearing that we have transformed someone's television experience by allowing them to follow a TV show or a movie plot.
Research and Development
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| Rosemund VanLeewen, Blind at 2 years old. |
ROSEMUND VanLEEWEN, Research & Development
Rosamund has been a member of the Descriptive Video Works team for six years. Blind herself from the age of two, she has been an active leader in the blind and vision-impaired community for many years. Today Rosamund serves as a member of CNIB's BC-Yukon Division Board and volunteers on two Standing Committees. She is an active member of the North Shore Advisory Committee for Disability Issues and Chair of PAWS for Independence Association. Rosamund also teaches workshops at Capilano University in the Special Education Assistance Program, helping teachers of vision-impaired students. An avid traveler, Rosamund uses her personal experience to teach students at the Vancouver Tourism College how to effectively assist people with visual impairments in the areas of travel and hospitality. In her travels from Alaska to (upcoming) Australia, Rosamund enjoys engaging people from around the globe. At present she is hosting two International Students from China.
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| Rob Sleath, Blind at 36 years old. |
ROB SLEATH, Research & Development
Currently serving as Chair of the CNIB, BC-Yukon Division Board, Rob is an active participant on a number of other CNIB committees. In addition, he is founding member, President and Chair of Advocates for Sight Impaired Consumers (ASIC), and President of the Committee for the Promotion of Accessible Conventional Transit (ComPACT). As contributing member of Blind and Sight Impaired Consumers (BASICS) he also provides disability awareness seminars to transit operators. Rob concurrently facilitates a coalition of provincial organizations that provide rehabilitation, recreational and educational services to the vision impaired and deaf blind. Rob lost his sight completely at 36 years of age, and believes it is not his disability, but the surrounding environment, that presents the greatest challenges for him. He is committed to improving these accessibility challenges. A father of three, Rob and his golden retriever, Lombardi, act as ambassadors for the guide dog movement, raising funds, increasing public awareness and officially representing Guide Dogs for the Blind Incorporated as their graduate agency representative for British Columbia. Rob enjoys DV'd shows with his family. He has been a consultant for Descriptive Video Works for five years.
