Mastercard and Westpac launch inclusive box-office experience for blind and low-vision customers
Mastercard has partnered with Westpac to launch Australia’s first pictureless feature-length film, using only sound to create a box-office experience fully inclusive to blind and low-sighted customers.
The film, set to premiere at Westpac OpenAir on 13 February, celebrates Mastercard’s Touch Card features – a design systems of tactile notches launched last year to help card holders who are blind or low-sighted to identify and different their different cards.
“We see the ‘TOUCH’ film as an opportunity to extend our commitment to creating inclusive experiences for our cardholders. Developing a film that’s audio-led for people who are blind or low-vision is just one example of how we can create a more inclusive experience for segments of our community,” Mastercard’s executive vice president, head of marketing and communications, Asia Pacific, Julie Nestor, told Mumbrella.
Directed by Tony Krawitz, the film follows a young man, Ben, who gets trapped in the consciousness of his father, Frank, after an experiment goes wrong. To escape, Ben must go on an epic adventure through his dad’s memory, learning more about a man he thought he knew.
Krawitz said: “What would it be like to be in a cinema with hundreds of people and only focusing on sound? A movie without pictures? TOUCH is a one-of-a-kind story that explores a man’s mind, his memories, his tics – all without images. The film has been designed for people to enjoy, and to enable people to experience what it’s like not to have your vision to orient you. To make the audience use their ears as if they’re detectives, gripped by what’s going to happen next.”
Nestor explained that the brand chose to partner with Westpac on this project given it was the first issuer to rollout the Touch Card design. Both brands are collaborating with Humantix on the project to deliver an accessible box office experience, with all proceeds from ticket sales going to Blind Citizens Australia.
“While many brands are doing great work on driving inclusivity in their messaging, and in some cases, product design, inclusion of people with disabilities is still largely unchartered territory. As a society, we still have a long way to go,” she said.
Speaking to Mastercard’s own approach to inclusivity, Nestor said that the brand believes “innovation should be driven by our impulse to include”.
Mastercard’s own research has underlined the value of inclusivity from a brand perspective as well. Following its partnership with the Australian Open in 2023, Mastercard conducted a study that found Australian consumers are more likely to spend money with businesses that prioritize diversity and inclusion (55%), sustainability (59%) and data security (69%).
“This means businesses who don’t meet consumer expectations in these areas are at risk of losing customers and revenue,” said Nestor.
When embarking on the TOUCH project, inclusivity was a priority behind the scenes, with Blind Citizens Australia engaged to consult throughout production.
The charity’s CEO Deb Deshayes said: “It’s crucial to have entertainment that not only considers people who are blind or vision impaired, but also involves them in the whole development process. To have a film like TOUCH is an important step towards building a more inclusive future that will allow 500,000+ Australians to enjoy content like everyone else. For people who are blind or vision impaired, movies like this and the use of audio description make a huge difference to how we engage with media and socialise with our peers.”
Majella Knobel, Westpac head of access and inclusion, added: “In addition to the film itself, an important part of this project was making sure the needs of many individuals were considered as part of the end-to-end cinema experience – from accessible amenities to accommodating guide dogs. This is such an important and influential topic, and it’s been wonderful collaborating with Mastercard and OpenAir to ensure a broad diversity of needs have been considered as a common thread throughout the entire conversation.”
Other talent to work on the film included sound editor Wayne Pashley and composer Jonathon Dreyfus, with Bus Stop Films supporting production with a series of focus groups, including people who are blind and low vision. During the film’s production the organisation also supported blind and low vision crew members in roles such as project consultants and director’s attachments, ensuring all roles were steered by the crew member’s passion and skills.
Director’s attachment, Benjamin Phillips, commented: “For those like myself who are blind, our appreciation of film often relies heavily upon the audio experience, so when a film’s sound evokes emotion, it can paint a colourful picture in our imagination. Working on TOUCH has allowed me to collaborate creatively on such an inclusive film, unlock opportunities in production, and showcase to Australia how content can be experienced, without the limitations of ability or disability.”
Tickets for the fim’s premier are available from 4pm 9 January, until sold out.
Credits
Director: Tony Krawtiz
Directors attachment: Ben Phillips
Cast
Ben: Alexander England
Naomi: Maeve Dermody
Mo: Adam Briggs
Frank: David Field
Young Frank: Kyzen Petelo
Sarah: Hannah Waterman
Murray: John Waters
Casting: Stevie Ray CGA
Casting Assistant: Michelle Ny
Inclusion Partner: Bus Stop Films
Sound Department
Supervising Sound Editor: Wayne Pashley
Re Recording Mixer: Dave Robertson
Executive Producer: Bonnie Law
Sound Department Attachment: Eliza Jayne
MUSIC BY Stare Crazy
COMPOSED AND PERFORMED BY
Amy Andersen
Reggie Beer
Judith Brandenburg
Jonathan Dreyfus
Meggy Freidhof
Stefan Janik
Daniel Müller
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topics
Ben Phillips
Blind Citizens Australia
Bus Stop Films
Deb Deshayes
Humantix
Jonathon Dreyfus
Julie Nestor
Mastercard
Tony Krawitz
Touch
Wayne Pashley
Westpac
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