Stories
Ian
[Mechanical whirring]
- Titles: Northern Flicker featuring Ian MacKay.
- A rocky beach and forest-covered foothills. Origami cranes hang in a window. Ian is indoors.
[Music playing]
He reclines and gazes at botanical posters thumbtacked to a ceiling.
Ian narrating: I am a strong believer that nature is one of the best medicines.
[Music playing]
Ian in a motorised wheelchair. He boards a ferry and looks out onto calm waters under a cloudy sky.
Ian: Hey, Siri. FaceTime Todd Stabelfeldt.
FaceTime on an armrest-mounted iPhone.
[FaceTime ringing]
Ian: Hey, T. What’s up, man?
Todd: What’s going on, dude? Where are you at?
Ian moves along a forest trail.
Ian narrating: My favourite thing is just the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
[Music playing]
Green ferns, shrubs and moss-covered logs line the trail. Ian approaches a silvery waterfall.
[Water rushing]
He reclines, angling his armrest-mounted iPhone towards the rushing waters. Ian moves his lower lip against two switches mounted in front of his mouth to use Switch Control on the Camera app.
[Clicking]
[Shutter snaps]
He takes a photo.
[Music playing]
Ian continues along the trail, a small figure dwarfed by tall trees. He stops and gazes up at a sparse grove of tall trees against a grey sky. Then, juxtaposed with him looking at a ceiling, the camera cuts to him looking back at the sky.
[Bird calls]
Ian: Hey, Siri. Play Northern flicker.
Siri processes the request.
Siri: Northern flicker.
[Digital bird call]
[Music playing]
[Bird call]
Ian studies the dense woods and raises his eyebrows. As a bird in the wild responds, he raises his eyebrows and smiles.
Titles: Designed for Ian M. Designed for everyone.
A white Apple logo against a black background.
Carlos
Carlos narrating: At first, my motivation was proving people wrong.
Heavy metal CDs line Carlos’s bedroom wall.
VoiceOver: Accessibility. Vision. VoiceOver on.
Carlos, a long-haired man, uses an iPhone.
VoiceOver: Button. Scheduled arriving. Second location.
Carlos uses the Uber app on his iPhone to schedule a ride.
Carlos narrating: We don’t want our first album to sound like a local band.
[Drumming]
He drums on a drum pad.
VoiceOver: ETA 10 minutes.
Carlos narrating: We wanted our first album to sound like a professional band that’s been doing it for years.
He unfolds a white cane and continues to use the Uber app on his iPhone.
VoiceOver: Requesting a ride and connecting to nearby drivers. Finding a ride.
[Drumming]
Carlos narrating: We’re called Distartica, and we play heavy metal.
In a lounge room, Carlos plays the drums and rehearses with two long-haired guitarists.
[“In Flames We Rise” by Distartica]
- Titles: In Flames We Rise featuring Carlos Vasquez.
- Carlos is a passenger in a car.
Siri: Turn left onto Empanada Drive.
Man: [Laughs] Empanada.
Carlos: Empanada Drive?
Man: That makes me hungry.
[Laughter]
Carlos: I ended up becoming the PR manager in the band.
Carlos uses his iPhone.
Carlos: I didn’t get what it was before, then I was like, oh, dude. Like, hashtag why? Like, what? Hashtag metal, hashtag new music or, you know, in this case, like, hashtag, like, debut album.
[“In Flames We Rise” by Distartica]
The band practises in a lounge room. The two guitarists headbang and Carlos plays the drums.
VoiceOver: Messages. ReverbNation.
He uses the ReverbNation app on his iPhone.
VoiceOver: Double-tap to open. Text field. Dictate.
[Chime]
Carlos: Album will be dropping worldwide on April 14th, comma, 2017, exclamation mark. Follow our ReverbNation page, period.
[Clicking]
VoiceOver: Done. Successfully shared.
[“The Cybernetic Eye” by Distartica]
Carlos smiles, and the band resumes rehearsing. He drums intensely, his long hair falling forward. He leans into a microphone and sings. The two guitarists headbang in unison, their long hair flying.
Titles: Designed for Carlos V. Designed for everyone.
A white Apple logo against a black background.
Patrick
Patrick sits at a home recording studio, speaking into a microphone.
Patrick: This is the station to rock you, shock you, move you and groove you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. My name is Patrick Lafayette. Don’t you ever forget. It’s ChrisMix Radio, Patrick with you.
[Reggae music playing]
- Titles: Like a Volcano featuring Patrick Lafayette.
- Patrick tunes a guitar.
Patrick sits at an open MacBook Pro.
Patrick narrating: To do something for yourself ...
VoiceOver: VoiceOver on Logic Pro X.
Patrick narrating: ... is one of the greatest things you could ever do.
VoiceOver: Record. Menu, 10 items. Count in. Submenu. Metronome setting. Checkmark. Allow quick punch in. Checkmark.
Patrick navigates a Logic recording session.
Patrick narrating: Now, I can express myself.
He rinses peeled prawns under a tap. He holds up an iPhone running the TapTapSee app.
VoiceOver: Camera. Picture two in progress.
Patrick: There you go.
VoiceOver: Picture one is citrus-printed plastic bottle.
Patrick narrating: It’s a big thing when you’re a father and you want to participate.
Patrick digs through his spice cabinet.
VoiceOver: Picture three is garlic powder.
[Patrick laughs]
VoiceOver: Picture three is person holding white onions.
Patrick’s family enters the kitchen.
Girl: Hi, Daddy.
Patrick: What’s up, baby?
The family serve themselves prawns and rice and sit down to eat together.
Patrick narrating: Not just make food, but make excellent food, where I see my wife take her shoes off and say, “Give me some more!” [Patrick laughs]
And my kids lick their chops. They say, “Daddy, that was great”.
[All laughing]
Patrick narrating: I have so much that I've always wanted to express. I’m like a volcano. I’m like Pelée or Mount Etna.
Patrick is back at his laptop, working in Logic Pro X.
VoiceOver: Arm the track for recording.
Patrick narrating: I’m about ready to erupt!
Wearing headphones, Patrick dances to a Logic session as titles appear.
[Patrick laughs]
Titles: Designed for Patrick L. Designed for everyone.
A white Apple logo against a black background.
Andrea
[Wheels rolling]
Andrea narrating: I have a huge responsibility to be out in the world.
[Music playing]
Wearing a black jacket, Andrea Dalzell propels herself in a wheelchair towards the end of a tunnel.
Titles: Roll With the Punches featuring Andrea Dalzell.
Man: Twenty more seconds, just like that. Twenty more.
Andrea works out in a gym, sparring with her trainer.
Andrea narrating: There’s some other little girl who’s out there who doesn’t see a teacher, who doesn’t see her doctors looking like her.
Andrea finishes hitting training mitts, then checks her Apple Watch.
Andrea: I completed all my rings today, okay? Can I just — I mean, I did, look!
Andrea shows her Activity rings to her trainer.
Outside, she propels down a paved path.
Andrea narrating: How is she supposed to feel accepted or beautiful if she doesn’t see someone like her?
Andrea continues exercising, joined by a friend, then checks Workout data on her Apple Watch.
Andrea narrating: I have to do my part here.
In silhouette, Andrea moves into a dark tunnel.
Titles: Designed for Andrea D. Designed for everyone.
A white Apple logo against a black background.
Shane
[Students chattering]
Shane in a school hallway.
Shane: Go to class.
A student gives her a hug.
Shane: Good morning, Asia.
She greets two girls. Students in a band room.
Shane: Get your instruments, have a seat.
[Instruments warming up]
A student holds a tuba. Others play a flute and a clarinet.
Shane: Now, are you going to be able to play today or what?
A student hits a snare drum.
Shane: All right, guys. Ready to try it?
Shane stands on a podium.
Shane: Let’s try it. Clarinets, you’re up!
[Clarinets play quietly]
An iPhone is synced to “Shane Hearing Aids”. Shane adjusts her hair, revealing a hearing device. She changes the preset from Normal to Music.
[Volume increases]
Shane: Clarinets, ready?
[Clarinets play]
Shane turns up the “Hearing Device Mic Volume” on her iPhone.
[Volume increases]
She holds a conductor’s baton and sweeps her arms upwards.
Shane: Breathe.
[Music playing]
- Titles: Crescendo featuring Shane Rakowski.
- Shane conducts the band, moving her arms in broad, sweeping gestures. Trophies line a shelf behind her.
Shane narrating: I love seeing the ‘I got it’ face. When they understand and get something, you can actually see it in their faces. And that encourages me to do more.
[Music playing]
A girl plays a flute. Shane sweeps her arms downwards and makes two fists, midair.
Shane: Clean music joke. Howard, go!
Shane narrating: We tend to joke around in the classroom. I think that’s part of teaching. Let them see that you’re human.
Student: Take notes!
Shane: I said a joke, not two words. Sit down.
Student: No, it’s a joke!
The boy smiles and waves his hand. Shane plays a clarinet.
Shane: That was not the best, was it?
Shane narrating: For homework, the students record themselves playing.
A girl with a clarinet shuts a door.
[Clarinet playing]
She uses an iPad to record herself playing.
Shane narrating: I can stream the music from the iPad into my hearing aids and, actually, it sounds like they’re right next to me. So I can grade it right then and there.
Shane uses an iPad.
[Instruments playing]
She teaches students in the band room.
Shane narrating: Band is a family. Once you walk in these doors, it doesn’t matter where you come from, you’re accepted.
Shane: Crescendo!
[Instruments playing]
Titles: Designed for Shane R. Designed for everyone.
Shane: Half notes. Crescendo! And that’ll be a dramatic pause there. One.
[Instruments playing]
A white Apple logo against a black background.
Shane: One.
[Music playing]
Meera
[Laughter]
A family peers into a photo album.
Woman: Oh, look! Yes.
Meera: Yeah, yeah.
Text is entered into an iPad.
Digital voice from iPad: Remember when Mama taught me to cook a casserole?
Woman: Oh, gosh!
Meera: Yeah.
[Laughter]
[Music playing]
- Titles: Girl Talk featuring Meera P.
- A soccer match starts.
Digital voice narrating: Before, people talked about me, not to me.
Meera controls the ball with her feet.
Digital voice narrating: People now know I have a lot to say.
Meera takes a shot.
Meera scores and a teammate congratulates her.
[Girls cheering]
Now, she sits with teammates and an iPad.
Girl: Where’s another place you’ve been?
Meera taps her answer on the iPad.
Digital voice: Alaska.
Girl: Wow.
[Cheering]
Girls: Go, Violet!
Girl: We have a good team this year.
Digital voice: They are awesome.
Now, the family eats in a restaurant. Meera taps on her iPad.
Digital voice: I would like to order sweet tea, chips.
The food arrives and Meera digs in.
Woman: You’ve got to stay fresh, right? [Laughs]
Digital voice: Why did the cow cross the road?
Woman: Why did the — why did the cow cross the road? I don’t know!
Digital voice: To get to the moo-vies.
Woman: [Laughs] Oh!
Meera points and laughs.
Titles: Designed for Meera P. Designed for everyone.
A white Apple logo against a black background.
Todd
Siri: You’re Todd, but since we’re friends, I get to call you Quadfather.
[Music playing]
- Titles: The Quadfather featuring Todd Stabelfeldt.
- Todd in a wheelchair with a mounted iPhone.
Todd: Hey, Siri, unlock the front door.
A smartlock turns.
[Mechanical whirring]
Siri: Okay, the front door is unlocked.
He moves towards the door. A black and brown dog trots ahead.
[Clicking]
Todd: Let’s go, girl.
He enters his home and moves past a dining table.
[Music playing]
Todd narrating: We all got a pen, man. We all writin’ it down, we puttin’ out the chapters. So what’s this story about?
Todd: Hey, Siri, set Business Time.
Todd narrating: I refuse for this story to be a bad read.
Todd: Hey, Siri, play dinner playlist. Have you tried any of this?
Woman: No. Is it bueno?
The woman cuts lemon slices.
Todd: It is delish. I like the jam.
[Doorbell rings]
I think somebody’s here.
Todd approaches the door.
Todd narrating: Dude, you’re going to see tonight, man, you’ve got a whole group of mugs up in the room.
Todd: We got people!
Todd narrating: We all different. You know, ventilators poppin’ off and sip-and-puff drivers.
Todd’s friends in a dining room.
Man: All right, we’re going to gather around the TV so you can give us a demonstration.
Todd: Yeah, please, thank you. I love this. It’s so good. Act normal. Now what’s really dope show about those lights — watch this. Hey, Siri, dining table lights 25 per cent.
[Siri tone]
Siri: You got it, Quadfather.
Ceiling lights dim.
Todd: That’s how you do it, like that.
[Laughter]
Friends serve themselves from a buffet.
Todd narrating: I feel like it’s my job and my responsibility to go down to the valley and to hang with that brother that’s in that space.
[Music playing]
Todd and his friends gather around a dining table.
That’s just the way you do story, you interact with others and you learn from others. And I think that’s really, really righteous.
Todd uses Switch Control on his iPhone.
Titles: Designed for Todd S. Designed for everyone.
A white Apple logo against a black background.