Contents
List of tables
How to use this book
Acknowledgements
Glossary and abbreviations
1 Introducing audio description
1.1 What is audio description?
1.2 Audio description within audiovisual translation
1.3 AD within AVT
1.4 Meaning making in AD
1.4.1 AD, access and equivalence
1.5 AD and presence
1.6 Definitions of AD
1.7 Conclusion
1.8 Exercises and points for discussion
1.9 Suggested reading
References
2 A brief history, legislation and guidelines
2.1 Introduction
2.2 A brief history
2.3 The legal background
2.4 Non-broadcast TV
2.5 AD in practice
2.5.1 Screen-based AD
2.5.2 Live AD
2.6 Guidelines
2.7 Conclusion
2.8 Exercises and points for discussion
References
3 Putting the audio into audio description
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The visual information stream
3.3 The auditory information stream
3.3.1 Exercises and points for discussion
3.3.2 Dialogue
3.3.3 Exercises
3.4 Cognitive load
3.5 Sound effects
3.6 Exercises and points for discussion
3.7 Translating music
3.7.1 Describing live musical events
3.7.2 Visual dominance and music
3.8 Finding the ‘gaps’
3.9 The When of AD
3.9.1 The When of live AD
3.9.2 Touch tours
3.9.3 Sound and live events
3.9.4 Exercises and points for discussion
3.10 Conclusion
3.11 Suggested reading
References
4 The audience for audio description
4.1 Introduction
4.2 What is blindness?
4.3 Age and blindness
4.4 A model of visual processing
4.4.1 mental models, schemata and scripts
4.5 A cognitive model of AD
4.6 Exercises and points for discussion
4.6.1 An extract from the AD script for Notes on Blindness
4.6.2 Notes on Blindness
4.7 What do AD users want from AD?
4.8 Conclusion
4.9 Exercises and points for discussion
4.10 Suggested reading
References
5 Audio description skills: writing
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The What of AD
5.3 Word choice
5.3.1 Need to know versus nice to know:narration and description
5.3.2 Cultural references
5.3.3 Ambiguity
5.3.4 Pronouns
5.3.5 Tense
5.3.6 Articles
5.4 Sound symbolism
5.4.1 Rhythm and rhyme
5.5 Sight-specific references
5.5.1 Verbs of vision
5.5.2 Colour
5.6 Creative use of language
5.6.1 Repetition
5.6.2 Structure, word order, literary constructions
5.6.3 Punctuation
5.7 Cues and notes
5.8 Conclusion
5.9 Exercises and points for discussion
References
6 Audio description skills: script preparation
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Screen software
6.2.1 How it works
6.2.2 Timecode
6.2.3 Speech rate
6.2.4 Creating the script
6.2.5 Freely available software
6.3 Live scripting strategies
6.3.1 By hand
6.3.2 Electronic scripts
6.4 Common scripting faults
6.5 Exercises
6.5.1 Exercises using software
6.5.2 Exercises by hand
6.6 Discussion points
6.7 The process
6.7.1 Screen AD
6.7.2 Live AD
6.7.3 The process for the AD user at live events
6.8 Conclusion
References
7 Audio description skills: delivery
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Delivery and prosody
7.2.1 Accent, gender and emotion
7.2.2 Stress and segmentation
7.2.3 Tone
7.2.4 Pace, pitch, segmentation
7.2.5 Authenticity, the I-voice and delivery of live AD
7.2.6 Pronunciation
7.2.7 Fluency
7.3 Preparing the voice
7.3.1 Warming up
7.3.2 Microphone technique
7.4 Recording
7.4.1 Recording strategies
7.4.2 Listening back
7.5 Live delivery
7.6 Conclusion
7.7 Exercises and points for discussion
7.8 Suggested reading
References
8 Beyond the basics: audio description by genre
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Genre and suitability of AD
8.3 Movie genres
8.3.1 Spectacle
8.3.2 Horror
8.3.3 Historical films and costume dramas
8.4 Intertextuality
8.4.1 Intertextuality and historical films
8.5 Factual programmes
8.5.1 Sport, news and current affairs
8.5.2 Documentaries
8.5.3 Nature documentaries
8.6 Soaps and serials
8.7 Children’s programmes
8.8 Genre and live performance
8.9 Conclusion
8.10 Exercises and points for discussion
References
9 Beyond the basics: text on screen
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Tops and tails
9.2.1 Title sequences
9.2.2 Logos
9.3 Text on screen and delivery
9.3.1 Audio subtitles
9.4 AD and voice-over
9.5 Text and live events
9.6 Multilingualism
9.7 Simultaneity and asynchrony
9.8 End credits
9.9 Conclusion
9.10 Exercises and points for discussion
References
10 Beyond the basics: accessible filmmaking and describing camerawork
10.1 Introduction
10.2 The language of cinema
10.3 Cinematic audio description
10.4 AD and the artistic team
10.5 Auteur description
10.6 Conclusion
10.7 Exercises and points for discussion
References
11 Audio description and censorship
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Language
11.2.1 Expletives
11.3 Sex and AD
11.3.1 AD of porn
11.4 Blood and gore
11.4.1 Blood, gore and live events
11.5 Positive aspects of censorship
11.6 Political correctness: describing race and disability
11.7 Conclusion
11.8 Exercises and points for discussion
References
12 Audio introductions
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Audio introductions and timing
12.3 Sensitive material
12.4 The What of audio introductions
12.4.1 Technical language
12.5 The process
12.6 Cross referencing
12.7 Synopses
12.8 Conclusion
12.9 Exercises and points for discussion
References
13 Contentious issues and future directions in audio description
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Objectivity and subjectivity
13.3 Describing facial expression
13.4 Reinforcement, repetition and redundancy
13.5 AD and persistence
13.6 Topics for future research
13.7 Conclusion
13.8 Exercises and points for discussion
References
14 Afterword
14.1 What is audio description, revisited
14.2 Conclusion
Appendix 1: Answers to Chapter 1, exercise 3
Appendix 2: Like Rabbits AD script
Index