Welcome. I am Aline Remael from the University of Antwerp, one of your instructors in this unit. In this part of the unit, you will learn in more detail what Audio Description is. You have already heard that there are different types of media accessibility and that they provide access to either visual or aural information. Audio Description is a core access service that provides synchronous information about the visual aspects of an event or performance for anyone who doesn’t have access to such information. Audio Description can be preceded by Audio Introductions and Touch Tours, about which you will hear more later. Audio descriptions are often written by people with training in audiovisual translation or other language, literature, theatre or writing-related courses of study. In most cases, they are written and delivered in the language of the performance. More concretely, this means that the Audio Description is fitted between the dialogues or songs of the performance and explains what is happening on the stage as it is happening. If time allows, it may also include descriptions of the ambient mood in the theatre, including who’s in the audience and what they’re wearing, for instance. However, since Audio Descriptions must recount in words what is happening all at once on the stage, they often have to be succinct. Audio describers must therefore always select sufficient information to allow the audience to enjoy the show but not incorporate too much. The content of an Audio Description is tailored to the specific requirements of each performance. In the case of a theatre play or opera, it includes information about who is on stage or leaves the stage, and what they are doing, where, and to whom or what. It uses the Audio Introduction that precedes the performance as a frame of reference when selecting what to include and what to leave out. In the case of music festivals or sports events, the audio description provides information about the performers or about the sportsmen and the development of the match. In such cases, including an explanation of the reactions of the audience can be especially important for rendering the atmosphere of the event. And how does one go about all this? In theatre or opera settings, the audio description is prepared in writing on the basis of recordings of previous performances and/or rehearsals. During the performance the script is read live from a sound-proof booth or other location in the case of a festival. The audience listens to the AD using headphones connected to a wireless sound system. For live events, the audio describer will always be the person who reads the script. Sometimes two describers will alternate. Ideally, the audio describer or audio describers will first have tried out the Audio Description in a so-called "dry run" during the dress rehearsal or an early performance from a “dummy” booth. Clearly, for such live performances, the script often has to be annotated and adapted as the performance develops and improvisation is often required. This is even more the case for events such as festivals and sports matches, where the AD is truly live in the sense that no script can be used. The more specialized audio describers are in the events they describe, the better. So, what is essential in a good live audio description? In the script: selection of essential information, concise and precise phrasing. During the performance: a pleasant and trained voice, adapted intonation, improvisation skills and good nerves. To conclude this section, we would like you to watch the example of good practice provided with this unit. For more information about different types of AD, including recorded audio description for film, have a look at the website of the European ADLAB project.
