AD ACB ADP Guidelines 3.1

8/11/2019 AD ACB ADP Guidelines 3.1

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"The American Council of the Blind, through its Audio Description Project, believes it is

critical for knowledgeable users of description to establish these guidelines best

practices for audio description as it occurs in a broad range of formats!

televisionfilmDDsdownloads, performing arts, visual art and other areas# $nl% in this

wa% can we be certain of receiving a consistent, high&'ualit% product, developed in a

professional environment#(

Kim Charlson, Vice-President, American Council of the Blind

Chair, Audio Description Project Committee

August 200

The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large

matter--it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.

- Letter !" #ar$ %&ain to 'eorge Bainton, (cto!er )*, )+++

)

AMER!A" !#$"!% # TE (%")*+A$)# )E+!R,T#" ,R#E!T

AUDIO DESCRIPTION GUIDELINESand BEST PRACTICES

September 2010 A Wor In Pro!re""#er"$on %&1 'oe( Sn)der* Ed$tor


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AMER!A" !#$"!% # TE (%")*+

A$)# )E+!R,T#" ,R#E!T

AUDIO DESCRIPTION GUIDELINES

and BEST PRACTICES

September 2010 A Wor In Pro!re""

#er"$on %&1 'oe( Sn)der* Ed$tor

TA(%E # !#"TE"T+

,reface .

)efinitions ...

!ore +/ills ...

,erforming Arts .....

Theater ..

)ance .

#0era .

Media............................

1isual Art 2 E3hibitions

2


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A00endi3 A 4 Storm Read$n!A) scri0t e3cer0t 2 web lin/ ..

A00endi3 (4 %MA locomoting 5ocabulary ..

A00endi3 ! 4 D+"t A) scri0t e3cer0t 2 web lin/

A00endi3 )4 Co(or o, Parad$"e A) scri0t e3cer0t 2 web lin/ .

Appendi . )'uipment providers *+live( description///////

")E6..


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,REA!E

%hese 'uidelines1Best Practices hae !een gathered 1 deeloped and are an ongoing

&or$-in-progress !" the ACB3s Audio Description Project chaired !"

ACB3s Vice President Kim Charlson4 %he &ord 5gathered6 is used since

the &or$ here is not, !" and large, ne&7 it is a 5reie& of the literature,6 a

culling of material that eists in documents that are &idel" aaila!le4

'enerall", those documents are not the result of scientific research4 But

the" reflect and in turn these 'uidelines1Best Practices are !ased on

man" "ears of eperience &ith audio description in a &ide range of

contets4

%he 'uidelines1Best Practices are intended to !e oerarching in nature, i4e4, the" are

&ritten to appl" to audio description generall" no matter the su!ject !eing

descri!ed or the particular format or genre in &hich description is used4

%here are, of course, significant differences in descri!ing media as

opposed to deeloping a tour for a museum ehi!ition4 Conse8uentl",

&e hae deeloped su!-sets of these 'uidelines1Best Practices that

focus on Performing Arts, #edia, and Visual Art4

An initial draft of this document &as reie&ed !" the pu!lic on a &i$idot4org &e! page

throughout 9une 200 and &as discussed in depth at the Audio

Description Project Conference in (rlando, :lorida, 9ul" ;-+, 2004 %his

ersion of these 'uidelines1Best Practices &as reie&ed !" a 'uidelines


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Committee including Kim Charlson, ACB3s Vice-President and =ead

Li!rarian, the Per$ins >chool for the Blind? :red Brac$, &e!master,

&&&4ac!4org1adp?%hom Lohman formerl" of the Descri!ed and

Captioned #edia Program? @ic$ Boggs of e >ee %V? Br"an 'ould of

'B=? Lisa =elen =offman, Audio-Description Consultant, %rainer and

Patron of Audio-Description >erices of L== Consulting? De!orah Le&is,

C(, Arts Access o&, founding mem!er, Audio Description Coalition?

ina Leent, Art ducation for the Blind, #etropolitan #useum of Art?

Christopher 'ra", immediate past president of the American Council of

the Blind? and 9oel >n"der, Director, Audio Description Project and &ill

no& !e posted on the &e! for further input from an"one interested ia a

&i$idot4org page4 %he committee &ill monitor and reie& all contri!utions

and our goal is to hae a final ersion made pu!lic !" mid-20)04

:inall", &e &ant to credit &ith a large measure of appreciation the original source

material on &hich this document is !ased4 %he material includes7

- Art ducation for the Blind3s 5#a$ing Visual Art Accessi!le to People ho Are Blind

and Visuall" mpaired6

- Audio Description Coalition >tandards and Code of Conduct Ethe ADC Code of

Conduct is reprinted, &ith permission, at the end of this document

*


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- 5Audio Description %echni8ues6 !" 9oe Clar$ ECanada

- 5Audio Description7 %he Visual #ade Ver!al6 !" 9oel >n"der from %he Didactics of

Audio Visual %ranslation, edited !" 9orge DiaF Cintas, 9ohn Benjamins

Pu!lishing, London, ngland and on-line course for :ractured

Gniersit"

- Descri!ed and Captioned #edia Program 5Description Ke"6 Edeeloped !" DC#P and

the American :oundation of the Blind

- %C Endependent %eleision Commission 'uidance on Audio Description EG4K4

- ational Captioning nstitute Descri!ed #edia 5>t"le 'uide6

;


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)E"T#"+

Audio Description EAD

Audio Description EAD is a tool for people &ho are !lind or hae lo& ision that

proides access to the isual aspects of theater, media, and isual artH

and an" actiit" &here images are a critical element4 Gsing &ords that

are succinct, iid, and imaginatie, descri!ers cone" isual information

that is either inaccessi!le or onl" partiall" accessi!le to a segment of the

population4 n addition, description ma" also !enefit people &ho prefer to

ac8uire information primaril" !" auditor" means and those &ho are

limitedH!" proimit" or technolog", for instanceHto accessing audio of

an eent or production4

%he Audio Description Gser 1 Patron

%he principal patrons of audio description are people &ho happen to !e !lind or hae

lo& ision4 ho are 5the !lind6I %he" are notJthe !lind4J %he" are indiiduals --

house&ies, scientists, artists, !usiness people 444 or, of course, an" of us &ho happen

to deelop ision loss4

People &ho listen to audio description are uni8ue indiiduals liing &ith some degree of

ision loss as the result of a &ide range of causes4 #ost at one point

had all or some of their sight and no& the" ma" hae onl" peripheral

ision, the" ma" see onl" shapes, light and dar$, colors, moement,


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shado&s, !lurs, or 5!lo!s6 -- or hae Jtunnel ision4J #ost users of

description are not totall" !lind? indeed, onl" )-2 of the legall" !lind are

congenitall" !lind E!lind from !irth? others are adentitiousl" !lind or

deeloped total !lindness later in life4 (nl" )0 $no& Braille4

%he American :oundation for the Blind reports that 2*42 million Americans hae ision

lossEi4e4, hae trou!le seeing een &ith correction or are !lind4 hile

description &as deeloped for people &ho are !lind or isuall" impaired,

man" others ma" also !enefit from description3s concise, o!jectie

5translation6 of the $e" isual components of arious art genres and

social settings4 Audio Description is an 5Assistie %echnolog"6? it is

meant to enhance, not replace the user3s o&n po&ers of o!seration4

Audio Descri!erEs 1 Descri!er Es

%he person responsi!le for deeloping the description to !e oiced4 As Canadian &riter

9oe Clar$ ma$es clear, descri!ers and oicers sere the audience and

the production, not themseles4 =e eplains7 5Mou3re not proiding

descriptions to sho& off "our oca!ular" or to highlight "our !eautiful

oice4 Mou &or$ for the production and the audience4 A certain self-

effacement is re8uired46 Bac$ground in the medium or genre !eing

descri!ed can also !e helpful4

Voicer Eor Voice %alent

+
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=15&DocumentID=4398http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=15&DocumentID=4398http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=15&DocumentID=4398http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=15&DocumentID=4398


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%he person &ho oices the description Ein some cases, often in the performing arts, the

descri!er also is the oicer4

%he Consultant Es

%he Consultant is a person &ho is !lind or isuall" impaired, an indiidual &ho has

eperience in the use of audio description, and &ho has the a!ilit" to

anal"Fe the descriptions4 %he Consultant3s role is to as$ 8uestions and

assist in the creation of descriptions so that a sufficient amount of

information a!out the isual details is included in concise and accurate

descriptions4 %he Consultant offers &ritten suggestions for description

delier" so that the" flo& and doetail &ith an" eisting spo$en portion of

the su!ject !eing descri!ed4


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!#RE +7%%+

%his section is intended as an oer-arching set of guidelines, applica!le to audio

description in &hateer setting, genre or format it occurs4 Later sections

proide more specific techni8ues for the follo&ing areas7

- Performing Arts E%heater, Dance, (pera

- #edia

- Visual Art 1 hi!itions

%= BA>C>

%he audio descri!er is part journalist, faithfull" rela"ing the facts7

=(

ho is in the imageI hat do the" loo$ li$eI

- Age

(ne doesn3t see someone3s age unless the indiidual !eing descri!ed is

&earing a !utton that proclaims, 53m ;0N6 hat does he1she loo$ li$eI

%hose are the characteristics to cite, the things "ou see that prompt "ou

to thin$ that the indiidual is a certain age4 n some description formats,

of course, time is of the essence, and short-cuts include7 n her late

forties? in his sities? pre-teen? teenage4

- =air1Build1Clothing

Cropped !ro&n hair? long !lond hair? red-headed &oman? slim? tall?

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stoc$"? dressed in a &hite pantsuit? &earing a !lue floral dress? in a

!right red s&eater? the tuedoed 5Bond46

- @elationship

#other, father, son, !rother-in-la&, etc4H!ut ta$e care to onl" specif" if it is $no&n4

- Characters 1 People

Descri!e indiiduals !" using the most significant ph"sical characteristics4

dentif" ethnicit"1race as it is $no&n and ital to the comprehension of content4 f it is,

then all main characters3 s$in colors must !e descri!edHlight-s$inned,

dar$-s$inned, olie-s$inned4 ECiting the race onl" of non-&hite

indiiduals esta!lishes 5&hite6 as a default and is unaccepta!le4

=A%

%o a certain etent the descri!er3s choices of &hat to descri!e are !ased on an

understanding of !lindness and lo& ision7

- 'o from the general to the specificHstart generall", creating a contet, then moe to

details to enhance understanding and appreciation4 Proide isual

perspectie as appropriate and as time allo&s4 %he initial information

presented a!out a scene &ill create a foundation in the minds of the

audience mem!ers?

))


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- Gse of colorHthe %C >tandards eplain7 5#ost isuall" impaired people hae at

some time seen colours and either retained the isual memor" of colour

or can remem!er the significance and impact of a particular colour4 /

People &ho are !lind from !irth or from an earl" age cannot Osee3 colours

!ut the" do understand the significance of a particular colour !" its

association4 %he" ma" not Osee3 green, !ut the colour of flo&er stal$s,

leaes and grass, &hich people can touch and smell does mean

something46 hen as$ed a!out the perception of color, a congenitall"

!lind audio description user in (regon recommended reading #ar"

(3eill3s 5=ailstones and =ali!ut Bones,6 a children3s classic of poetr"

and color4

- nclusion of directional informationH&hether on a screen, a stage, or in front of an

ehi!ition, some AD users &ill 5see6 if "ou tell them whereto loo$4 n

addition, directional 5pointers6 can help AD users organiFe the

information the" hear, i4e4, going from top to !ottom, right to left,

cloc$&ise, etc4

- Descri!e &hat is most essential for the ie&er to $no& in order to understand and

appreciate the image !eing descri!ed4

hat3s happeningI hat actions are most important for a clear understanding and

appreciation of the imageEsI

Descri!e epressie gestures and moement Eresist an" temptation to cone" &hat

"ou ma" feel is inferred !" them, such as an emotional state4

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%he oft-referenced 5first rule of description6 is to 5Descri!e &hat "ou see6 or

4M4>444M4>4 . 5=A% M(G > > =A% M(G >AM6

hat is the critical isual information that is inaccessi!le to people &ho are !lind or

hae lo& isionI >ome hae alread" !een noted7 $e" plot elements,

people, places, actions, o!jects, un$no&n sound sources not mentioned

in the dialogue or made o!ious !" &hat one hears4

ample7 #ention &ho ans&ers the phoneHnot that the phone is ringing4 t3s not

necessar" to descri!e o!ious sound cues4 At times, the source of a

sound ma" not !e clearHa description ma" !e appropriate4 ndeed, let

contet !e one of the deciding factors in &hether to descri!e sounds4

:or instance, if the scene is set in an underground cae and a telephone

rings, it &ould li$el" !e important to include 5a telephone rings6 in the

description, as the mere fact that the phone is ringing in such a

seemingl" odd locale &ould not t"picall" !e contetuall" releant, and

ma" !e jarring or confusing to the ie&er if left undescri!ed4

- >pecificit" creates images in the minds3 e"e to a far greater degree than a general

reference4 t is more interesting to hear of the items in a mound of clutter

if time permits than to sa", 5%he attic is cluttered46 n other &ords, !e

specific &hen time allo&s4 f at all possi!le, don3t crunch separate

eents1images into a single item and proide detail &hen descri!ing

media li$e a photograph4 :or eample7 A series of images7 a tidal

&ae seen from a!oe and !elo& sea leel? a shar$, its teeth !ared,

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eers in a s&ift )+0o to the right? an octopus shoots a dar$ mist at a

predator !efore !eing snatched a&a"4 f an image is a photographHis

it color or !lac$-and-&hiteIH&hat siFeI s the &oman in the photo

simpl" smiling or is she &earing a !road grinI ho& man"I E* men, ;

airplanes positionI E=e comes up !ehind her4 A car turns left4

- Less s #ore4 Description cannot and need not cone" eer" isual image on displa"4

Qualit" audio description is not a running commentar"4 Listeners should

!e allo&ed to hear actors3 oices, sound effects, music, am!iance in a

museumHor eperience silence throughout the description4 Descri!ers

need to differentiate !et&een imager" that has a purel" decoratie

purpose, and that &hich is releant to the unfolding action or greater

contet of the production4 At the same time, the descri!er3s judgment is

critical7 description should facilitate understanding as &ell as cone" an

appreciation of the image4

%he %C >tandards cautions that 5=o&eer tempting it is to use colourful imager" and

elegant turns of phrase, clarit" is the main aim of audio description4 As a

rule, too much description can !e ehausting or een irritating4 %he

Rimage !eing descri!edS should !e allo&ed to !reathe from time to time,

allo&ing Rit and itsS atmosphere to come through %he descri!er must learn

to &eed out &hat is not essential46

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And 9oe Clar$ adds Ein spea$ing of description for media, 5Descri!e &hen necessar",

!ut do not necessaril" descri!e46

As$ "ourself7 5hat is most critical to an understanding *he points to his head and

appreciation *his hand is on his heart of that isual imageI6

%hin$7 Can isualiFe &hat3s happening &ithout !ecoming confusedI

:eel7 Did correctl" cone" the emotion of the sceneI

=1=@

- %ime of da" Eis it light or dar$I Cloud" or sunn"I and location4

:or eample7 %he sun sits lo& oer the horiFon4 Es it a sunset or is the sun risingI

(ften &e donTt $no& if itTs a sunset or sunrise . for eample in a nature

program &here + seconds of !urning red s$" is used as !-roll4 n this

eample, the image needs to !e descri!ed E!riefl" &ithout

characteriFing it further4 A full moon4 A cloc$7 700 a4m4 A cit" par$4 A

2-stor" !ric$ to&nhouse4 Gnder a &ide portico4 (n a raised platform

near a gaFe!o4

=(

- Be clear, concise, conersational7 Gse 5eer"da"6 terms4 Descri!e a technical term,

thenname it, e4g4, 5she !ends at the $nees, a pliU6? limit the use of slang

or jargon unless appropriate to the content1image !eing descri!ed4

Descri!ers are &riting for a !road audience4 tTs adisa!le to use the

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language in the program as "our guide to oca!ular", sentence structure

and pacing4 Consider the materialHand use language that is consistent

&ith its content, $eeping in mind that correct language structure and

s"ntaHa sort of 5spo$en grammar6Hare important elements of an"

description4

- Point of Vie& and arratie %ense Delier description in present tense, in actie oice

Ee4g4, 5%ed !rea$s the &indo&,6 is prefera!le to, 5%he &indo& &as !ro$en

!" %ed46 Gse third-person narratie st"le to sho& neutralit" and

noninterference4

- Consider "our audience4

f "ou $no& that "our audience is primaril" "oung people, use simple language structure

in "our descriptions4 >imilarl", match oca!ular" to the material !eing

descri!ed4

- 5e >ee6

Aoid telling "our guests that 5&e see6 or notice or ie&Hit3s a gien4 n general, the

use of terms li$e 5a ie& of6 or 5comes into ie&6 should !e aoided4

%hese are understoodHit is a gien that &hat is !eing descri!ed is &ithin

the ie& of the audience, and using such terms ro!s precious seconds

from the aaila!le 58uiet parts6 during &hich description can !e inserted4

);


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- Var" Ver! Choices

=o& man" different &ords can "ou use to descri!e someone moing

along a side&al$I h" sa" J&al$J &hen "ou can more iidl" descri!e

the action, as appropriate, &ith Jsasha",J Jstroll,J Js$ip,J Jstum!le,J or

JsaunterJI

- Definite1ndefinite Articles

Gse 5a6 instead of 5the6Ha s&ord, instead of the s&ord, unless there3s onl" one s&ord4

f the s&ord has alread" !een introduced, it !ecomes 5the6 s&ord4

- Pronouns

Gse pronouns onl" &hen it is clear to &hom or &hat the pronoun refers4

- #ultiple #eanings

dentif" &ords that hae multiple meanings? !e sure that the intended meaning is

cone"ed4

- nterpretie R%LS Ader!s1'erunds7 -l" &ords and -ing &ords7 >uspiciousl", furiousl",

nerousl"4 As$ "ourself7 5hat is it that "ou see that prompts "ou to

thin$ that he1she loo$s suspicious, furious, or nerousI nstead7 5raises

her e"e!ro&s6, 5clenches her fists6, 5t&ists a nap$in64 5-l"6 &ords should

!e used sparingl", onl" if timing leaes no other option4 :or instance,

there are cases &ith 5hurriedl"6 or 58uic$l"6 might !e used appropriatel"

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in a descri!ed passage4 Gse 5-ing6 &ords in phrases, not as continuing

present tense, e4g4, 5>tomping up the stairs, he/6 instead of, 5=e is

stomping up the stairs46

- (!jectiit"

%he !est audio descri!ers o!jectiel" recount the isual aspects of an image4

-ubjectiveor 8ualitative judgmentsor comment get in the &a"Hthe"

constitute an interpretation on the part of the descri!er and are

unnecessar" and un&anted4

.et listeners conjure their own interpretations!ased on a commentar" that is as

o!jectie as possi!le4

>o &e do not sa" J=e is furiousJ or J>he is upset4 5 @ather, J=eTs clenching his fistJ

or J>he is cr"ing4 5 @ather than 5t3s a dream46 or 5>he dies46, the

o!jectie descri!er might sa"7 5%hrough a &hite mist, 9oan runs through

a field46 or, 5=is head lolls !ac$ and his e"es close46 Descri!ers must

differentiate !et&een emotion or reasoning E&hich re8uires an

interpretation on the part of the o!serer and theph%sical

characteristics of emotionor reasoning E&hich are more concrete and

allo& description users to conjure their o&n interpretations and prepare

their description &ith this important distinction in mind4 :or instance,

instead of 59ohan li$es the chocolate mil$,6 sa", 59ohan sips the

chocolate mil$, then lic$s his lips4

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- #etaphor1>imile

Descri!e shapes, siFes, and other essential attri!utes of images !" comparison to

o!jects or items1areas that are familiar to the intended audience4

:or eample, is the ashington #onument *** feet tall or is it higher than fift"

elephants stac$ed one on top of the otherI (r almost as high as t&o

foot!all fields are long4 %hus, &e tr" to cone" our descriptions &ith a

$ind of 5inner ision6 that results in a linguisticall" iid eocation of the

image !eing descri!ed4 %here aren3t an" elephants or foot!all fields

thereH!ut "ou ma" eo$e them in order to cone" a particular image

Ethe height of the ashington #onument4 Mes, a contradiction of the

descri!er3s 5first rule6H>a" (nl" hat >eeH!ut it &or$s in certain

instances !ecause it eo$es the essense of &hat is !eing descri!ed4

Descriptie metaphors and similes are !est &hen the" are immediatel"

relata!le to the ie&er Eeer"da" o!jects and1or the image itself4

amples7 the small sna$e is as long and thic$ as a pencil Eor possi!l"

an earth&orm, the machine is siFe of a refrigerator, the puma is the siFe

of a large dog4

- La!els

>ince the ultimate goal is an image created in the minds of our constituents, avoid

labeling&ith an interpretation that is ineita!l" uni8ue to "ou, the

descri!er4

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ndeed, 5la!eling6 . 5naming6 is not describing4 La!els lead us to pigeon-hole and &e

tend to then dismiss the thing &e see4 :or eample, a !allet dancer

doesn3t simpl" 5pliU6 Esee discussion of 59argon6 in the #edia section4

=e or she !ends at the $nees4

- Censorship

ithin the constructs of 8ualit" description, descri!ers must cone" allof the isual

elements of the material !eing descri!ed4 Descri!ers must not censor

information for an" personal reason such as their o&n discomfort &ith

the material or a political !elief, i4e4, descri!ers must rela" o!jectiel" the

isual elements of nudit", seual acts, iolence, etc4 (ur constituents

hae the right to $no& the critical isual material that is eident to sighted

people and &e hae the o!ligation to cone" that material4 f a descri!er

feels that descri!ing particular material &ill ma$e him1her uncomforta!le,

s1he should not accept this assignment4

V(C'

e ma$e meaning &ith our oices4

>ome studies suggest that &ithin face-to-face spo$en interpersonal conersation the

majorit" of content is communicated non-er!all", either through gesture

and facial epression !ut also through a ariet" of speech and oral

interpretation fundamentals7

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Pronunciation - nunciation - Breath Control - Volume

Pause - nflection - Pace - %empo - Phrasing - %one

- Pronunciation

Prepare in adance and1or use transliterations to indicate pronunciation4

Learn the proper pronunciation of foreign names and &ords used in a

production4 arrators3 oices must !e distinguisha!le from other oices

in a production, !ut the" must not !e unnecessaril" distracting, as &ith

recogniFa!le cele!rit" oices or inappropriate accents4

- nunciation 1 ord @ate

>pea$ clearl" and at a rate that can !e understood4

'enerall", a rate of );0 &pm E&ords per minute is an accepta!le pace4 %r" spea$ing

descriptions to "ourself to ma$e sure the" flo& casuall"4

- Consonance

Vocal delier" should !e consonant &ith the nature of the material !eing descri!ed4 %he

oice should match the pace Eincluding &ord rate, noted a!oe, energ"

and olume of the material4 Allo& the performance to set the tone and

rh"thm of the description, remem!ering that the performance, not the

descri!er, should !e the focus4 9ust as the descri!er should not assume

a detached, lecturing or clinical tone, the descri!er should not attempt to

project him- or herself into the performance as another performer4

2)


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ample7 %he language and delier" to descri!e a fight scene &ould differ from that

used to descri!e a loe scene4

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A$)# )E+!R,T#" 8$)E%"E+2(E+T ,RA!T!E+

,ER#RM"8 ART+

%=A%@

- >uspension of Dis!elief

ith most performing arts, the descri!er should allo& listeners to participate in the

5&illing suspension of dis!elief6 !" descri!ing in terms of the stor" rather

than the theatrical eperience4 Aoid stage directionsHstage right,

house right, and do&nstage4

- 9argon

Aoid theatrical references or jargon, especiall" names for technical e8uipment and

deices, &hich &ould dra& listeners3 attention a&a" from their

inolement in the stor" E5!rea$ the fourth &all6 and ma" introduce

confusing, un$no&n terms4

ample7 >a" 59ohn Rcharacter3s nameS is ; feet tall &ith curl" !lac$ hair /6 instead of

5the actor pla"ing 9ohn is ; feet tall /46 5>usan runs from the $itchen6

rather than 5>usan eits the stage46 %he eception to the 5maintain the

illusion6 caution &ould !e &hen the st"le of the production is

presentational, calling attention to its theatricalit"4 Because the

production ma$es the audience a&are that it is 5&atching a pla",6 it3s

appropriate for the descri!er to do so as &ell4

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- um!er of Descri!ers

>ome organiFations utiliFe a pair of descri!ers to coer a performance4 :or instance,

the first descri!er descri!es the performance &hile the second descri!er

prepares, and sometime deliers, the pre-sho& notes Eand intermission

notes if applica!le and seres as !ac$up descri!er4 A !ac$up descri!er

is prepared to descri!e the eent if the original descri!er is not aaila!le

4

- aluation

'ie listeners a means of proiding the management &ith feed!ac$ on the description

!" announcing the process at the end of the description and1or proiding

a Braille1large print handout &here reception e8uipment is distri!uted4

- temporaneous Description

n addition to performing arts eents, lie description ma" !e proided for lie !roadcast

programs such as Presidential inaugurations, space launches, national

disaster ne&s coerage, etc4 ith no opportunit" for preie&s or pre-

sho& notes to proide !ac$ground information or preliminar" description

of certain general elements, consider using some silences to descri!e

the 5!ig picture6 rather than &hat is specificall" onscreen4 %hese

situations Elie description for a one-time eent or a lie !roadcasts

presents a uni8ue challenge since the descri!er often doesnTt $no& &hat

images &ill appear and cannot $no& &hen the pauses in dialogue &ill

happen or ho& long those pauses &ill !e4 %his t"pe of description is not

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25/107

for the faint-of-heart and can er" &ell ma$e the ie&ing eperience

&orse !" tal$ing oer important dialogue and1or offering incomplete or

a&$&ardl" &orded descriptions4 %hat said, &ith practice, an eperienced

descri!er can ma$e a lie, unscripted eent an accessi!le, seamless

ie&ing eperience for the description user4

- %o >cript or ot %o >cript

>ome performing arts description producers &ill hae a descri!er preie& a

performance Eas production schedules allo& enough times to allo& for

the deelopment of a description script4 (thers depend on one or t&o

preie&s &here notes are made and the descri!er proides description

in a more 5etemporaneous6 manner4 f time and schedules allo&, the

deelopment of a script permits the careful consideration of the arious

fundamentals of description outlined earlier in this document4 %he

descri!er using a script does not, of course, read the script &ithout

loo$ing at the lie performance? he1she must $no& the script &ell enough

to use the script as a prompt and !e free to descri!e etemporaneousl"

&hen 5change happens46

- >cheduling of Description

%"picall", audio description is offered at one to three performances throughout the run of

an etended series of performances, often one eening performance and

one matinee4 %his, of course, limits the AD users in their flei!ilit" in

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26/107

scheduling attendance at performing arts eents4 >ome organiFations

as$ for adance notice of t&o &ee$s or more in order to proide AD as a

special re8uest4 n an effort to put the AD user on a par &ith an" other

performing arts patron, certain producers &ill 5cast6 a descri!er &ho can

attend selected rehearsals, deelop an AD script and !e aaila!le at

eer" performance Esimilar to an understud"4 f no one desires the

serice, the descri!er is free to go4

:or touring productions, eperiments hae !een made &ith scripts that hae !een

produced in one locale that can !e shared &ith descri!ers in another cit"4

ncreasingl", certain long-running and1or touring productions hae

recorded description $e"ed to lighting cues and accessed ia PDAs

attached to seat!ac$s4 %he descriptions Eas &ell as captions and

simultaneous translation are aaila!le at an" performance4 deall", a

descri!er monitors the use of these s"stems so that ariations from the

original descri!ed performance can !e incorporated at an" particular

performance4

- 8uipment

ith the eception of recorded description noted earlier, audio description is deliered

&irelessl" ia microphones Eheadset or steno-mas$ st"le, transmitters,

and receiers &ith earpieces used !" AD patrons4 'enerall", the

transmissions are accomplished ia infra-red Eline-of-sight or :# radio

2;


27/107

s"stems4 :# s"stems can !e porta!le and are often shared !" multiple

theaters4 A full discussion of e8uipment at a enue is essential including7

location of receiers? a secure s"stem for distri!ution and return of

receiers Ee4g4, leaing an D or not? ho& to demonstrate the use of the

receier? &hat to do if there3s an e8uipment pro!lem, etc44 A list of

e8uipment proiders is included as an appendi to this document4 RKS

- 5>tepping (n Lines6

Descriptions are usuall" deliered during pauses !et&een lines of dialogue or 8uiet

moments, aoiding other critical sound elements4 But since it is more

important to ma$e a production understanda!le than to presere eer"

detail of the original soundtrac$, the descri!er &ill spea$ oer dialogue

and other audio &hen necessar"4 f a description continues oer

dialogue, 8uic$l" finish the sentence4 n most instances, a descri!er ma"

tal$ oer !ac$ground music or underscoring as &ell as the l"rics of a

repeated chorus of a song4

And, as noted earlier, it is appropriate to let pauses or 8uiet moments pass &ithout a

description4 Listeners &ant to hear the performance first and the

description second4 %he dialogue, the soundsHand een the silencesH

are telling the stor" and must !e eperienced4

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Gse caution in tal$ing oer a 5song pla"ed on the radio6 !ecause its recognition !" the

audience and1or the audience3s hearing its content ma" !e important to

setting a mood, recalling an era, ma$ing an emotional statement, etc4

ample7 sther is tal$ing non-stop a!out ma$ing a pie, !ut she is 8uietl" ta$ing a gun

from a dra&er4 %he descri!er ma" need to spea$ oer her dialogue

!ecause the audience &ill hear a gunshot !efore she stops tal$ing a!out

ma$ing the pie4

dentification

dentif" characters as the" hae !een identified in the production4 ntroduce them !"

name onl" after the"3e !een introduced in the dialogue and consistentl"

identif" people1characters !" name4 Gse a character3s name onl" &hen

sighted audience mem!ers $no& the name4 hen an un$no&n

character appears, refer to the person !" a ph"sical characteristic used

in his1her initial description until his1her name is reealed4 (nce

eer"one $no&s the character3s proper name, tie the name to the

ph"sical description at the first opportunit" E59ohn, the redheaded man6

and after&ards use onl" the character3s name4 EA 5cast of characters6 list

ma" hae !een included in the program1pre-sho& notes? this information

&ill allo& listeners to !e on a par &ith sighted audience mem!ers4

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Be certain to descri!e entrances and eitsH&ho and &hereHespeciall" &hen there3s

nothing audi!le to indicate someone has joined or left the scene4

ote7 t ma" !e helpful to create a list of the esta!lished names for each character for

reference during the description4 A list of commonl" paired couples ma"

also !e useful in pla"s &ith difficult character names4 >ome AD users

hae suggested that once the material has identified a character, the

descri!er could match the character3s name &ith the actor3s oice !"

mentioning the character3s name just !efore s1he spea$s4 Although the

descri!er usuall" doesn3t need to repeat the oice identification, this

might !e necessar" after a character has !een silent or a!sent for a long

time or if seeral oices are similar and it3s important to $no& eactl"

&ho is sa"ing &hat at a particular point4

%iming

%heatrical surprises should, ideall", come at the same time for all audience mem!ers4 f

characters3 appearances or actions, hidden identities, costumes, sight

gags, sound effects, etc4 happen as a surprise to sighted audience

mem!ers, don3t spoil the surprise for listeners !" descri!ing Eand

reealing them in adance4

ample7 f a character is in disguise, he !ecomes 5the man6 rather than 59ohn &ears a

disguise46 Gse a neutral term 5the figure in red6 &hen characters are

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30/107

disguising their gender4 f the action that accompanies a sound effect &ill

result in a reaction from the audience, treat this as if descri!ing a sight

gag4 %ime the description to allo& listeners to react at the same time as

sighted audience mem!ers4

ample7 f the audience sees something happening that might 5&arn them6 of the

possi!ilit" of, sa", a loud noise, !e sure to descri!e that action4 :or

instance, 5Pat6 loads a rifle, so &e $no& that there3s a possi!ilit" s1he &ill

fire it4

ith eperience, descri!ers learn to gauge &hen laughter and applause hae pea$ed

and !egun to die do&n4 f possi!le, hold description until the audience

!egins to 8uiet4 f not, spea$ loudl" &hen descri!ing oer loud laughter,

music or applause4

hen an effect &ill !e repeated, tr" to descri!e it the first time in a &a" that allo&s a

5shorthand6 reference later4

ample7 n a pla" &here characters igorousl" smo$e cigarettes to underscore their

tension, descri!e the first instance as, 5#ar" and 9ohn light cigarettes,

inhale and ehale deepl"46 (n later occurrences, as listeners understand

the pattern of their !ehaior, simpl" sa", 5>mo$ing again46

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31/107

>ounds

Descri!e the source of sounds that ma" not !e immediatel" recogniFa!le &ithin the

program !ut are pertinent to understanding and appreciation of the

content4

nclude an" sound effects in the timing of descriptions, e4g4, he turns a&a" from her and

she pulls out a reoler4 RBA'S =e falls oer a des$ RCLA%%@S4

Gsuall" a sound effect, or the eent leading up to it, is descri!ed just !efore it happens7

5%he !urglar drops his sac$46 R%=GDS >ometimes it can !e een more effectie after the

action4 6aing their arms the" run to&ards the platform4446 RChuff chuff444

the sound of a train pulling a&a"S 5%he train is pulling out of the station46

- Pre->ho& and ntermission otes

PurposeH%he purpose of pre-sho& notes is to prepare the patron !" including

descriptions that the descri!er &ill not hae time to gie during the

performance4 n addition to the credits on the pla"!ill, the pre-sho& notes

coer descriptions of the sets, &ith their entrances, eits, leels,

placement of furniture, etc4? the ph"sical characteristics of the characters,

the roles the" pla", their costumes, an" gestures or mannerisms the" use

repeatedl"? dance moement? recurring staging techni8ues? and an"

props that are significant4 All of these descriptions should !e succinct,

tightl" organiFed and not eceed )0.)* minutes4 #ost descri!ers

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prepare scripted pre-sho& notes to !e sure that the"3re coering

eer"thing in a coherent and timel" manner4 Productions &ith

intermissions proide a second opportunit" to proide additional

information4

Terminolog%H%he pre-sho& notes are also the place to define an" terminolog" that

might !e used in the performance4 n a period piece, terms of clothing or

architecture might !e eplained4 Gnusual props can !e defined4 %he

remaining time !efore the curtain can !e filled &ith the director3s notes,

articles a!out the pla"&right, the actors3 !iographies, the appearance of

the audience, etc4

$rderHListeners are tr"ing to a!sor! and remem!er a great deal of er!al information4

Descri!e settings and costumes in the order the" appear4 As much as

possi!le, descri!e each setting in the same order Eleft to right and top to

!ottom, for eample4

Descri!e the set in an orderl" manner Ee4g4, left to right and limit description to the

most essential elements4 Descri!e fied !ac$ground elements first, then add furniture

or large props4 f the set is a!stract, the appropriate use of simile ma" help the listener

determine the shapes and dimensions of the elements &ithout confusing the

comparisons &ith the realit" on stage4

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'enerall", note characters first, then the set Eit ma" !e unclear to reference the first

scene in 9oe3s liing room if 9oe has "et to !e introduced4 Be sure to include the

relationships !et&een the characters as appropriate4

CharacteristicsHDescri!e an" characteristic actions Ee4g4, 5!ites her nails,6 5ta$es

s&igs from a hip flas$ of &his$e"46

-%nopsesH%here ma" !e a s"nopsis in the pla"!ill4 9ust as this information is helpful to

sighted audience mem!ers, sharing this information &ith listeners during

pre-sho& notes ma" aid their appreciation of the performance and the

description4 (ther information Edirector3s notes, !ac$ground information,

credits must !e prioritiFed for pre-sho& or intermission4 n the eent that

the aaila!le time does not allo& for the reading of important material,

mention this so that the listener can read it or hae it read later4

The TheaterHf there3s a dela" in the start of the performance or during a scene change

or an emergenc" in the audience, descri!e &hat the sighted audience

can seeHa large group has just arried and is !eing seated, the curtain

is caught on a piece of scener", stagehands changing the set, etc44

n a lie setting, to the etent that notices are displa"ed for the general pu!lic, it is

appropriate to alert AD users of upcoming sound effects as the" could

affect serice animals accompan"ing a patron4


34/107

/ntermissionsHn productions &ith intermissions and a great deal of information to

coer in pre-sho& notes, consider limiting the pre-sho& notes to oerall

production information Ecredits, etc4 and the first act3s details Esettings,

costumes, characters, etc44 %hen, return during the final minutes of

intermission &ith notes to descri!e the second act3s details, important

reminders from the pre-sho& notes, and, if time allo&s, share additional

information from the pla"!ill4

ote7 At the end of the pre-sho& notes and at the end of the first act, tell listeners that

during intermission &hat "ou &ill share &ith them so the" ma" decide if

the" &ant to return in time to hear that information4 Assuming that some

of the listeners &ill not hear the full intermission notes, repeat the

essential information during the second act &heneer possi!le4 f the

ne& information for the second act is er" !rief, listeners ma" appreciate

its inclusion at the end of the pre-sho& notes or &hile the house lights

are dimming for the second act4

>ee Appendi A for a portion of the descri!ers3 script for one of Access %heater3s 5>torm

@eading46 %o ie& the ecerpt &ith description, go to7

http711&&&4audiodescri!e4com1samples1


35/107

DAC

- hat %o nclude

The -tor%0ssentiall", all choreograph" can !e considered to cone" 5a stor"6, e4g4,

a choreographer3s concept4 Close consideration of the ideas !ehind

the danceHas determined !" the oerall structure of the moementsH

&ill allo& a descri!er to cone" a compelling image, rather than !eing

trapped in the repetition of a series of steps4 And, of course, the sound

of the moements, sound effects and the musical score E&hich can

often include silence must !e presered for the dance audience to

appreciate and enjo"4 ith dance description, it3s important to find the

5stor"6 it tells7 &hat main idea does the dancing communicate to the

ie&er, &hat is the essence of the danceI hat information &ould !e

most important to allo& a !lind audience mem!er to eperience the

performance as full" as possi!le, to help him follo& the meaning of the

choreograph"I

1ow and 2hatHhich elements comprised the structure and themes of the

choreograph", and &hat &ords &ould most succinctl" cone" those ideas

Hthe 5ho&6 as opposed to the 5&hat6I %here is a significant difference

!et&een sa"ing &hat someone is doing and descri!ing ho& the" do it4

Description is often a!out &hat a moer is doing4 But to cone" as much

information in as fe& &ords as possi!le, the" often need to descri!e ho&

the moer is accomplishing the action4 hat sort of path&a" in space

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36/107

does the moer follo&I =o& does the shape or 5attitude6 of their !od"

cone" character or contetI hat d"namic 8ualities of the moement

flaor its meaningI

:or eample, one piece might !e mostl" 5a!out6 spatial patterns and se8uences of

group clustering and scattering? the dancers3 specific moements ma" !e

less important, and their indiidual characteristics Egender, hair color,

!od" shape, etc4 ma" not matter at all &ith respect to the content !eing

epressed4 n another piece, &here each dancer pla"s a uni8ue

character, those particulars, along &ith arious moement com!inations

and !od" attitude, can !e meaningful factors4

Be -electiveHAs &ith an" genre Etheater, media, opera, isual images in danceH

multiple moes in seeral shapes and on aried leelsHcan occur in

8uic$ succession and een simultaneousl"4 Dancers do not al&a"s

perform in unisonN Again, a description that attempts to cone"

eer"thing &ill cone" nothing &ell4 %he specifics of each moe are

less important than the oerall patterns created !" their com!inations

thus creating a st"le EtapI, AfricanI modernI, concept Ea particular

ideaI or 5the ision,6 if "ou &ill, of the choreographer4

- Kno&ing Dance

;


37/107

>ome !eliee that it is helpful for the descri!er to understand the foundation of the

dance st"les !eing ie&ed or immerse him1herself in the oca!ular" of

5the dance46 %a$e careH

a a descri!er need not hae deep $no&ledge or een enjo" eer" su!ject he1she

descri!esHmost important is $een o!seration of the moement and

moement patterns and a oca!ular" that allo&s its er!al epression

in clear and iid terms?

! jargon or la!eling are 5short cuts6Hit3s 8uic$er and easier to sa" 5pliU6 than 5a

!ending of the legs at the $nees46 But its first use must accompan" the

actual description to accommodate listeners &ho hae no prior

$no&ledge of !allet terminolog", for instance4 t ma" !e that in a lie,

performing arts contet, pre-sho& notes can !e used to introduce

certain oca!ular" for selected moements and then those &ords could

!e used during performance? the descri!er ma$es a judgment &ith

respect to &hat language is &ithin the realm of 5general $no&ledge6,

e4g4, choreograph", ensem!le, and the use of these &ords &ill help

couch descriptions &ithin the genre?

c in the &ords of Paul Valer"7 5>eeing is forgetting the name of &hat one sees6 As

noted earlier under 5Core >$ills,6 la!elsHfor moements, terms, jargon

Hta$e us a step a&a" from trul" loo$ing at the particular image or

moement7 it3s a pliU, "es, !ut &hat3s the nature of this particular pliUIN4

%he score


38/107

Consider ho& the range of moements interacts &ith an" accompan"ing score4 Be

certain to time description to empathiFe &ith choreographic intent, e4g4,

an increasingl" furious s&irl that is in consonance &ith the crescendo of

a drum, culminating &ith a loud crac$N =o& disappointing it &ould !e if

the descri!er &ere spea$ing 5oer6 the artists3 carefull" crafted ending4

Breit"

Gse as fe& &ords as possi!le, iid &ord, &ords that eo$e specific and clear images4

s it a jumpI =o& highI A s&irlI A t&irlI Are arms and legs a$im!o

Edefine or simpl" pointed to the side li$e the lim!s of a tree Euse of

simileI

@esist the temptation to assume that, &ithout dialogue Ein man", !ut not !" an" means

all dance pieces, "ou hae more time &ithin &hich to descri!eN tra

er!iage inaria!l" complicates and confuses4 But occasionall"

description of sound has its place &hen its origin could !e a m"ster" Ea

slap on the ground or a $nee, a hoot, etc44

f the dance performance includes a music score, allo& the listener to enjo" it7 constant

step-!"-step description can !ecome tedious and een o!scure the emotie meaning of

the dance4 A summar", !ased on careful ie&ing of the choreograph", is appropriate

Ee4g4, %he fair" is transformed into a dragon &ith glittering green scales4 >he hoers

a!oe the forest of thorns at >leeping Beaut"3s palace, circling her cla&-li$e hands as if

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casting a spell4

>cenic elements

Again, as &ith other formats, dancersT appearance and costumes, scenic elements

and props, also can inform the oerall and the particular effect of the

performance and must !e noted according to the descri!er3s judgment4

#usicals

#usical theater offers particular challenges and opportunitiesHl"rics must !e

respected !ut the pauses !et&een refrains or repeat choruses proide

precious seconds &ithin &hich description ma" !e inserted4

:or eample, 5%he Chaa Ballet6 in 3iddler on the 4oof proides an opportunit" to

highlight moement characteristics of indiiduals and plot elements

Eeach daughter leaing her famil" that reinforces an understanding of

character and the narratie4 Be certain that the isual images that

cone" these important points are descri!ed &ith iid language and

specific image-eo$ing &ords and metaphors4

%ouch

As &ith an" performing art eperience, descri!ers do &ell to !orro& the 5please touch6

attitude of the !est museum educators &ho incorporate tactile and other

sense eperience &ithin access programs4 Pre-sho& !ac$stage


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41/107

communicating mood, theme and choreographic structure, &hile leaing

aural space for the impact of the musical score4 e inite "ou to test the

description !" haing it read aloud to "ou4 %o &hat etent does hearing

the dance allo& "ou to seeI

%o ie& the ecerpt &ith description, go to7 %BD


42/107

(P@A

>urtitles

(pera, een &hen sung in nglish, re8uires that someone read the surtitles projected

a!oe the stage4 'enerall" t&o descri!ers, a male and a female, are

emplo"ed--one to read the translations, the other to descri!e4 %he

contrast in oices allo&s the listener to discriminate !et&een the t&o

functions4 %he process is something li$e using t&o sign language

interpreters to shado&-sign dialogue in a pla"4 A splitter on an infra-red

transmitter that can accommodate t&o microphones is often helpful? for

:# transmission, the splitter and a plug-in transmitter ma" !e re8uired4

%he surtitle oicer need not identif" the soloist &ho is singing Eindeed, that &ould !e

distracting and unnecessar" !ut he1she should use su!tle shifts in ocal

tone to cone" shifts !et&een character4 >ince the tet on the screen

can change 8uic$l", the surtitle reader, steering the li!retto through the

performance, generall" has 5right of &a"6N nsem!le singing can

present a uni8ue challenge7 #oFart included man" scenes in &hich

eer"one simultaneousl" sings / a different tetN Although there are

surtitles, the" are confusing een to the sighted audience since the" ma"

or ma" not identif" &ho is singing &hat4 n this contet, it is helpful to

identif" &hich characters are singing and allo& listeners to rel" on a pre-

sho& plot summar" Esee !elo&4(ne solution to the oerall pro!lem of


43/107

reading the copious amount of language represented !" the surtitles Ethe

entire li!rettoN is to a!ridge the tet, leaing out all !ut the most essential

dialogue4 An adance cop" of the surtitles is etremel" helpful in this

regard4

@espect the #usic

As has !een stated &ith respect to description in general7 our constituenc" uses our

serice as a tool to achiee an endHgreater access to the arts, in

particular4 %he users of description are in an arts setting to e5perience

the art form--not to hear the descri!er4 Description is in serice to the art

form and to the user and to the client &ho ma" emplo" the descri!er4

>imilarl", arts attendees come to the opera to hear the music, especiall" the singing,

and eperience the opera3s isual spectacle4 t3s critical then that the

descri!er respect arias and strie to limit description to orchestral

passages4 %he reader, of course, still has to cone" the tet4 n

nineteenth-centur" opera, aria tets are relatiel" short and entail much

repetition? the reader3s role can !e minimall" disruptie in those cases4

@epetitie phrases or pauses can !e used to proide description or

cone" tet4 t3s helpful, though, to &ait a fe& moments to allo& singers

to Jesta!lishJ a chorus or recitatie Esung dialogue generall" in the

rh"thm of ordinar" speech &ith series of &ords on the same note4 B"


44/107

contrast, for agner and later composers, much opera leaes no sharp

distinction !et&een arias and recitatie

Kno&ledge of the 'enre

As discussed in earlier sections, an understanding of a particular genre can !e helpful,

particularl" &ith respect to oerall flo& and st"les or traditions4 An oer-

emphasis on jargon can !e counter-productie4 ith opera, ho&eer,

there are special reasons to spend time !ecoming familiar &ith the

production3s score and li!retto4 Kno&ing the score Ein opera, as &ell as

life and in !ase!allN &ill help the descri!er $no& in adance &hen there

ma" !e aaila!le passages for insertion of description or the reading of

surtitles4 Also, the insertion of description into short passages of

instrumental music.sometimes onl" a couple of measures.could re8uire

that the descri!er 5count !eats6 and prepare a description that doesn3t

oerflo& into the singing and the reader3s translation4

A t"pical eample Eand one solution noting the importance of coordinating action &ith

!rief instrumental passages inoles 6adame Butterfl%# n a scene

during &hich Butterfl" sho&s her scant possessions to her hus!and-to-

!e the American na" officer Pin$erton, she names each o!ject, and

sho&s Pin$erton an o!long pac$age, &hich she does not un&rap !ut

places near her household shrine4 %he pac$age contains the dagger &ith

&hich her father committed seppu$u Ehonora!le suicide and &hich


45/107

Butterfl" &ill use similarl" at the end of the opera4 %he descri!er has

eactl" si !eats of orchestra music to descri!e that pac$age and &here

it ends up Ewithoutundue emphasisN4 >olutions include simpl"

descri!ing the &rapped pac$age &ithout relocating it until the

intermission notes for Act 4 =o&eer, since sighted opera patrons

al&a"s receie a plot s"nopsis in their printed programs, there is no

suspense as to &hat happens netHthis &ill !e true for patrons using

description if the s"nopsis has !een read aloud4 f so, the descri!er

might simpl" sa", 5Butterfl" sho&s the &rapped dagger46 en so, to

retain the mood and the opera3s dramatic elements, it ma" !e !est to

proceed as though the listener does not $no& the plot, a solution that is

more in $eeping &ith AD guidelines for spo$en drama4

:inall", most opera productions hae relatiel" fe& technical or dress rehearsals and a

limited num!er of performances4 %hus, descri!ers ma" hae fe&er

opportunities to preie& the &or$ !efore the descri!ed performance4 %o

augment the fe& rehearsals and performances aaila!le for preie&ing,

loo$ for eer" opportunit" to !ecome familiar &ith the opera and timing

critical to preparing description7 read the li!retto, listen1read the score,

&atch a ideo of another production of the same operaH$eep in mind,

ho&eer, that the descri!er3s o!ligation is to cone" the images

inoled in the particular production !eing presented4 %a$e care to

focus on the production at hand Eat e"eI4 As &ith other genres, it ma"


46/107

!e possi!le to &or$ &ith a production compan" to increase familiarit" of

costumes, set pieces and een directorial elements4 %he compan" ma"

hae access or education staff that can assist4 ndeed, it ma" !e

possi!le to attend a sit7probe Ea seated rehearsal &hich !rings together

singers &ith the orchestraHadjustments to the score for the particular

production &ill !e eident at this rehearsal and &ill inform the descri!er

regarding time frames aaila!le for description4

Pre-sho& notes

As &ith spo$en drama, pre-sho& notes proide an opportunit" to proide description

and information aaila!le to sighted patrons in a more relaed time

frame4 :or opera, the plot s"nopsis from the printed program is readH

this information is aaila!le to all patrons and is in no &a" 5special6

material for AD users4 %he reading of a plot s"nopsis, ho&eer, can

inole a fair amount of time7 it3s &ise to communicate in adance &ith

AD users so eer" effort is made to arrie &ell in adance of the start of

the opera4

Pronunciation

Pre-sho& notes should include the pronunciation of all character names or other

possi!l" unfamiliar &ords and names that appear in the tet or the

program Ee4g4, composer and conductor names4 An ecellent model for

pre-sho& notes is the format deeloped for #etropolitan (pera radio


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!roadcasts4 Pioneered !" #ilton Cross in the


48/107

A$)# )E+!R,T#" 8$)E%"E+2(E+T ,RA!T!E+

ME)A

Please note7 t is highl" recommend that descri!ers of JmediaJ also read the guidelines

that pertain to theatre and opera Ea!oe4 #an" of those same situations one finds in

the performing arts are portra"ed on the Jsmall screenJ and the Jsiler screen4J

'eneral7

- Audio description for film, !roadcast teleision and DVD is scripted and recorded on an

audio trac$ that is either mied &ith or is separate from the material3s

soundtrac$4 %"picall", description is mied &ith the original program

audio prior to !roadcast or on a DVD and included as a separate audio

trac$4 %his allo&s the original soundtrac$ to !e duc$ed in and out to

accommodate description that ma" step on the occasional line of dialog

or musical score4 (ften, in a moie theater, the description &ill eist on a

distinct trac$ so that its olume can !e controlled separatel"4 Descri!ers

&rite complete, accurate descriptions that generall" &ill fit precisel" R9>S

during the aaila!le pauses !et&een dialogue or critical sound elements4

- @ead the script aloud at the rate it &ill !e read for recording to erif" its timing4

- Allo& listeners to appreciate the media3s score &ithout interjecting descriptions4 (nl"

interrupt for ital, timel" information that must !e descri!ed during the


49/107

music4 t3s important for descri!ers to !e mindful of the film3s oerall

aural structure Eincluding its sound effects, &ell !e"ond simpl" the

dialogue Esee dialogue, discussed !elo&4

- As &ith other genres, the narrator3s oice should !e 5in consonance6 &ith, should

complement the materialHit should !e distinct from the oices of the

characters and1or the program3s narrator and mied to sound as natural

to the &or$ as possi!le4 %he description seres the production and

should !lend into it4

- >ometimes a descri!er &ill descri!e &hat3s a!out to appear !ecause there is no pause

aaila!le for description &hen it does appear Eforeshadowing4 n this

&a" the descri!er also 5prepares6 the listener for &hat is a!out to

happen4 :or instance, the current image Ea &aterfall and its sound ma"

not !e 5in s"nc6 &ith the description7 5A A>CA@ racetrac$ &ith a doFen

cars circling the trac$46 t ma" !e that a line could !e preceded,

on occasion, &ith 5net6 or 5in a moment46 %his alerts ie&ers &ith lo& ision that the

racetrac$ isn3t onscreen at present4

- >imilarl", on occasion there is no silent opportunit" to descri!e something essential to

listeners3 understanding &hile that specific isual image is on the screen4

%he descri!er ma" need to omit a less significant description of &hat3s

onscreen in order to interject the critical description4


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dentification

As &ith other art forms, characters in film and ideo ma" !e introduced !ut unnamed

until identified &ithin the film4 Gse a significant ph"sical characteristic to

descri!e 1 identif" the characters4 n the case of non-dramatic or

educational material, particularl" &or$ that is designed for "oung

ie&ers, it mat !e accepta!le to identif" indiiduals as time allo&s and in

$eeping &ith curricular o!jecties4

ote7 %he relationships !et&een characters ma" not !e apparent, !ut in dramatic

productions, in particular, cone"ing information a!out these

relationships is the filmma$er3s responsi!ilit"Hnot the descri!er3s4 @efer

to these relationships onl" after the" hae !een reealed &ithin the

contet of the media4

Dialogue

f a description is essential and a pause is minimal, the descri!er ma" hae to step on

the first s"lla!le or t&o of dialogue or narration4 %his often occurs &hen

the 5net oice6 must !e identified so listeners &ill understand the

spea$er3s antage point4 t is accepta!le to 5coer6 dialogue &hen the

original soundtrac$ !egins &ith dialogue that is, in the contet of the

*0


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oerall production, relatiel" inconse8uential E5Gh /6, 5r /, 5=mm /6

etc44 %his is especiall" true of educational1training productions &here

appreciation1enjo"ment of content E&hile still important is secondar" to

the stated learning goals of the program4

>cene Changes

>cene changes can !e confusing particularl" &hen the soundtrac$ does not indicate a

change4 >implicit" is al&a"s a guide7 5n the !edroom,6 5At the police

station,6 etc4 Actions, characters, and details can !e confusing if &e

don3t $no& &here &e are4 hen there3s a change of place, start the

description &ith the location E5general to the specific64

ample7 5n their !edroom, 9ohn and #ar" em!race tightl" and $iss on the lips46 %he

preceding scene too$ place &ith the &hole famil" gathered around the

dining ta!le and nothing on the soundtrac$ indicates &e3e changed

locale4

(n occasion descri!ers use the &ord 5no&6 or 5net6 to indicate a change of scene4

Because there &ill !e man" opportunities that seem to call for the use

this &ord, use it onl" &hen a!solutel" necessar"H its use should be

limited4

*)


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As time permits, descri!e montages of images, !ut !e succinct and clear4 >imilarl", a

series of still images, such as those often used during a documentar"

interie&, can !e summariFed !" highlighting seeral significant images

!eing discussed !" the person or people !eing interie&ed &hen the

images are releant to the content4

Passage of %ime

hen descri!ing certain passages of time, such as flash!ac$s or dream se8uences,

descri!e the isual cues that let the audience $no& there is a flash!ac$4

(nce the conention is esta!lished, it can sere as a 5shorthand6, saing

time if it reoccurs Eusuall" this isual conention is accompanied !" an

auditor" cue4 :or "ounger audiences, it is sometimes impractical to use

descri!ing conentions that one might use for adults4 n some cases, it is

necessar" to eplicitl" tell the audience &hat is happening rather than

descri!ing the action Ee4g4, flash!ac$ or dream se8uence4

Address time shifts Eflash !ac$s or isions of the future in relation to the

character, i4e4, tailor the description to the characters4 :or instance,

9oe3s hair is jet-!lac$, #ar"3s s$in is &rin$le-free4 (r, 5Lighting shifts to

pale am!er as 'eorge, as a "oung !o", sits at the famil" dinner ta!le46

Gse 5&hile6 and 5as6 to join t&o actions onl" if there is a connection !et&een them4

ample7 59ohn pic$s up the $nife as 9ill turns a&a"46

*2


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Consistenc"

GtiliFing the same character names and1or oca!ular" throughout a production or series

of productions is essential4 :or instance, on a longer production, often

more than one description &riter &ill &or$ on its description script4 t3s

critical that the draft final script is reie&ed in its totalit" for consistenc"4

9argon

9ust as a descri!er for a lie performance should aoid theatrical jargon or references, a

film or ideo descri!er should aoid calling attention to the filmma$ing

process4 'enerall" it3s appropriate to aoid filmma$ing jargon and

reference to filmma$ing techni8ues, e4g4, 5panning6 or 5Fooms in46 As

&ith man" description guidelines, practice in this area aries7 some

descri!ers !eliee that 5close-up6 or 5fade to !lac$6 is a simple

description of &hat can !e seen? others cone" the images that are

highlighted !" the filmma$er &ithout noting the camera techni8ue, e4g4,

an arched e"e!ro&, a !ee hoers at a flo&er, etc4

Point of Vie&

Descri!e the point of ie& &hen appropriateH5from a!oe,6 5from space,6 5moing

a&a",6 5fl"ing lo& oer the sand" !each,6 etc4 t is understood that a

film1ideo1DVD is !eing ie&ed? repeated references to the screen are

unnecessar"4 Another often-a!used point of reference is 5the camera46

*


54/107

Gnless there is a camera on the screen, it is improper to refer to 5the

camera6 as an orientational guidepost Ee4g4, the &hale 5lunges

for&ard,6Hit does not 5s&im to&ard the camera46

(ccasionall", the audience is directl" engaged, particularl" &ith children3s material or

educational productions4 An on-screen character might as$ the audience

to 5atch me and follo& along,6 or an instructor might as$, 5Can "ou see

&hat color the li8uid is turning in the !ea$erI6 n such cases, it is

important for the audience mem!ers to $no& that it is the" &ho are !eing

addressed Eas opposed to an on-screen character4 (ne &a" to

accomplish this is to refer to the audience as 5"ou46 Again , this is an

area &here practices differ and more discussion 1 research &ould !e

alua!le4

Logos 1 Credits

%reat logos as an" other image to !e descri!ed and read the compan" nameEs4

@eading disclaimers and credits at the !eginning and end of films, ideos and teleision

programs is an important function of audio description4 n addition, the

descri!er should read tet and su!titles4 'enerall", on first appearance,

tet or su!titles can !e introduced &ith a phrase such as, 5ords appear6

or 5>u!titles appear46 >u!se8uentl", tone of oice ma" !e emplo"ed to

dra& a distinction !et&een description of on-screen action and the

*


55/107

reading of tet or su!titles4 Bear in mind that &hen using a description

conention such as 5&ords appear,6 it is important to presere the clause

Ee4g4, don3t sa" 5%he &ords, >aing Mour #one", appear6Hsa" 5ords

appear7 >aing Mour #one"64

>u!titles or on-screen tet intended to translate speech Edue to language differences,

speech impediments, or other factors should al&a"s !e included

er!atim in the description4 f necessar", the original dialog and1or

narration should !e duc$ed out to aoid unnecessar" confusion on the

part of the ie&er4

ote7 Because the descri!er can neer read as rapidl" as the onscreen credits appear

and disappear, the descri!er must 5edit6 this material and ma" include a

line such as 5(ther credits follo&46 - (ften, some or all of the opening

credits appear oer the !eginning of the action4 n this situation, attempt

to descri!e the action in s"nc &ith the material and read the credits

!efore or after their actual appearance4

>ome descri!ers &ish to include credits and contact information for the description

producing compan" and1or name the oice talent used4 Descri!ers must

!e guided !" the polic" of the film production compan" or the client

contracting for the description4 (ften time aaila!ilit" &ill !e 8uite limited or

descri!ers are !ound !" certain contractual limits4

**


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nhanced Description

:or DVDs, enhanced description can !e emplo"ed to proide additional detail ia a lin$

to a pop-up &indo& or een a lin$ to a &e!site4

>imilarl", DVDs allo& for ela!oration on elements that cannot !e ade8uatel" descri!ed

during the !od" of a production, a$in to pre-sho& or intermission notes

used in descri!ing performing arts presentations4

*;


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A$)# )E+!R,T#" 8$)E%"E+2(E+T ,RA!T!E+

1+$A% ART 2 E6(T#"+

ote7 #uch of the material in this section is adapted from guidelines posted at

&&&4art!e"ondsight4organd Art ducation for the Blind3s EAB

landmar$ ); pu!lication 6aking isual Art Accessible to People 2ho

Are Blind and isuall% /mpaired#

Audio description for isual art cone"s isual images &ith language that often includes

tactile references Ee4g4, siFe and shape4 n a museum or at an

ehi!ition of an" sort, a er!al description also includes standard

information included on a la!el, such as the name of the artist,

nationalit", title of the art&or$, date, dimensions or scale of the &or$,

media and techni8ue4

#G>G# %(G@>

'eneral7

- Audio description, often as part of a touch tour, enhances the isitor3s tactile

eperience4 t can also proide access to a museum3s collection &hen

the &or$s of art are not aaila!le to touch4 hen a group of isitors

includes !lind, isuall" impaired, and sighted isitors, museum

professionals or docents can incorporate in-depth er!al description into

their regular tour4 f a classroom teacher conducts the tour, it is adisa!le

*
http://www.artbeyondsight.org/http://www.artbeyondsight.org/http://www.artbeyondsight.org/


58/107

for educators to isit the museum or historical site first to prepare the

audio description and follo& the principles outlined in this document4

- An audio descri!ed tour, &hether 5lie6 or recorded, is different from the t"pical audio

tour offered !" a museum for the general pu!lic4 B" adding descriptions

of significant isual elements, more time ma" !e re8uired to coer fe&er

elements and additional time should !e allocated for echange &ith

isitors4

- >ome museums create an additional audio guide for !lind and isuall" impaired

isitors or include etensie audio description of art&or$s in their

standard audio guide4 >ighted museum isitors report that the" !enefit

from this practice as &ell4 :ollo&ing a 5uniersal design6 concept, ehi!it

designers are increasingl" com!ining standard audio tours &ith audio

descriptions, an 5all-in-one6 or 5uniersal design6 concept4

- Depending on the nature of a particular space or the design of the ehi!it !eing

descri!ed, directional information ma" !e included ena!ling listeners to

naigate the space independentl"4

:or ducator or Docent-Led %ours

Audio description is used throughout an ehi!ition to descri!e displa"s, to respond to

particular 8uestions, and to encourage dialogue4 %he pace and leel of

*+


59/107

detail of description can !e adapted to indiiduals !ased on their degree

of sight loss and their prior eperience ma$ing art or loo$ing at art4

hen planning a tour, $eep in mind that audio description adds time4 %herefore, fe&er

&or$s ma" !e included on a tour4 A general rule of thum! is to use half

the num!er of &or$s "ou &ould use in a tour &ithout audio description4

>o itTs important to carefull" select the &or$s for "our tour4

Deelop audio description scripts for the o!jects on "our tour and reie& them &ith

isuall" impaired adisors for effectie language, clarit" and length of the

descriptions, and appropriate pace of the tour4 Audio description is also

an essential part of a touch tour or a tour that includes tactile diagrams or

tactile elements4 As audio description s$ills increase, these scripts &ill

sere as guidelines, rather than as a tet to !e memoriFed4

hen first meeting a group that includes people &ho are !lind or isuall" impaired,

!riefl" descri!e the lo!!" or meeting space4 %hen, so that "ou ma" adjust

"our tour to "our isitors needs, find out more a!out the t"pe and degree

of isual impairment4 As &ith all audiences, tr" to relate the indiidualTs

life eperiences to the content in the &or$ of art4 %hroughout "our tour,

include !rief descriptions of galler" spaces through &hich "ou pass and

museum architecture4 Mou might include the siFe of the space, t"pe of

*


60/107

art, or other general information a!out the atmosphere or am!iance of

the museum4

t is important to $eep audio description distinct from information a!out the historical

contet4 f "our tour includes !oth sighted and isuall" impaired people,

present "our er!al description first4 %his creates e8ual opportunit" for

further discussion of historical contet, !iograph" of the artist, or other

information important for all audiences to understand the &or$4

(ne strateg" fre8uentl" used during school-aged group tours could !e used &ith all

groups7 elicit audience response through directed 8uestioning4 f "ou

hae an integrated class, &ith !oth sighted and isuall" impaired

students, include eer"one in the audio description process4 As$ sighted

students to descri!e elements in the &or$ through directed 8uestioning4

%his creates an engaging atmosphere and strengthens o!seration

s$ills4 At the end of each description, restate student responses and

summariFe o!serations4

'et feed!ac$4 After the description of the first &or$, as$ one of the tour participants if

the description is meeting their needs or if "ou need to ma$e an"

adjustments4 At the end of a tour for people &ith isual impairments,

ta$e the opportunit" to emphasiFe the organiFation3s accessi!ilit"

;0


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features and programming4 Create a sense of &elcome and encourage

a future relationship &ith the organiFation4

t is important to ac$no&ledge that description is a relatiel" ne& access techni8ue for

museums4 As a conse8uence, spaces using description ma" need to

consider &a"s in &hich the" can pu!liciFe these efforts in the target

communit"Hthis ma" also include the deelopment of incenties to

encourage attendance addressing, in particular, the needs of people &ho

are !lind Eaccess to transportation, 0 unemplo"ment, etc44

:or Audio 'uides or Audio-descri!ed >elf-guided %ours

(nce "ou hae deeloped er!al-description scripts, adapt them to create an audio

guide that all isitors can use in the galleries independentl"4 :or the user

&ith isual impairments, incorporate er!al description &ith naigational

and orientation cues4 hen designing a tour, consider the effect of

fre8uent ph"sical changes in the galleries, such as chairs that are

moed, deinstallations, or construction4

#useum staff &ho distri!ute audio guides to isitors should proide a short orientation

on ho& to use the pla"er and guide4 %he pla"er should hae some t"pe

of nec$ strap so that a user has !oth hands free to use the !uttons, hold

a tactile, or use a cane or other assistie deice4

;)


62/107

Depending on the needs and resources of a particular organiFation, delier"

mechanisms &ill ar"4 >ome choices include7 audio cassette, CD, digital

&ands, or concealed triggering mechanisms4 %he last three mechanisms

are digital methods that allo& for la"ers of description and the option to

choose !et&een arious ehi!its4

'enerall", isuall" impaired isitors need orientation and naigational information that

can !e incorporated throughout the descri!ed tour4 >ome tours &ill $eep

this information on a separate trac$ or la"er of the tour allo&ing the

sighted user to s$ip such information4

Gsing cell-phone or digital &and s"stems or infrared or :#, s"stems Esimilar to those

used in a performing arts or moie theater setting, audio description

users can priatel" access descriptions4

:ocus on the >t"le

%he st"le of a &or$ of art refers to the features that identif" a &or$ as !eing !" a

particular artist or school, or of a moement, period, or geographical

region4 >t"le is the cumulatie result of man" characteristics, including

!rush&or$, use of tone and color, choice of different motifs, and the

treatment of the su!ject4 After the !asic information a!out su!ject,

composition, and mediums are cone"ed, the er!al description can

focus on ho& these man" elements contri!ute to the &hole4 n a tour that

;2


63/107

includes seeral &or$s of art, comparisons are an effectie &a" of

ma$ing st"listic features tangi!le4'eneral to the >pecific

>u!ject, :orm, and Color

%he !asic o!ject-la!el information is follo&ed !" an oerie& of the image, cone"ing

the general, oerall contet and then proceeding to specific items4

'enerall", a coherent description should proide isual information in a

se8uence, allo&ing a !lind person to assem!le, piece !" piece, an image

of a highl" comple &or$4 Descri!e the focusHthe su!jectHthat is, &hat

is represented in the &or$4 :or eample, J%his painting features a

rec"cled >aarin coffee can filled &ith a!out eighteen paint!rushes4J

et descri!e the composition or st"le e4g4, !rushstro$es, or stippling, for

eample4 ith respect to &or$s of art, include in this description the

color tones and the mood or atmosphere4 #an" people &ho hae lost

their sight hae a isual memor" of colors4

(rient the Vie&er &ith Directions

>pecific and concrete information is re8uired to indicate the location of o!jects or figures

in a &or$ of art4 >ometimes, a useful directional method is to refer to the

positions of the num!ers on a cloc$4 #ost !lind people are familiar &ith

this method of proiding direction4 :or eample, &ith respect to a

personTs face, the mouth is at si oTcloc$4 Also, &hen descri!ing a figure

depicted in a &or$ of art, remem!er that the image is the e8uialent of a

;


64/107

mirror image4 @ight and left can !e er" am!iguous terms unless the"

are 8ualified4 Accordingl", "ou should descri!e the figure according to its

right or left, and al&a"s 8ualif" this description4 :or eample, J%he

&omanTs right hand holds a small go!let4J

Clear and precise language is crucial to an" good description4 After the general idea of

the &or$ is cone"ed, the description should !e more iid and

particulariFed4 Descri!e pertinent details, and focus on different parts of

the &or$4

Art Conentions

Art terms and pictorial conentions such as perspectie, focal point, picture plane,

foreground, and !ac$ground should al&a"s !e defined for "our audience4

%"picall", it is useful to introduce the definition or concept &hen the

discussion turns to that aspect of the &or$ of art4

ndicate here the Curators =ae nstalled a or$

'enerall", a &or$Ts placement in an institution reeals important information a!out its

meaning, as &ell as its relationship to other &or$s in the collection4 %ell

the listener &here the &or$ is located in the institution4 nclude in "our

discussion a description of the galler" or sculpture garden &here the

&or$ is installed, and mention the surrounding art&or$s4 Descri!e ho&

;


65/107

the &or$ under discussion relates to these other &or$s, as &ell as to the

ie&er and the surrounding space4

@efer to (ther >enses as Analogues for Vision

%r" to translate a isual eperience into another sense4 (ther senses, such as touch or

hearing, ena!le description users to further construct highl" detailed

impressions of a &or$ on displa"4 :or instance, refer to the sense of

touch &hen descri!ing the surface of a sculpture4 A comparison !et&een

the rough-he&n teture of Auguste @odinTs Bal7ac E)+2- and the

glassli$e finish of Constantin BrancusiTs Bird in -pace Ec4 )2 can !e

er" instructie4 (r compare a 9apanese tea-ceremon" jar, &ith its

irregular shape and unfinished surface, &ith a highl" refined Chinese

&hite-porcelain statuette from the eighteenth centur"4 n !oth of these

ceramic &or$s, the degree of surface refinement is an integral part of the

&or$Ts formal alue, as &ell as of its meaning4

plain Concepts &ith Analogies

Certain $inds of isual phenomena, such as shado&s or clouds, ma" !e !est descri!ed

&ith a &ell-chosen analog" or metaphor4 %o construct a helpful analog",

choose o!jects or concepts from common eperience4 n a description of

Pa!lo PicassoTs Cubist painting 8irl with a 6andolin*3ann% Tellier

;*


66/107

E))0, "ou might compare the image of the figure to a shattered &ine

!ottle &hose fragments hae !een reassem!led in different positions4

ncourage Gnderstanding through @eenactment

>ometimes, it ma" !e helpful to hae the ehi!it isitor e5perience the image, i4e4, the

listener could mimic a depicted figureTs pose4 >ince eer"one is a&are

of his or her o&n !od", this actiit" proides a concrete &a" of

understanding difficult poses depicted in a painting4 Additionall", !"

assuming the pose, the description user can directl" perceie important

formal characteristics of the &or$, such as s"mmetr" or as"mmetr"? open

or closed forms? implied action or repose? smooth, flo&ing lines or

angular ones? and the degree of engagement &ith the ie&er4

ncorporate >ound in Creatie a"s

>ound can sere an interpretie and descriptie purpose, particularl" as an auditor"

analogue for a &or$ of isual art4 A uni8uel" designed soundscape can

eo$e the eperience of a displa"4

Another &a" to use sound creatiel" is to proide on-site recordings of architectural

spaces4 :or instance, a listener could hear the !ustling sounds of >t4

PeterTs piaFFa in @ome as he or she approaches its depiction4

Allo& People to %ouch or$s of Art or Artifacts

;;


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Proiding an opportunit" to touch three-dimensional &or$s gies isitors &ho are !lind

or isuall" impaired an immediate, personal eperience &ith an original

&or$ of art4 Direct touch is the !est &a" to eplore an o!ject4 :or

conseration reasons, ho&eer, some museums re8uire people to &ear

thin gl

AD ACB ADP Guidelines 3.1

Documents