Presentation at the 6th Media for All Conference, Sydney, September 16-18 2015

1. Audio Description Style and Film Experience
Description, Interpretation, Narration
16-18 September 2015, Sydney, Australia aaa
Floriane Bardini
UVIC-UCC

2. Contents
► Functional approach to AD creation:
Functionalism, film analysis and audio description
► Description, interpretation, narration:
Same source film, different audio descriptions
► Feeling, grasping, enjoying:
Audio description style and film experience

3. Functional approach to AD creation
• PROJECT:
Three AD of the same film created in different styles to test
their effect on the film experience of AD users.
• The translation of filmic language in the AD is the only variable
to be studied. This is ensured by
 having the same professional describer creating all three
descriptions to be tested,
 a functional framework (based on ADLAB guidelines) and
 a multilayered narratological and cinematic analysis of the
film (also based on ADLAB guidelines) prior to AD creation

4. OPERATIONAL LEVEL
Multi-layered ST
analysis
Micro level functional
strategies
Control
Validation for next
step
Primary AD Brief aa Macro Level Strategy Operational Strategy Operative AD Brief
CONCEPTUAL LEVEL
AD should allow VIPs to
“perceive the message
as a harmonious work
which is as similar as
possible to that which
is perceived by the
sighted.” (AENOR 2005,
translation by Utray et
al.)
Stray away from
guidelines to include
the aesthetics and
meaning of film
language in the AD.
Describe what is shown
and include how it is
shown when considered
necessary
Interpret the film’s
message and re-narrate it
for the audience
Follow current
guidelines (AENOR UNE
153020 norm)
Describe objectively what
is shown on screen
Denotative AD
Cinematic AD
Narrative AD
Implementation
Functional approach

5. Primary AD Brief aa Macro Level Strategy Operational Strategy Operative AD Brief
CONCEPTUAL LEVEL
OPERATIONAL LEVEL
Multi-layered ST
analysis
Micro level functional
strategies
Control
Validation for next
step
narratologic
analysis
cinematic analysis
AD oriented
analysis
content selection
audio description
techniques
semantic and
textual strategies
Does the AD of the
fragment fit…
… the AD brief?
… the ST analysis?
… the whole AD?
… time limits?
Fragment-level
check / global
check before
closing the
script-writing
phase.
Implementation
Functional approach

6. Defining AD styles
• The audio description style is the global approach chosen
by an audio describer to describe a film or any other
source.
• The creation of an AD in a certain style can be achieved
through
 the use of different audio description techniques to
conceive the translation of the audiovisual message into
the verbal system (Bardini 2013) and
 the use of different semantic and textual strategies to
convert this concept into words.
• The strategic choices made at a micro level have to be
consistent with the macro level approach of the AD style.

7. Defining AD styles
• Denotative AD style
 Conventional audio description that follows current
guidelines by describing what is shown on screen at a
denotative level.
• Cinematic AD style
 Audio description that offers a balance between translation
of film language and denotative description.
• Narrative AD style
 Audio description that concentrates on interpreting the
film’s message and translating it into a coherent narration.*

8. • Narrative analysis:
 Opening scene
 Spatio-temporal frame
• Cinematic analysis:
Black and white / film noir style
Eery music
Wide angle; camera movement
• Functions:
 Setting of a frame
 Setting of a mood
Example 1: the beginning

9. Example 1: the beginning
Denotative style Cinematic style Narrative style
++00021200+00021413
En lletra lligada i al biaix: “Nuit
Blanche”.
Sloped and in
handwriting:
“Nuit Blanche”
++00021914+00022423 En blanc i
negre. De nit. Es lluna plena. Les
teulades de zinc d'una gran ciutat, amb
xemeneies fumejant.
In black and white. At
night. It's full moon. The
zinc roofs of a city with
smoking chimneys.
++00021200+00021413 “Nuit Blanche”
apareix en pantalla a l'estil film noir.
.
“Nuit Blanche” appears
onscreen in film noir
style.
++00021914+00022423 La ciutat
s'estén, en blanc i negre, una nit de
lluna plena. Les xemeneies fumen a les
teulades de zinc.
The city spreads out in
black an white on a full
moon night. Chimneys
smoke on the zinc roofs.
++00021200+00021413 “Nuit Blanche”
“Nuit Blanche”
++00021914+00022423 La ciutat
s'estén, en blanc i negre, una nit de
lluna plena. Les xemeneies fumen a les
teulades de zinc.
The city spreads out in
black an white on a full
moon night. Chimneys
smoke on the zinc roofs.

10. Example 1: the beginning
Denotative style Cinematic style Narrative style
++00022800+00023700 Un
edifici de tres plantes, amb grans
finestrals, amb llum a l'interior. Sobre
la porta principal, de vidre, un nom
d‘empresa. .
.
A three-floor building,
with large windows and
light inside. Above the
main glass door, a
company name.
++00022800+00023700
L'enquadrament baixa per la façana
d'un edifici d'oficines de tres plantes,
amb grans finestrals, encara amb llum.
Sobre la porta principal, de vidre, el
nom de l'empresa.
The frame goes down
along a three-floor
corporate building, with
large windows and light
inside. Above the main
glass door, the name of
the company.
++00022800+00023707
Homes i dones passegen pel carrer,
abrigats, per davant d'un edifici
d'oficines de tres plantes, encara amb
llum , ambgrans finestrals i una porta
de vidre.
Men and women wraped
up in coats walk along in
the street, passing by a
three floors corporate
building with light inside,
with large windows and a
glass door.

11. • Narrative analysis:
 Climax
 Denouement
• Cinematic analysis:
End of slow motion
Transition: dissolve; music cut; sound effects
• Functions:
 Surprise the spectator
 Come to a conclusion
 Give meaning to the short
Example 2: the end

12. Denotative style Cinematic style Narrative style
++00045901+00051303 Envoltats pels
trossets de vidre que reflecteixen la
llum, avancen cap a l'encontre. Ella
amb els braços lleugerament endavant,
ell sense barret ni maletí. Són a un pam
l'un de l'altre. Tanquen els ulls i
accosten els llavis. .
Surrounded by pieces of
glass that reflect light,
they walk towards each
other. She slightly
reaches out her arms, he
has no hat and briefcase.
// They're half a foot
from each other. They
shut their eyes and their
lips come closer.
++00045901+00051303 Rodejats pels
trossets de vidre, que reflecteixen la
llum com espurnes, avancen cap a
l'encontre, ella amb els braços
lleugerament endavant. Quan són a un
pam l'un de l'altre, es miren els llavis i
tanquen els ulls, a punt per rebre el
petó.
Surrounded by pieces of
glass that shine like
sparks, they walk
towards each other. She
slightly reaches out her
arms. // As they’re
getting closer, they look
at each other's lips and
close their eyes as they
are about to kiss.
++00045901+00051303 Rodejats dels
vidres, que reflecteixen la llum com
espurnes, avancen resoluts cap a
l'encontre, com dues figures de cera
alienes a la realitat. Davant per davant,
es miren els llavis i tanquen els ulls, a
punt per rebre el
petó. .
Surrounded by pieces of
glass that shine like
sparks, they walk
towards each other
decidedly, like two wax
dolls apart from the real
world. // Getting closer,
they look at each other's
lips and close their eyes
as they are about to kiss.
Example 2: the end

13. Denotative style Cinematic style Narrative style
++00053001+00054120 A velocitat
normal. La dona seu al Café de Flore, i
somriu mirant cap a l'home, que resta
dret a l'altra vorera, amb barret i el
maletí a la mà, mirant-se-la.
.
.
At normal speed. The
woman sits at the Café
de Flore and smiles,
looking at the man. He
stands on the other side
of the street with his hat
on his head and his
briefcase in the hand,
looking at her.
++00053001+00054120
L'enquadrament se centra en els llavis,
quasi a tocar. Els depassa, i torna a la
realitat, a velocitat normal: la dona seu
al Café de Flore amb un somriure i
l'home resta dret a l'altra vorera. Es
miren l'un a l'altre.
The frame focuses on
their lips, which nearly
touch.
It passes beyond them
and returns to reality, at
normal speed. The
woman sits at the Café,
smiling, and the man
stands on the other side
of the street. They look
at each other.
++00053001+00054120 De cop, tot
torna a la realitat: el vent bufa, i la
dona seu al Café amb un somriure.
L'home resta dret a l'altra vorera, i es
miren l'un a l'altre. .
.
.
Suddenly, everything
goes back to reality. The
wind blows and the
woman sits back at the
Café, smiling. The man
stands on the other side
of the street and they
look at each other.
Example 2: the end

14. Feeling, grasping, enjoying
What is film experience?
• It is a sensory, emotional and cognitive experience that
happens as a result of the encounter between spectator
and film (Bardini 2014).
• Emotions are the most essential element of film
experience – including film comprehension (Carroll 2008;
Plantiga 2010)

15. Feeling, grasping, enjoying
How can film experience arise?
“The spectator must have [the] ability of
combining the multilayered verbal, visual
and musical impulses to form a semantic,
sensual, and emotional impression in which
a maximum of symbols, icons and indexes of the
multimedia-based cinematographic “text” is
foregrounded.”
(Schmid 2014)

16. Feeling, grasping, enjoying
What to expect?
• More intense emotions with the more interpretative AD
versions
• Better and quicker understanding with the more
interpretative AD versions
• Experience more similar to that of sighted viewers with the
more interpretative AD versions
• Possibly mixed opinions of participants about denotative /
cinematic / narrative AD styles

17. Conclusions
Functionalist approach and film analysis allow...
 ... for AD to stray away from guidelines without landing “off-
track”
 ... to create several valid audio descriptions of the same source
material
 ... for an informed interpretation of filmic content to offer an
enhanced film experience to AD users
And what next?
 Evaluate the quality of film experience with each AD style with
end users and collect information on preferences
 Use research results for training and professional purposes

18. Thank you for your attention!
Any
Floriane Bardini
University of Vic / Central University of Catalonia
floriane.bardini@uvic.cat

19. Floriane Bardini
University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia
floriane.bardini@uvic.cat
Works cited:
AENOR. 2005. “Audiodescripción para personas con discapacidad visual: requisitos para la
audiodescripción y elaboración de audioguías”. UNE 153020. Madrid: AENOR, p. 1-9.
Carroll, Noël. 2008. The Philosophy of Motion Pictures. Madison (WI): Blackwell Publishing.
*Kruger, Jan Louis. 2010. “Audio narration: Re-narrativising film”. In: Perspectives: Studies in
Translatology 18 (3): 231–249.
Nuit Blanche. 2009. Arev Manoukian. Online at https://vimeo.com/9078364 [retrieved 2014/8/22].
Toronto: Spy Films.
Plantiga, Carl. 2010. “8: Emotion and Affect”. In: Carl Plantiga and Paisley Livingstone (eds.). The
Routledge Companion to Philosophy and Film. London; New York: Routledge, p.86-96.
Remael, Aline, Gert Vercauteren and Nina Reviers (eds.). 2014. Pictures painted in words. The ADLAB
audio description guidelines. Online at http://goo.gl/JbOf4H [retrieved 2015/2/26].
Schmid, Wolf. 2014. “The Selection and Concretization of Elements in Verbal and Filmic Narration”. In:
Jan Alber and Per Krogh Hansen (eds.). Beyond Classical Narration: Unnatural and Transmedial
Challenges. Berlin; New York: Walter De Gruyter.
6th Media for All International Conference – 16-18 September 2015, Sydney, Australia