This document summarizes a presentation on audio describing cinematographic language in films. It introduces audio description techniques (ADT) which are options for translating audiovisual content into verbal descriptions. Fifteen specific ADTs are defined, including iconic description, cognitive description, and creative description. A practical study is described where 90 scenes from Slumdog Millionaire were audio described in English, German, and Spanish and analyzed based on the ADTs used. The study found that cinematographic language elements were translated using different ADTs, with cognitive description being common. The ADTs help identify three description styles on a continuum from explicit to narrative description.

1. Slideshow from the presentation at
ARSAD, Barcelona, 14th March 2013
Floriane Bardini

2. Floriane Bardini – Universitat de Vic
Audio description of cinematographic language
A practical study
Comparing describers’ approaches:

3. Contents

4. AD as a special form of AVT

Jakobson’s intersemiotic translation (1959)

Competences of the audiodescriber (Díaz-Cintas, 2007)
Translation Techniques

Molina and Hurtado (2002): dynamic and functional view,
applicable to intersemiotic translation

First use for AD studies by Rami and Matamala (2006)
Audio Description Techniques (ADT)

Adaptation of Molina and Hurtado’s proposal to AD

15 ADT defined and exemplified
AD and TS

5. Definition of ADT
Audio description techniques (ADT) are options available to the
describer to translate the audiovisual message into the
verbal system to describe a particular film fragment.
AD techniques are a valuable analysis tool because they reflect
the describer's approach towards the elements he chose (not)
to describe.
Main characteristics of ADT

They are functional,

They are combinable,

They can affect the AD script at a micro and macro-level.
audio description techniques

6. • reduction
• amplification
• particularization
• generalization
• compensation
• substitution
• modulation
• variation
• adaptation (cultural / sensorial)
• technical description
• integral iconic description
• iconic description
• cognitive description
• creative description
audio description techniques

7. • reduction
• amplification
• particularization
• generalization
• compensation
• substitution
• modulation
• variation
• adaptation (cultural / sensorial)
• technical description
• integral iconic description
• iconic description
• cognitive description
• creative description
audio description techniques

8. iconic description
AD of the moving picture at an iconic or denotative level: AD of what
appears onscreen trying to avoid any kind of interpretation – most AD
guidelines’ ideal.
audio description techniques

9. iconic description
AD of the moving picture at an iconic or denotative level: AD of what
appears onscreen trying to avoid any kind of interpretation – most AD
guidelines’ ideal.
cognitive description
AD is the verbal expression of the result of a cognitive process that
took place while watching the described fragment. It implies a more or
less complex and more or less conscious interpretation of the
fragment, in conformity with the images and the intentions of the
audiovisual text. AD includes both connotative and denotative levels.
audio description techniques

10. iconic description
AD of the moving picture at an iconic or denotative level: AD of what
appears onscreen trying to avoid any kind of interpretation – most AD
guidelines’ ideal.
cognitive description
AD is the verbal expression of the result of a cognitive process that
took place while watching the described fragment. It implies a more or
less complex and more or less conscious interpretation of the
fragment, in conformity with the images and the intentions of the
audiovisual text. AD includes both connotative and denotative levels.
creative description
AD that privileges to deliver the global meaning of the filmic message in
a coherent narration, as a result of an interpretative reading of the
described fragment. AD delivers information at a mostly connotative
level and tends to neither faithfully include the iconic contents of the
picture nor exactly follow the order and duration of the shots.
audio description techniques

11. Practical study
CorpusCorpus:
Slumdog Millionaire
(Danny Boyle, 2008)

Three audio described
versions :
• English
• German
• Spanish

A total of 90 audio
described fragments with
expressions of
cinematographic
language

12. Example one – Category: “thoughts”

13. Example one – Category: “thoughts”
TCR 01:10:06 – 01:10:16 “Falling down”
http://www.vimeo.com/28826176
EN
Jamal lunges for Salim and they both fall off the building.
Jamal blinks awake from his vision and punches Salim
instead.
cognitive
description
DE
Mit aller Kraft packt Jamal seinen Bruder und stößt ihn mit sich aus dem
Hochhaus in die Tiefe.
Im oberen Stockwerk. Jamal läuft zu Salim und schlägt ihn zu Boden.
With all his strength, Jamal takes his brother and pushes
him so they both fall off the building.
Upstairs. Jamal runs towards Salim and punches him to
the ground.
iconic
description
ES
Yamál explota de rabia. Querría lanzarlo al vacío y matarlo, pero no, se
acerca y le encaja un buen derechazo en la mandíbula, que hace caer a
Salím al suelo.
Jamal explodes in rage. He would like to throw him off
the building and kill him, but, no, he comes near him and
takes a swing at his jaw, which makes Salim fall to the
ground.
creative
description

14. Example two – Category: “transitions”

15. TCR 00:18:21 – 00:18:31 “Lifeless mother”
EN
Jamal's mother lies face down in the pool.
Present day. Jamal on the game show.
iconic
description
DE
Im Kanal treiben Leichen, Hütten stehen in lodernden Flammen.
Auf dem Revier.
Dead bodies float in the canal. Shanties burn in flames.
At the police station.
generalisa-
tion +
iconic
description
ES
Yamál recuerda a su madre muerta bajo las aguas. El recuerdo le lleva
hasta el presente. En el interrogatorio.
Jamal remembers his dead mother under the water. This
memory brings him back to the present. In the
interrogation room.
cognitive
description
Example two – Category: “transitions”

16. Example three – Category: “emotions”

17. Example three – Category: “emotions”
TCR 00:21:50 - 00:22:00 “Back to reality”
EN
Present day. Jamal sits on the studio stage opposite the
host.
iconic
description
DE
Im Studio. Abwesend betrachtet Jamal die applaudierenden Zuschauer. Er
löst sich aus seinen Gedanken.
In the TV studio. Jamal absently looks at the applauding
audience. He comes back from his thoughts.
cognitive
description
ES
En el presente, en comisaría. Siguen viendo el vídeo del concurso. Jamal
parece olvidar sus recuerdos y volver a la realidad.
Present day, at the police station. They’re still watching the
video of the show. Jamal seems to forget his memories
and come back to reality.
cognitive
description

18. Conclusions of the study
Expressions of cinematographic language translated in AD
56%
40%
67%
53%
33%
73%
100%

19. Conclusions of the study
Translation of cinematographic language by ADT
occurrences
17
19
10
23
13

20. Conclusions of the study

ADT are a valid analysis tool which allow qualitative and
quantitative study of AD scripts

Cinematographic language needs to be interpreted for the
meaning of how things are shown to be translated in AD

Three main ADT were used to describe this type of
fragments, which can lead to three description styles:
explicitely
descriptive
AD
descriptive –
interpretative AD
narrative
AD
Based on the description-narration continuum by Kruger (2010)

21. Thanks to...

22. Floriane Bardini
floriane.bardini@uvic.cat
Audio description of cinematographic language:
Comparing describer’s approaches
A practical study