This document discusses a research project that aims to test different styles of audio description (AD) with visually impaired participants. It will compare the film experience of AD users to sighted viewers, and compare reception of different AD styles. Preliminary work focuses on defining film experience. A survey of sighted viewers was conducted to collect data on comprehension, emotion, and evaluation of a short film to serve as a reference point. Next steps include designing three versions of AD for the film and surveying visually impaired participants to compare their experience.

1. Audio Description and
Film Experience
A Reception Study

2. Presentation of the Project
Ongoing project.
Reception study aiming at testing different AD
styles with visually impaired participants:
• Comparison of film experience of AD users and
sighted viewers.
• Comparison of AD styles’ reception.
Preliminary step: work on film experience.

3. AD and Interpretation
Focus: interpretation in audio description.
AD and interpretation - a sensitive and researched
issue.
Interpretation as informed decision-taking
process.
Different degrees of interpretation: 3 AD styles to
be tested.

4. Film Experience
Sensory, emotional, sensual
and cognitive experience.
Encounter between
film and viewer.
Personal and subjective
experience.
Casetti 2011
Plantiga 2009
Sobchack 2009

5. Film Experience
Meaning-making succession of
frames.
Meaning is transmitted
through different modes and
channels.
Denotative and connotative
meaning organized in
horizontal and vertical layers .
Casetti 1990; Wollen 1972.

6. Film Experience
Meaning-making succession of
frames.
Meaning is transmitted
through different modes and
channels.
Denotative and connotative
meaning organized in
horizontal and vertical layers.
Sensory abilities (= seeing and
hearing).
Cognitive abilities (to
interpret and understand).
Personality (tastes, values,
sensitivity).
Experience and knowledge
(to contrast and evaluate).

7. Film Experience for visually impaired AD
users
FILM
EXPERIENCE
Meaning-making
succession of frames.
Meaning is transmitted
through different modes
and one channel.
Denotative and connotative
meaning organized in
horizontal and vertical
layers.
Sensory abilities (hearing).
Cognitive abilities (to
interpret and understand).
Personality (tastes, values,
sensitivity).
Experience and knowledge
(to contrast and evaluate).

8. Modes and channels in film and
audio described film
Adapted from Stavroula Sokoli

9. Approaching film experience:
A survey among sighted viewer
Aim: collecting reference values on film experience.
Preliminary step: selecting material, choosing
survey design tool.
Defining survey focus:
• Comprehension and interpretation.
• Emotional reception.
• Global evaluation of the short film.

10. Approaching film experience:
Survey design tool
SoGoSurvey Basic at http://www.sogosurvey.com.

11. Approaching film experience:
Material selection
Short film for a short but full film experience.
Practical requirements:
• Short duration,
• Availibility.
Specific requirements:
• Quality,
• Describability,
• Connotativity.

12. by

13. Survey results:
Sample viewers
Survey circulation.
Sample viewers: 100 viewers.
• 51% women – 49% men.
• 40% aged 30-44, ca. 20% 18-29, 20% 45-60 and 20% >60.
• Origin: Catalonia 30%, Spain 12%, Latin America 10%,
Europe (mainly France) 47%, other origin 1%.

14. Survey results: Sample viewers
Compulsory
education
A- Levels or
equivalent
Vocational education
Bachelor or similar
Master or similar
PhD or similar
Other
Did not answer
Education
Administration
Agriculture
and crafts
Artistic
Scientific and
technical
Education
Police, firemen
and army
Services and
commerce
Health
Other
Did not answer
Occupation• Varied educational and
occupational backgrounds.

15. Aim: Confirming interpretation needs and pitfalls.
Specific questions on where, when and who:
• Clearly concurring answers on “when”.
• Concurring answers on “where”.
• Diverging answers on “who”.
Global questions on short film perception and
comprehension.
Survey results:
Comprehension and Interpretation

16. Survey results:
Comprehension and Interpretation

17. Survey results:
Comprehension and Interpretation
Showing the woman’s
thoughts
Showing the man’s thoughts
Showing the thoughts of
both of them
Materializing physical
attraction between 2 people
Offering a representation of
love at first sight
Playing with the laws of time
and space
Showing the possibilities of
visual effects
Offering an esthetical
experience
Offering an emotional
experience
I don’t know
Others
In your opinion, what are the
objectives of the short film?
30% chose both

18. Survey results:
Emotional reception
“It“It“It“It isisisis aaaa remarkableremarkableremarkableremarkable factfactfactfact aboutaboutaboutabout motionmotionmotionmotion
picturespicturespicturespictures thatthatthatthat totototo anananan arrestingarrestingarrestingarresting extentextentextentextent theytheytheythey areareareare
ableableableable totototo elicitelicitelicitelicit ———— acrossacrossacrossacross diversifieddiversifieddiversifieddiversified audiencesaudiencesaudiencesaudiences
———— roughlyroughlyroughlyroughly thethethethe samesamesamesame orororor convergingconvergingconvergingconverging generalgeneralgeneralgeneral
emotionalemotionalemotionalemotional responsesresponsesresponsesresponses totototo thethethethe fictionsfictionsfictionsfictions onononon
screenscreenscreenscreen....””””
Noël Carroll (2008: 156)

19. Survey results:
Emotional reception
Above all through the film
Above all through the film but
also trough my pers. experience
Equally through the film and
trough my personal experience
Above all through my personal
experience
I don’t know
In your opinion, emotions were transmitted…

20. Survey results:
Emotional reception
Theoretical frame on emotions:
Tomkins 1995
Ekman 1977
Plutchik 2001
Parrott 2001
Plantiga 2009Primary emotions:
• Spontaneous, quasi visceral responses.
• 5 opposing basic emotion pairs: joy-sadness; anger-fear; attraction-repulsión;
pride-shame; interest-surprise.
Secondary emotions:
• Subcategories of primary emotions.
• Different degree or nuance.
• May require some cognitive processing.
Tertiary emotions:
• More complex; require cognitive processing to varying degrees.
• May be a combination of emotions.
• May appear as mood or feeling.

21. Survey results:
Emotional reception
How did we proceed?
Short film analysis: key emotional moments, range of
possible emotions.
Survey design: primary, secondary and some tertiary
emotions offered for respondents to select from.
Result analysis: primary and secondary emotions are
grouped together.

22. Survey results:
Emotional reception

23. Survey results:
Emotional reception

24. Survey results:
Emotional reception

25. Survey results:
Global evaluation
Evaluation Method
4 items: interestingness, enjoyability, estheticity, emotionality.
Allow for a more differentiated evaluation than an
overall opinion.
6-points Likert scale:
No middle point: participants have to incline to rather
yes or no.
More differentiation than with 4 points: interesting for
comparison purposes.

26. Survey results:
Global evaluation
Was watching Nuit Blanche an
interesting experience?
Not at all
Not much
Rather no
Rather yes
Quite a lot
Very much
Was watching Nuit Blanche an
enjoyable experience?
Not at all
Not much
Rather no
Rather yes
Quite a lot
Very much

27. Survey results:
Global evaluation
Not at all
Not much
Rather no
Rather yes
Quite a lot
Very much
Was watching Nuit Blanche an
aesthetic experience?
Was watching Nuit Blanche an
emotional experience?
Not at all
Not much
Rather no
Rather yes
Quite a lot
Very much
Not at all
Not much
Rather no
Rather yes
Quite a lot
Very much

28. Survey results:
Conclusions and implications
The survey:
Reaffirmed the importance of how things are shown.
Pointed at interpretation needs and pitfalls.
Showed clear emotional response to key moments and
overall: a guide to whatAD should also elicit.
Gave a good overview of sighted viewers film experience and
thus provides a solid basis for comparisons.

29. Next Step: Designing the reception study
Definition of common traits and of core differences of the threeAD
versions.
Confection of the three AD.
Preparation of the survey questions for the visually impaired
participants.
Survey design: online and accessible.
Contact with participants and design of the three experimental
groups.

30. Audio Description and Film experience:
A reception study.
Floriane Bardini
Universitat deVic – Universitat Central de Catalunya
floriane.bardini@uvic.cat
Floriane Bardini
Universitat deVic – Universitat Central de Catalunya
floriane.bardini@uvic.cat
Thank you for your attention!