This is an ADLAB PRO video.
ADLAB PRO is a project funded by the European Union.
This video is made available to you
on a Creative Commons licence.
-Hello. I’m Aline Remael, from the University of Antwerp,
and in this ADLAB PRO video I will explain
what the main characteristics are of audiovisual texts.
This is Unit 1, "Audiovisual texts"
in Module 1, AD, General Introduction.
Intuitively you know what an audiovisual text is.
You have all watched feature films, documentaries, series, talk shows
and other such productions in the cinema, on TV or online.
Audiovisual texts, better known as audiovisual productions
in some disciplines, are texts that make use of words,
images and sounds to tell their story.
They are composed of different modes,
sometimes referred to as sign systems,
and are therefore essentially multimodal.
Moreover, they also use different communication channels.
The different modes that constitute audiovisual texts are:
the visual non-verbal mode or images,
the visual-verbal mode or text on screen,
the aural non-verbal mode or sounds and music,
the aural-verbal mode or speech.
Which mode is dominant and how the modes interact with each other
to tell the story in any specific audiovisual text
will vary greatly and is connected to the genre
to which a production belongs.
A disaster movie will make use of striking sound effects,
whereas a romantic comedy will rely more on dialogue and music.
The different modes are transmitted through two channels:
the visual channel or the images,
and the auditory channel or the sound track.
The visual channel conveys:
the visual non-verbal mode or the images
and action filmed by the camera
as well as the visual-verbal mode or text on screen,
such as text balloons.
The visual channel also conveys how all of this is filmed.
The auditory channel conveys: speech, in other words,
dialogues, voice-over or interviews, for instance,
sounds and sound effects,
going from birds singing to violent explosions,
and, music, which is often crucial
to set the atmosphere of a scene.
However, other types of productions that can be audio-described,
besides filmic ones, often have audiovisual components too.
Obvious examples are live events such as opera and theatre
but also exhibitions and museums
may have audiovisual and multimodal features.
Why do I need to know this? You may ask.
It is important for audio-describers to be aware of all this
because the audio description for people with sight loss
is added to these already complex productions
and the core AD audience has access only
to the information conveyed through the auditory channel.
Let’s look at some stills from the opening scene
of the film classic The Snows of Kilimanjaro,
from 1952 directed by Henry King.
The opening shot shows a snow-capped mountain
and the voice-over of a male narrator identifies it
as Kilimanjaro, the mountain of the film’s title,
also giving details about its altitude,
combining visual non-verbal and aural-verbal modes.
A subsequent shot shows large,
as yet unidentified birds flying overhead.
Their flight is accompanied by menacing violin music.
The aural-verbal mode has been replaced
by the aural non-verbal mode.
Different shots of the birds then alternate with close-up shots
of the face of a man whose eyes are moving.
He is watching the birds.
On the sound track the menacing music continues.
The voice-over identifies the mountain
shown by the images as Kilimanjaro.
The music with the shots of the birds
suggests that they hold a threat.
The continuation of this music
over the images of the face of the man watching them,
also links this threat to the man.
The visual and aural modes of the film
convey meaning in themselves and through their interaction.
Audiences who have access only to some of the modes,
for instance, the aural one,
miss part of the story if there is no AD.
Well, that’s it for now.
I hope that you have learnt quite a bit
about the functioning of audiovisual texts.
A classic you may like to read is: “Film Art. An Introduction”,
by Bordwell and Thompson.
-The preparation of this presentation
was supported by ADLAB PRO. Audio Description:
A Laboratory for the Development of a New Professional Profile
financed by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme,
Key Action 2, Strategic Partnerships.
Project number:
2016-1-IT02
KA203-024311.
The information and views set out in this presentation
are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect
the official opinion of the European Union.
Neither the European Union institutions and bodies
nor any persona acting on their behalf
may be held responsible for the use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
This was an ADLAB PRO video.
ADLAB PRO partners are: University of Trieste,
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,
University of Antwerp, Adam Mickiewicz University,
RTV Slovenia, Utopian Voices,
Soundfocus and Royal National Institute of Blind People.
ADLAB PRO was funded by the European Union.
This video was made available to you
on a Creative Commons licence.