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 Iwona Mazur from Adam Mickiewicz University
in Poznan, Poland. In this ADLAB PRO video
I will talk about film characters in AD.
This is Unit 4 "Screen AD: characters"
in Module 2 "Screen AD".
Characters are an essential part of any film narrative
as they drive the story forward.
They can be divided into focal,
supporting and background characters.
It is usually the focal characters
that should be get the most attention in AD.
Determine through what means
character traits manifest themselves most.
It can be their physical appearance,
their actions or reactions
or what they say and how they say it.
This should give you an indication
as to what to prioritise in your AD.
For instance, a character's meticulousness
can be depicted throguh his actions,
such as the way he neatly arranges writing materials on the table.
When describing the appearance of a character
it is best to avoid appraisal.
So instead of saying that a woman is ‘beautiful’,
it is better to mention what actually makes her appear so.
Start with the most prominent feature,
such as “blonde hair” and add more characteristics later.
You don't want to overwhelm the audience
with too many details at once.
Sighted viewers look at people in a holistic manner,
whereas persons with sight loss will have to conjure up
the image of a character in a linear fashion.
So instead of saying “She is wearing a white skirt,
floral top, wedges and a visor",
it is better to offer a top-down description such as
“She is wearing a visor, floral top
white skirt and wedges”.
Characters can express emotions and attitudes
through gestures and facial expressions.
In your AD, you can simply name the gesture:
“She makes an ‘OK’ gesture”.
You can also describe it: “She raises her thumb”.
And you can both describe and name it:
“She raises her thumb in an ‘OK’ gesture”.
When introducing new characters you basically have two options.
You can either name the character
the first time they appear on the screen
and possibly add a brief description, for example:
“An older man with a beard, John.”
Or you can wait for the name to appear in the film itself
and until that time use a brief, generic description, such as
“The man with a beard” or “Bearded man”.
The latter solution is usually more time consuming
but is recommend if the character's identity
needs to be kept secret.
If you want to find out more about audio describing characters,
I recommend that you read the ADLAB guidelines.
I hope you have learned some interesting things
about characters and their AD from this video.
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 person 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.