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. This is Elisa Perego
from the University of Trieste, Italy,
and in this ADLAB PRO video I will explain
the difference between live and recorded AD
in terms of writing and delivery strategies.
This is Unit 5 "Live and recorded AD"
in Module 4 "Semi-live or recorded AD
for static arts and environments".
The way AD is delivered is crucial
and can have a strong effect
on the emotional experience of the visitor, as well as influence
the whole aesthetic experience of an artwork.
Factors such as the tone and prosody of the narrator’s voice,
the pace of the narration,
the way pauses are used are therefore determining.
In fact, as AD, I quote,
“is received aurally by the audience,
it carries more than purely semantic information”.
Both live and recorded AD
are crucial access services
to museums and galleries.
However, they are different in terms of preparation
and delivery strategies,
and they are used in different contexts
and with different AD types.
Live AD in museums requires the presence
of a trained human guide, who needs to be acquainted
with the requirements of the audience with sight loss
and who knows well the specific content to be described.
If a multisensory experience is available,
and it includes for instance a touch tour,
the guide will also need to be acquainted
with the theoretical and practical aspects
of tactile exploration.
Not all museums or galleries offer live ADs.
The decision to opt for recorded rather than live AD
might be determined by the lack
of adequately trained human guides,
the need to reduce costs,
or the wish to offer an access service in several languages,
at any time, yet bearing in mind the quality issue.
Although professional recording in a studio is preferable,
good results can be obtained also in a semi-professional setting.
As shown in the picture, in Trieste,
we used my silent office, a good audio recorder,
a shotgun mic operated by a technician,
and a stand for the voice talent.
After recording, we processed the audio files
using a free audio editing software that enabled us
to cut and joint the different tracks,
to add the necessary pauses between tracks,
to eliminate noise, and finally,
to adjust the volume level to make it more consistent.
In terms of preparing and writing live and recorded ADs,
keep in mind that the former will just need a rough planning
rather than a pre-prepared script
because they will be delivered on the fly.
In fact, you might just need some notes recording, for instance,
titles, ages of the exhibits
and some key phrases that you want to use.
As a result, live ADs,
typically delivered by the audio describer,
will end up being slightly informal in style
and will adapt to the requirements of the audience.
If you deliver an AD live, remember that people with sight loss
might appreciate some pauses
to have the time to absorb the information,
or ask you some questions, before moving on.
Recorder ADs, on the other hand,
will need a tighter logical structure
to be followed by listeners with ease and pleasure.
They will be smooth, linear and coherent,
and they will follow a fairly formal style,
closer to the style of written rather than spoken language.
Now, here’s a tip.
Write any difficult pronunciations
into your AD script phonetically
and keep sentences short, to avoid slips
and costly retakes when recording.
Overall, you can also consider giving a short summary
at the very beginning of the narration
of what you are going to describe.
In general, the AD should favour a narrative approach,
where, I quote, “facts and description
work towards a ‘story’ about what is being presented”.
A narrative style will also help the reader
to use imagination to visualize situations,
to remember information more easily,
and to retain it for a longer time,
and to be able to enjoy thoroughly.
The AD of visual arts is not free from constraints
that mainly have to do with the attention span of visitors
and the ultimate objective of a museum experience,
that is, enjoyment.
So both in live and recorded AD,
do not indulge with the length of your description.
Consider the physical fatigue
and possible boredom of a visitor
standing in front of a work of art,
and do not produce ADs
longer than approximately a couple of minutes.
Remember too, that a person with sight loss
does not want to have to spend longer
in front of an exhibit than their companions.
I hope the basic differences between live and recorded AD
are now clearer. Bye!
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.