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.
Hi, I'm Anna Jankowska from UAB. In this ADLAB PRO video
I will talk about accessible productions.
This is Unit 7 in Module 6.
Current distribution workflows usually relegate AD
to the postproduction process. Very often,
because of how the film is edited, it is not possible to insert AD.
There is simply not enough space between dialogues.
AD is scripted by describers who are not part of the creative team.
They don' t work alongside with the film director,
director of photography, editor, screenwriter or producer.
The creative team does not supervise the AD script.
And because of that it is possible
that the director's artistic vision might be altered in the AD script.
What if a different approach was possible?
Some researchers have already noticed the shortcomings
of the current workflow of making films accessible.
Udo and Fels noticed that the way AD is prepared now
is far from the principles of Universal Design.
Benvenuto points out that the constraints of film production
restrain the choices available to describers
and shows that a film, from the very beginning,
can be developed with AD in mind.
Finally, Romero-Fresco underlines
that describers should be part of the creative team.
This new approach put forward by the researchers I mentioned before
is known as accessible filmmaking.
Accessible filmmaking is a term coined by Romero-Fresco,
who defines it as "Integration of AVT
and accessibility as part of the filmmaking process”.
Accessible filmmaking does not only cover AD
but also subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing,
subtitling, dubbing or voice-over.
But in this presentation we will talk only about AD.
You can read more about accessible filmmaking
in Romero-Fresco’s article: "Accessible filmmaking:
Joining the dots between audiovisual translation,
accessibility and filmmaking."
Accessible filmmaking means that AD should be planned
at the preproduction stage, so that from the very begining
there is enough space in the film to include AD.
Some changes can be made also in postproduction.
For example, during film editing.
Additional images can be added to include more dialogue-free content.
Also some dialogues can be moved on timeline
to make space for AD. Last but not least,
the describer should receive as much information about the film
as possible from the creative team, and if possible interact with them.
Accessible filmmaking is not only an academic concept.
The industry seems to be slowly opening to this idea.
The first accessible film in English that integrated AD
from the very beginning is "Drive" from 1997.
It was directed by a blind filmmaker, Raina Haig.
More recently, a UK based company, Screen,
is advocating to include describers in the filmmaking process.
Also the Flemish public broadcaster VRT
is trying to include AD both
in the pre and postproduction stages for some of the programmes.
In 2002 the Spanish public broadcaster showed "Nicolás".
In this cartoon series for children,
AD was planned from the very beginning.
The need to bridge the gap between filmmakers
and describers is also noticed by institutions that provide training.
Some universities already include accessibility
in their filmmaking courses: for example, Kingston University
and Central School of Drama in the UK
and University of Valladolid in Spain. On the other hand,
AVT and accessibility courses have started to include filmmaking.
The University of Roehampton in the UK can be one of the examples.
Let me finish with a quote from Raina Haig:
"You have a group of artists: writer, director, actors,
designers, who collaborate on a creative project, the film.
Well, the audio describer, to my mind,
is just one more participant in that project,
and how can they work as part of an otherwise highly qualified team,
without a sound basis in how film works?
I'd like to see screen writers and filmmakers
training and working as audio describers."
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.