Horatio audio-describes Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Abstract

Audio description (AD) has been introduced as one solution for providing people who are blind or have low vision with access to live theatre, film and television content. However, there is little research to inform the process, user preferences and presentation style. We present a study of a single live audio-described performance of Hart House Theatre’s production of Hamlet in Toronto, Ontario. Unlike conventional description, the AD was designed in cooperation with the creative team to fit with the production’s style. The AD was written using the language and rhythmic structure (iambic pentameter) that mimicked that of Shakespeare and was delivered from Horatio’s point of view. Audience reactions to the production and AD were generally positive, with people reporting that they were entertained by the play and the AD.

Audio subtitling: dubbing and voice-over effects and their impact on user experience

“…In the field of media accessibility, subtitling for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing has attracted considerable attention (Romero-Fresco, 2016) and there is also extensive research on audio description (AD). The reception of AD has been studied when applied to the theatre (Udo et al, 2010), to fashion shows (Udo & Fels, 2009), opera (Cabeza-Cáceres, 2010;Cabeza-Cáceres & Matamala, 2008;Eardley-Weaver, 2014;Orero, 2007; and cinema (Fresno Cañada, 2014;Cabeza-Cáceres, 2013;Fernández-Torné & Matamala, 2016;Szarkowska, 2011). Studies in this field have focused on many aspects, such as information recall (Fresno Cañada, 2014) or user comprehension and enjoyment (Cabeza-Cáceres, 2013) when faced with diverging AD strategies.…”

“It’s Kind of Context Dependent”: Understanding Blind and Low Vision People’s Video Accessibility Preferences Across Viewing Scenarios

“…For example, Stangl et al [110] and Bodi et al [6] investigated the viability of providing video access through interactive visual question answering, reinforcing the importance of BLV users having agency in the process of making videos accessible. Others explored the impact of changing the tone or style of verbal descriptions for select video types, finding that alternative AD styles were engaging for BLV users [30,59,121,125]. Additionally, Romero-Fresco et al [98] conducted a preliminary study on the efficacy of audio introductions for providing additional detail to described films.…”

“…6.1.6 Tone and Style of Approach (categorical): excited, sad, judgmental, first-person perspective, cartoonish, etc. While most existing AD is generally presented in a neutral, third-person tone [28,70], researchers have found that changing the tone or style of verbal description presentation can improve viewers' immersion in a video [30,59,121,125]. We explored how this could extend to a variety of different scenarios.…”

Užsienio Tiflologinių Publikacijų Vertimai Lietuvos Skaitytojams

“…Komentavimo procesas ir stiliai yra dar mažai ištirti, bet pastaruoju metu atliekami įvairūs tyrimai: pvz., buvo išnagrinėtas spektaklio Hamletas, vykusio Toronte (Kanadoje), Hart House'o teatre, garsinis komentaras. Garsinio komentaro tekstas buvo parengtas iš anksto, laikantis Shakespeare'o stiliaus ir ritmikos (jambinio pentametro), ir buvo sakomas Horacijaus vardu (Udo, Acevedo, Fels 2010). Auditorija palankiai įvertino ir komentarą, ir spektaklį, nes, autorių teigimu, viskas buvo atlikta novatoriškai.…”