Advanced Audio Description Skills

Scheduled at 2:30pm in Colorado GH on Monday, November 16.

Speaker(s)

• Joel Snyder, PhD, President - Founding Director Emeritus, Audio Description Associates, LLC - Audio Description Project of the American Council of the Blind

Session Details

• Length of Session: 3-hr
• Format: Bring-your-own Device Workshop: pc or Mac laptop
• Expertise Level: Intermediate
• Type of session: Pre-conference

Summary

A hands-on workshop analyzing the fundamentals of audio description writing and an opportunity to create/critique AD for select video excerpts.

Abstract

This workshop will immerse participants in an analysis of the fundamentals of effective audio description writing. The session will involve:

I. Introduction/Welcome a. Overview of the broad range of populations which benefit from audio description

II. The visually impaired user of audio description a. Congenital blindness b. Adventitious blindness c. Inclusion of people who are blind in the development of audio description

III. Audio Description History and Theory a. beginnings in ancient Greece b. 1981—the first ongoing audio description service c. “traditional” audio description / audio description as an aesthetic innovation

IV. Audio Description Fundamentals a. Observation b. Editing/selecting key visual elements c. Language i. “less is more” ii. imagination iii. objectivity

V. Vocal Skills a. Speech Fundamentals i. pronunciation, articulation, enunciation ii. oral interpretation—making meaning with the voice

VI. Practicum a. View of mini-documentaries on audio description b. Viewing/analysis of audio described excerpts c. Developing audio description for one-minute video excerpts

Keypoints

1. An overview of the broad range of populations which benefit from audio description and the history of AD.
2. Analysis of the fundamentals of AD production: observation, identifying key elements, language, vocal skills.
3. Practicum: review of described video excerpts and development of AD for select video segments.

Disability Areas

Vision

Topic Areas

Assistive Technology, Uncategorized, Web/Media/App Access

Speaker Bio(s)

Joel Snyder, PhD

Dr. Joel Snyder is known internationally as one of the world’s first “audio describers,” a pioneer in the field of Audio Description, a translation of visual images to vivid language for the benefit, primarily, of people who are blind or ahve a vision impairment. The visual is made verbal—and aural, and oral. Since 1981, he has introduced audio description techniques in over 40 states and 63 countries and has made hundreds of live events accesible. In 2014, the American Council of the Blind published Dr. Snyder’s book, The Visual Made Verbal – A Comprehensive Training Manual and Guide to the History and Applications of Audio Description, now available from the Library of Congress as an audio book voiced by Dr. Snyder and in Braille, in screen reader accessible formats, and in English, Polish, Russian and Portuguese (Spanish, Greek and Chinese are in development). Dr. Snyder is the President of Audio Description Associates, LLC and he serves as the Director of the Audio Description Project of the American Council of the Blind (www.acb.org/adp).