OUR INCLUSIVE APPROACH

Almost half the audience for described programs is comprised of people who are fully sighted: family members, friends and companions of people with vision restrictions plus a growing number of seniors.

As a result, we have developed a unique, inclusive approach that makes our description an unobtrusive enhancement for people who can see as well as for those who are vision-impaired.

Although it requires extra skill and effort, we believe our approach is worthwhile for two important reasons. First, instead of segregating people with restricted vision by producing description which alienates sighted viewers, our approach integrates people with restricted vision into the audience, enabling them to enjoy movies and television with sighted family members, friends and companions. Second, our approach produces described programs which are suitable for broadcast in open format; and this increases their appeal to broadcasters and BDUs who have described programming obligations but are not equipped to transmit description in closed format.

There are four key factors that enable AudioVision to deliver such superior described programming:

The first is our focus on narrative. The main reason people enjoy movies and television programs is because of the stories they tell: whether sighted or vision-restricted, the audience wants to be engaged by the characters and the plot. We describe only those elements which help people with vision restrictions understand and appreciate the story as it unfolds on the screen. (Many documentaries and other non-dramatic programs also tell a story, which is what we focus on when describing them. For programs which have another purpose for example, to inform we focus our description on serving that purpose.)

The second factor is congruence. We ensure that what we describe is actually what is occurring on screen. We believe this extra effort is worthwhile because it brings the experience of people with vision restrictions closer to the sighted viewers, and because it makes the description much less obtrusive for the sighted viewer. Description which agrees, moment-by-moment, with what the sighted viewer sees tends to disappear. Description becomes distracting for the sighted viewer when it disagrees with his/her experience because it's out of synch with what's happening.

The third factor is respect for the sound track. Program producers invest considerable skill and care in creating a rich, resonant sound track. People with vision restrictions depend on the sound track for their enjoyment and appreciation. As a result, we invest considerable skill and care to ensure that our narration complements the dialogue and sound effects, rather than competing with them. We also ensure that our narration is mixed smoothly with the sound track and with the least possible modulation of the latter.

The fourth factor is the emotional resonance of our narrators. We strive to make the narration a smoothly integrated part of the experience rather than a detached and distracting add-on that continuously calls attention to itself. We have a roster of more than a dozen experienced narrators, which allows us to choose the best voice. Once, the program has been assigned the narrator watches it and rehearses the description to ensure that his or her response is a appropriate to the emotional content of the program.

Of course, we put the same care into meeting the needs and timetables of our producer and broadcast clients as we do into pleasing their expanded audiences.

A DESCRIBED VIDEO PIONEER

Established in 1995 as a not for profit service for the vision impaired, AudioVision offers unparalleled experience and quality in video description. Our unique approach results in a product that is not only superior in sound and narrative but is also suitable for open broadcast. This means sighted and non-sighted persons can watch AV products together without any loss of enjoyment for either. Careful attention is paid to maintaining the original soundtrack and fitting the description only into gaps in dialogue as well as carefully matching the narrative to the actions on screen. Sound mixing by trained audio technicians in the AudioVision studios produces a cohesive blend of descriptive narrative and original soundtrack. The attention to balancing the narrative with the original soundtrack distinguishes our works from that of others who often describe over the dialogue or are unable to mix the descriptive track to blend with the original soundtrack leaving jarring changes in volume.

As a pioneer of described video, AudioVision has described thousands of hours of programming (including hundreds of American, Canadian and international feature films, from contemporary to classic), as well as a vast range of television programs: mini-series, MOWs, documentaries, and dramatic, comedy, animated and children's series.

To expand your audience to reach the over 13 million North Americans who are vision-restricted, contact Rob Trimbee at rtrimbee@nbrscanada.com or 1.866.966.7667

TOP TEN REASONS

The Top 10 reasons to choose AudioVision as your described video provider:

1. Competitive rates

2. Fast turnaround

3. Our inclusive approach informed by our close links with the vision-restricted community that engages sighted viewers while serving the needs of people with vision impairments

4. Strong, long-standing relationships with well-known producers and broadcasters

5. Dedicated, talented describers and narrators

6. Experience in a wide range of programming, including feature films, documentaries, mini-series, MOWs, dramatic, comedy, animation and children's series

7. Vast experience developed over 10 years as a pioneer of described video, with thousands of hours of described programming to our credit

8. Support for multiple technical formats: DigiBeta, BetaSP, S-VHS, VHS, DVD

9. Multiple language capabilities

10. Support for your program through our associated broadcast division, VoicePrint Canada , an audio news and information service distributed on cable, satellite and the Internet to 8 million homes across the country. (Call us to find out how this support can enhance your funding applications.)

PLUS: all profits support the work of our parent organization, the National Broadcast Reading Service Inc. , a registered charity dedicated to making visual media and print information accessible to people with impaired vision.

OUR DESCRIBERS

First and foremost, the quality of any description relies on the skill and sensitivity of the describer.

AudioVision's describers must successfully complete a rigourous, 40-hour training program. Our Guidelines For Good Describing, teach them what, when, how, and how much to describe. It also familiarizes them with the 28 Most Common Describer Errors & Their Remedies.

Only after a describer has demonstrated a thorough mastery of AudioVision's unique, inclusive approach is she or he given a production to describe.

THE PROCESS

Producing described video is not as simple as providing closed captioning. In captioning, spoken words are transcribed into written ones. However, description involves transforming visual images and actions into words, and then narrating them, and then weaving them seamlessly into the sound track.

The first phase in the process is writing the description. The client provides a copy of the finished program in whatever format is convenient. From it, we make a time-coded dub which is given to the describer. After watching the program, the describer uses the time code to identify opportunities when description can be added to the sound track without intruding on the dialogue and sound effects. She or he then writes the description to fit the available opportunities, using the time code to specify when each element should begin.

The next phase is producing the narration. The narrator watches the time-coded copy of the program and rehearses with the time-coded script. The narration is directed by a project producer and recorded by an audio editor.

The last phase is producing the described version. After editing the narrated description into its time-coded elements, the audio editor weaves it digitally into the sound track, ensuring that it doesn't compete with the dialogue or sound effects, and placing it so that it follows the picture smoothly and congruently. The editor then mixes the description track with the sound track, and produces a master of the described version in the format specified by the client (e.g., Digi-Beta, Beta-SP, DAT, DVD, VHS).

Described programs intended for broadcast may be aired in open format or in closed format on the Secondary Audio Program (SAP), which is part of the stereo TV signal. First-run, prime-time programs may also be aired simultaneously on our national broadcast affiliate, VoicePrint Canada . (Call us to find our how this exposure can enhance your program funding applications.)

Described programs intended for non-broadcast uses are produced on DVD and/or VHS with as many copies as the client requires. We also produce AudioCinema versions of described programs on CD and audio cassette. This exciting new entertainment format offers program producers an additional source of revenue.