scholarly journals Insights From Mental Model Theory and Cognitive Narratology as a Tool for Content Selection in Audio Description

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gert Vercauteren
Keyword(s):  
Daily Practice ◽  
Theoretical Explanation ◽  
Target Audience ◽  
Verbal Description ◽  
Visual Elements ◽  
Content Selection ◽  
Audio Description ◽  
Cognitive Narratology ◽  
Slumdog Millionaire ◽  
Sight Loss

One of the main questions in audio description (AD) to which no systematic answers have been provided yet, is how to decide what information you include in your description and – if there is not enough time to describe everything – how you prioritize that information. In the present paper I want to propose an answer to this problem by asking the question: how do audiences process (filmic) stories and what information do they need to process them? The basic idea underlying this question is that people process and interpret stories by creating mental models (Johnson-Laird, 1983) of these stories. The paper explains how these models are created, what information is necessary to create them and what is optional, thus helping describers to decide what information in their description is “need-to-have” and what is “nice-to-have”. The theoretical explanation will be applied to the opening of the film Slumdog millionaire (Boyle, 2008), to illustrate how the theory works and can be used in daily practice. Lay summary Audio description (AD) for film is a service for people with sight loss that weaves a verbal description of visual elements and unclear sound effects they do not have access to, between the dialogues of the original production. Since this description cannot interfere with the dialogues, there often is very little time for AD and describers will have to decide what to include and what to leave out of their descriptions. In this article, I present a way to tackle this problem, based on the basic idea that films generally tell stories and that the audio description should allow the target audience to recreate that story in their minds. More specifically I focus on two questions, namely a) how do audiences mentally recreate stories and b) what elements do they need to do so. Insights into these two questions will show audio describers what information the target audience needs to recreate the story told in the film, and hence will help them to decide what information they really need to include in their AD. After a theoretical exploration of these two questions, the approach will be illustrated by means of a concrete example, taken from the film Slumdog millionaire (Boyle, 2008).

scholarly journals Audio describing the mental dimension of narrative characters. Insights from a Flemish case study.

2020 ◽  
Vol 06 (01) ◽  
pp. 85-107
Author(s):  
Bonnie Geerinck ◽  
Gert Vercauteren
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Verbal Form ◽  
Visual Elements ◽  
Audio Description ◽  
Sight Loss ◽  
Narrative Characters ◽  
Subjective Side ◽  
The Continuum

Audio description (AD) is a service for people with sight loss that makes audiovisual content such as films and TV series accessible to them by verbally describing the visual elements they cannot access. This form of intermodal translation entails various challenges. One of them is how to render orally the emotions, feelings, and other mental states of narrative characters, i.e., elements that we infer from concrete actions, facial expressions, and gestures shown on screen. In practice, we can use various strategies, situated on a continuum ranging from an objective ‘describe what you see’ approach to more interpretative, subjective descriptions, explicitly naming the mental state underlying the visuals. Although early AD guidelines recommend objective descriptions, recent research has indicated that more subjective approaches may offer various advantages to target audiences in terms of immersion in the story world or imposed cognitive load. In this paper, we present the results of a case study involving the analysis of three episodes from different Dutch-spoken TV series to explore a) what strategies audio describers use to express mental states and b) where do they stand on the objective-subjective continuum. The results show that, contrary to what the guidelines recommend, the descriptions are situated nearer the subjective side of the continuum, suggesting that, when translating visual elements into a verbal form, audio describers tend to look beyond the screen to infer the implicit underlying meaning.

scholarly journals Identifying and Meeting the Needs of Extension’s Target Audiences

EDIS ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura A. Warner ◽  
Glenn D. Israel ◽  
John M. Diaz
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Target Audience ◽  
Extension Education ◽  
Educational Content ◽  
Audience Analysis ◽  
Content Selection ◽  
The People ◽  
Extension Program ◽  
Explicit Action ◽  
Selection Of

This document provides an overview of the concept of target audiences as it relate to Extension education, and briefly presents concepts of audience analysis and educational content selection. In contrast to the general population, a target audience is comprised of people who can take some explicit action to help solve an identified problem addressed by an Extension program. Additionally, a target audience is sometimes the people who are affected most by that problem. An understanding of the concept of target audiences paired with intentional selection of appropriate educational activities and content can support an impactful Extension program. 

scholarly journals Development and validating an educational booklet for childbirth companions

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 977-984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liana Mara Rocha Teles ◽  
Amanda Souza de Oliveira ◽  
Fernanda Câmara Campos ◽  
Thaís Marques Lima ◽  
Camila Chaves da Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postpartum Period ◽  
Target Audience ◽  
Writing Style ◽  
Methodological Study ◽  
Validity Index ◽  
Text Design ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Content Selection ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
Situational Assessment

Objective The article describes the steps in producing and validating an educational booklet for childbirth companions. Method Methodological study conducted in 2011 consisting of the following steps: situational assessment; establishing brochure content; content selection and referencing; drafting the text; design of illustrations; layout; consultation of specialists; consultation of target audience; amendments; proofreading; evaluation using the Flesch Reading Ease Formula. The topics portrayed the sequence of events involving support from gestation to the postpartum period. Results The concordance rate among companions was greater than or equal to 81.8% for the topics organisation, writing style, presentation and motives. The overall Content Validity Index of the booklet was 0.94. The booklet was classified as easy reading or very easy reading according to the results of the Flesch Reading Ease Formula. Conclusion The presentation and content of the manual were validated for use with the target audience by the specialists and representatives of the target audience.

scholarly journals PENINGKATAN PEMANFATAN PERAN TEKNOLOGI INFORMASI BAGI PESERTA DIDIK LKP BINTANG MULIA BATUBARA

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-52
Author(s):  
Romy Aulia ◽  
Mardalius Mardalius ◽  
Febri Dristyan
Keyword(s):  
Community Service ◽  
Theoretical Explanation ◽  
Target Audience ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Training Method ◽  
Training Activity ◽  
Lecture Method ◽  
Service Activities ◽  
Practice Method

Abstract: Community Service Activities in the form of internet utilization training at LKP Bintang Mulia Batubara aim to increase students' knowledge of internet technology and the benefits of the internet and encourage students to be able to independently manage networks and the internet. The target audience in this community service is LKP Bintang Mulia Batubara students. The training method used is a form of training in the classroom using the lecture method, discussion and question and answer. The lecture method used is intended to provide a theoretical explanation of internet and network material. The discussion method is used to explore students' understanding of the material given in lectures. The practice method is used to show directly how to make a network cable. The benefits obtained from this training activity are that students are able to make wired network connections and know the benefits of the internet.Keywords: Internet, Benefits, Training, NetworksAbstrak : Kegiatan Pengabdian Pada Masyarakat berupa pelatihan pemanfaatan internet di LKP Bintang Mulia Batubara bertujuan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan peserta didik terhadap teknologi internet dan manfaat dari internet serta mendorong peserta didik agar mampu dengan mandiri mengelola jaringan dan internet. Khalayak sasaran dalam pengabdian masyrakat ini adalah peserta didik LKP Bintang Mulia Batubara. Metode pelatihan yang digunakan adalah bentuk pelatihan di dalam kelas dengan menggunakan metode ceramah, diskusi dan tanya jawab. Metode ceramah yang digunakan dimaksudkan untuk memberikan penjelasan secara teori terhadap materi internet dan jaringan. Metode diskusi digunakan untuk menggali pemahaman peserta didik terhadap materi yang diberikan secara ceramah. Metode praktek digunakan untuk menunjukan langsung cara membuat kabel jaringan. Manfaat yang diperoleh dari kegiatan pelatihan ini adalah peserta didik mampu membuat koneksi jaringan dengan kabel serta mengetahui manfaat dari internet.Kata kunci : Internet, Manfaat, Pelatihan, Jaringan

scholarly journals Variability in the Use of Audiovisual Translation Terminology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurgita Kerevičienė ◽  
Jurgita Astrauskienė
Keyword(s):  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Target Audience ◽  
Audio Description ◽  
Audiovisual Translation ◽  
Partially Sighted ◽  
Gain Access

The growing supply of audiovisual products is closely linked to their translation to the target audience. In Lithuania, as well as in other countries, various modes of audiovisual translation are applied: some audiovisual works are dubbed, some are translated using voice-over, and still others are subtitled or surtitled. Deaf and hard of hearing viewers have access to the audiovisual content with the help of specialized subtitles; whereas the blind and partially sighted gain access via audio description. Each mode of audiovisual translation is defined by particular terms and specific characteristics, the variety of which may frequently seem like a kind of terminological maze for their users. This article aims at defining terms related to both the field of audiovisual translation and its modes by examining their differences and similarities to provide a structured classification of these terms. The paper also presents the insights and results of the survey, which reveals consumers’ ambiguities about the perception of audiovisual products and the application of audiovisual translation terminology.

scholarly journals Fostering the Aesthetic Pleasure: The Effect of Verbal Description on Aesthetic Appreciation of Ambiguous and Unambiguous Artworks

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 144
Author(s):  
Emanuela Mari ◽  
Alessandro Quaglieri ◽  
Giulia Lausi ◽  
Maddalena Boccia ◽  
Alessandra Pizzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aesthetic Experience ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Verbal Description ◽  
Aesthetic Appreciation ◽  
Audio Description ◽  
Aesthetic Pleasure ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Retest Session

Background: Aesthetic experience begins through an intentional shift from automatic visual perceptual processing to an aesthetic state of mind that is evidently directed towards sensory experience. In the present study, we investigated whether portrait descriptions affect the aesthetic pleasure of both ambiguous (i.e., Arcimboldo’s portraits) and unambiguous portraits (i.e., Renaissance portraits). Method: A total sample of 86 participants were recruited and completed both a baseline and a retest session. In the retest session, we implemented a sample audio description for each portrait. The portraits were described by three types of treatment, namely global, local, and historical descriptions. Results: During the retest session, aesthetic pleasure was higher than the baseline. Both the local and the historical treatments improved the aesthetic appreciation of ambiguous portraits; instead, the global and the historical treatment improved aesthetic appreciation of Renaissance portraits during the retest session. Additionally, we found that the response times were slower in the retest session. Conclusion: taken together, these findings suggest that aesthetic preference was affected by the description of an artwork, likely due to a better knowledge of the painting, which prompts a more accurate (and slower) reading of the artwork.

scholarly journals Evaluating the effectiveness of machine translation of audio description: the results of two pilot studies in the English-Dutch language pair

2021 ◽  
pp. 226-252
Author(s):  
Gert Vercauteren ◽  
Nina Reviers ◽  
Kim Steyaert
Keyword(s):  
Machine Translation ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Audio Description ◽  
Sight Loss ◽  
Dutch Language ◽  
The One ◽  
Concrete Language ◽  
Constant Improvement ◽  
Language Pair

The field of translation is undergoing various profound changes. On the one hand it is being thoroughly reshaped by the advent and constant improvement of new technologies. On the other hand, new forms of translation are starting to see the light of day in the wake of social and legal developments that require that products and content that are created, are accessible for everybody. One of these new forms of translation, is audio description (AD), a service that is aimed at making audiovisual content accessible to people with sight loss. New legislation requires that this content is accessible by 2025, which constitutes a tremendous task given the limited number of people that are at present trained as audio describers. A possible solution would be to use machine translation to translate existing audio descriptions into different languages. Since AD is characterized by short sentences and simple, concrete language, it could be a good candidate for machine translation. In the present study, we want to test this hypothesis for the English-Dutch language pair. Three 30 minute AD excerpts of different Dutch movies that were originally audio described in English, were translated into Dutch using DeepL. The translations were analysed using the harmonized DQF-MQM error typology and taking into account the specific multimodal nature of the source text and the intersemiotic dimension of the original audio description process. The analysis showed that the MT output had a relatively high error rate, particularly in the categories of Accuracy – mistranslation and Fluency – grammar. This seems to indicate that extensive post-editing will be needed, before the text can be used in a professional context.

scholarly journals Creative description: The impact of audio description style on presence in visually impaired audiences

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Walczak ◽  
Louise Fryer
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Spatial Presence ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Audio Description ◽  
Sight Loss ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Viewing Experience ◽  
Principle Of Objectivity

This article presents a study that tested the impact of audio description (AD) style on dimensions of presence (spatial presence, ecological validity, engagement, and negative effects) in blind and visually impaired audiences. The participants were shown two fragments of a naturalistic drama with two styles of description: ‘standard’ and ‘creative’. While the former followed the principle of objectivity, the latter was an innovative type of AD that included elements of camera work and subjective descriptions of the characters, their actions, and scenes crucial to the plot. The findings show that the emotive AD prompted higher levels of presence for all participants. Overall, the new AD style seemed more natural, especially to participants with recent sight loss. The results suggest that creative scripts may stimulate presence and thus increase the chances of AD users having a more immersive viewing experience.

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