audio description techniques and approaches
TRANSCRIPT
Slideshow from the presentation at ARSAD, Barcelona, 14th March 2013
Floriane Bardini
Floriane Bardini – Universitat de Vic
Audio description of cinematographic language
A practical studyComparing describers’ approaches:
Contents
AD as a special form of AVT Jakobson’s intersemiotic translation (1959) Competences of the audiodescriber (Díaz-Cintas, 2007)
Translation Techniques Molina and Hurtado (2002): dynamic and functional view,
applicable to intersemiotic translation First use for AD studies by Rami and Matamala (2006)
Audio Description Techniques (ADT) Adaptation of Molina and Hurtado’s proposal to AD 15 ADT defined and exemplified
AD and TS
Definition of ADT
Audio description techniques (ADT) are options available to the describer to translate the audiovisual message into the verbal system to describe a particular film fragment.
AD techniques are a valuable analysis tool because they reflect the describer's approach towards the elements he chose (not) to describe.
Main characteristics of ADT They are functional, They are combinable, They can affect the AD script at a micro and macro-level.
audio description techniques
• reduction• amplification• particularization• generalization• compensation• substitution• modulation• variation• adaptation (cultural / sensorial)• technical description• integral iconic description• iconic description• cognitive description• creative description
audio description techniques
• reduction• amplification• particularization• generalization• compensation• substitution• modulation• variation• adaptation (cultural / sensorial)• technical description • integral iconic description• iconic description• cognitive description• creative description
audio description techniques
iconic descriptionAD of the moving picture at an iconic or denotative level: AD of what
appears onscreen trying to avoid any kind of interpretation – most AD guidelines’ ideal.
audio description techniques
iconic descriptionAD of the moving picture at an iconic or denotative level: AD of what
appears onscreen trying to avoid any kind of interpretation – most AD guidelines’ ideal.
cognitive descriptionAD is the verbal expression of the result of a cognitive process that
took place while watching the described fragment. It implies a more or less complex and more or less conscious interpretation of the fragment, in conformity with the images and the intentions of the audiovisual text. AD includes both connotative and denotative levels.
audio description techniques
iconic descriptionAD of the moving picture at an iconic or denotative level: AD of what
appears onscreen trying to avoid any kind of interpretation – most AD guidelines’ ideal.
cognitive descriptionAD is the verbal expression of the result of a cognitive process that
took place while watching the described fragment. It implies a more or less complex and more or less conscious interpretation of the fragment, in conformity with the images and the intentions of the audiovisual text. AD includes both connotative and denotative levels.
creative descriptionAD that privileges to deliver the global meaning of the filmic message in
a coherent narration, as a result of an interpretative reading of the described fragment. AD delivers information at a mostly connotative level and tends to neither faithfully include the iconic contents of the picture nor exactly follow the order and duration of the shots.
audio description techniques
Practical study
CorpusCorpus:
Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle, 2008)
Three audio described versions :
• English • German• Spanish
A total of 90 audio described fragments with expressions of cinematographic language
Example one – Category: “thoughts”
Example one – Category: “thoughts”
TCR 01:10:06 – 01:10:16 “Falling down”http://www.vimeo.com/28826176
ENJamal lunges for Salim and they both fall off the building.Jamal blinks awake from his vision and punches Salim instead.
cognitive description
DE
Mit aller Kraft packt Jamal seinen Bruder und stößt ihn mit sich aus dem Hochhaus in die Tiefe.Im oberen Stockwerk. Jamal läuft zu Salim und schlägt ihn zu Boden.With all his strength, Jamal takes his brother and pushes him so they both fall off the building.Upstairs. Jamal runs towards Salim and punches him to the ground.
iconic description
ES
Yamál explota de rabia. Querría lanzarlo al vacío y matarlo, pero no, se acerca y le encaja un buen derechazo en la mandíbula, que hace caer a Salím al suelo.Jamal explodes in rage. He would like to throw him off the building and kill him, but, no, he comes near him and takes a swing at his jaw, which makes Salim fall to the ground.
creative description
Example two – Category: “transitions”
TCR 00:18:21 – 00:18:31 “Lifeless mother”
EN Jamal's mother lies face down in the pool. Present day. Jamal on the game show.
iconic description
DE
Im Kanal treiben Leichen, Hütten stehen in lodernden Flammen.Auf dem Revier.Dead bodies float in the canal. Shanties burn in flames.At the police station.
generalisa-tion + iconic description
ES
Yamál recuerda a su madre muerta bajo las aguas. El recuerdo le lleva hasta el presente. En el interrogatorio.Jamal remembers his dead mother under the water. This memory brings him back to the present. In the interrogation room.
cognitive description
Example two – Category: “transitions”
Example three – Category: “emotions”
Example three – Category: “emotions”
TCR 00:21:50 - 00:22:00 “Back to reality”
EN Present day. Jamal sits on the studio stage opposite the host.
iconic description
DEIm Studio. Abwesend betrachtet Jamal die applaudierenden Zuschauer. Er löst sich aus seinen Gedanken.In the TV studio. Jamal absently looks at the applauding audience. He comes back from his thoughts.
cognitive description
ES
En el presente, en comisaría. Siguen viendo el vídeo del concurso. Jamal parece olvidar sus recuerdos y volver a la realidad.Present day, at the police station. They’re still watching the video of the show. Jamal seems to forget his memories and come back to reality.
cognitive description
Conclusions of the study
Expressions of cinematographic language translated in AD
56%
40%
67%
53%
33%
73%
100%
Conclusions of the study
Translation of cinematographic language by ADToccurrences
1719
10
23
13
Conclusions of the study
ADT are a valid analysis tool which allow qualitative and quantitative study of AD scripts
Cinematographic language needs to be interpreted for the meaning of how things are shown to be translated in AD
Three main ADT were used to describe this type of fragments, which can lead to three description styles:
explicitely descriptive
AD
descriptive –interpretative
AD
narrative AD
Based on the description-narration continuum by Kruger (2010)
Thanks to...
Floriane [email protected]
Audio description of cinematographic language:Comparing describer’s approaches
A practical study