Adapted from Described & Captioned Media Program's (DCMP) Description Tip Sheet and Netflix Audio Description Style Guide v1.0

Overview

It is common to curate existing videos. Why reinvent the wheel?

You may provide a text file of the transcript including audio description. This is not a substitute but may serve for basis towards the final solution. In addition to providing a text file for the video you do not own, consider offering a closed captioned video equivalent.

How to Describe

Censorship

Avoid Censorship: Do not censor any information. Description should be objective and straightforward when addressing nudity, sexual acts, and violence.

Description Consistency

Use vocabulary that is meaningful to students who are blind or visually impaired.
The word choice, character’s qualities, and visual elements should remain consistent within the description for the entirety of the content.

Describing On-screen Elements

On-Screen Text

The introduction of text should be described by stating “words appear.”

Subtitles for Foreign Language

The description should introduce subtitles and read the subtitles verbatim. The original dialogue audio should be dipped to avoid confusion, but still allow the viewer to hear the original dialogue in the background. State “subtitles” when necessary to avoid confusion.

Please see your local faculty support if additional support in dipping audio is required.

Logos

Description should be provided for any on-screen logos to include any studio or company names and the detail of the image. Be consistent with logo descriptions.

Example Pixar Logo

The Pixar logo should be consistently described as:

Letters spelling, "Pixar," appear on a light blue background. A white desk lamp hops from the right side of the screen where the letter "R" is positioned and hops toward the left side of the screen where the letter "P" is. The white desk lamp pauses after passing the letter "I." It turns around, prepares, and jumps on top of the letter "I." The white desk lamp jumps on top of the letter "I" until it squishes it into the ground. "P," the white desk lamp taking the place of the letter "I," "X," "A," and "R" are on-screen. The white desk lamp searches for the letter "I," which is under it. The white desk lamp looks toward the viewer. Scene fades to black.

Action

Describe visual action or movement in terms of the viewer's body. For example, "the mouse ran behind a tree to the right of the house."
Describe shapes, sizes, and other essential attributes of objects by comparison to objects that are familiar to the intended audience. For example, "Harry leaped for the snitch in the air. The snitch was a round gold ball the size of a United States quarter coin, and had wings."

Songs/Sounds/Dialogue

Treat lyrics like dialogue, and only describe over them when necessary. In the case of having to describe over lyrics, allow for the song to establish itself.
Avoid describing over audio that is essential to comprehension (do so only when necessary).
Describe the source of sounds that are not immediately recognizable in the program context.

Titles and Credits

The description should include any opening credits with an adjusted tone when not too distracting, but if these interfere with simultaneous dialogue and action, timing adjustments may be made to introduce the text before or after actual credit appearance. Credits will be included as time permits. Introduce the title of the content by stating “title” and the name.

Voicing

Deliver description in the present tense, active voice, and third-person narrative style. Speak clearly and at a rate that can be understood. Use the existing program audio as a guide.
Voice descriptions in conjunction with or before (but never after) the relevant visual content are onscreen.
Match vocabulary to the program, avoiding jargon.
Wait until technical vocabulary has been introduced in the program before using it in the description.
Voice descriptions in complete sentences if possible.

Tutorial Content

For educational materials or situations in which the viewer is asked to follow specific actions of a character on-screen, the description should be clarified so that the sight-impaired audience identifies that the audience is being addressed, rather than an on-screen character.

Horror/Suspense Content

Description should account for intentional pauses, dramatic silences, and the musical score to allow the sight-impaired audience to experience the same build-up of suspense intended by the production.

Plot Device

Foreshadowing

Description may adjust timings to introduce plot elements early, but only when there is no other way to inform the audience to the content sensibly.

Camera Angles & Shot Changes

When shot changes are critical to the understanding of the scene, indicate them by describing where the action is or where characters are present in the new shot. Camera angles or point-of-view should only be included in the description when

plot-appropriate (“from above” & “bird’s eye view”). Do not use jargon and technical terms such as “long shot,” and “dolly” unless the course is studying video production techniques.)

Montages

As time allows, describe montages of images or series’ of still photos. When the images are relevant but time is restricted, highlight only the most significant images.

Passage of Time

Always address time shifts in relation to the character(s). When describing certain passages of time, such as flashbacks or dream sequences, describe the visual cues that indicate such, and be consistent throughout the program.