What is our brand of "video description" like?
1. We take a minimalist approach. Less is more in descriptive narration.
We prefer to err on the side of not enough rather than too much description.
Our descriptions should answer key questions about the plot or relate
defining images of characters. If clues about the action are already
included in the dialog or sound effects, we are not likely to explain
them. We do NOT describe sounds, because they are presumably audible
to the audience.
2. Our style intends to keep the audience involved in the movie
rather than the description. We favor natural speech and complete
sentences whenever possible. Short choppy notes in a detached, neutral
voice can remind the audience that they are hearing description
and distract them from the movie itself. The texture and movement
of our narrator's voice will undulate slightly with the mood of
the scene to help keep the audience involved.
3. We do not attempt to interpret the movie for the audience. We
do not add explanatory phrases to help the movie tell its story.
We do not explain reasons for character's actions, nor do we say
"later the next day" or "early the next morning"
unless the movie explicitly communicates that to the general audience.
We assume that the audience is able to understand the movie on their
own by hearing the sound track and having the pictures described
as they appear. Many description services add words like "now"
to signify a scene change. We only do this when the movie lacks
any other type of audio clues that the scene has changed. We do
however normally state the new setting when the scene does change.
4. We use highly descriptive present tense language. We favor describing
images in the present as they appear. We employ a diverse vocabulary
of verbs to present characters action in the most detailed and efficient
fashion. We are economical with adjectives and adverbs to keep the
description track from becoming verbose.
We See TV subscribes to all of the standards set forth by the
Los Angeles Radio Reading Service.
Please review the Standards
for Audio Description.
Video description from We See TV, Inc. is a service for the visually
impaired by the visually impaired!
WE SEE TV, Video Description! Turning pictures into words!
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