Audio Description, also known as Descriptive Audio or Video Description, narrates the relevant visual information contained in a video and is an accommodation for blind and low-vision viewers.
(from 3Play Media webinar)
"The first thing to understand is the difference between captions and audio description (also sometimes called video description).
Captioning is synchronized text of the sound in the video. This text includes dialogue, pertinent sound information (e.g., slamming doors, barking dogs, music, etc.), and speaker identification. The text can be made available as either open (always on) or closed (can be turned on and off) captions. Captioning is primarily for individuals who have hearing impairments or auditory processing issues.
Audio description is a brief description of visual elements in the video. For videos created by instructors, I recommend that they describe what they are doing, as they are doing it, and verbalize anything that is being written. In commercial films, description of the ?action? and any purely visual elements is also required. Audio description is primarily for individuals with visual impairments.
So when do you need captioning and when do you need audio description?
As an accommodation, you would provide whichever is needed by the individual.
For full access, both are preferred, but when we are talking about "after-market" accessibility, captioning is by far the easier of the two. For those of us who are required to comply with the Section 508 standards, both are required?although you can provide a text description back-up in lieu of the audio description in those cases where audio description is not feasible.
What we generally expect in our system is captioning of videos with a text back-up for the audio description."
(from Gaeir (rhymes with "fire") Dietrich, HTCTU Director [from athen-list Digest, Vol 138, Issue 5 (7/7/2017) athen-list@u.washington.edu] - emphasis added 0SQ)
Description Key [DCMP] http://www.descriptionkey.org/index.html
WHEN AND WHEN NOT TO ADD AUDIO DESCRIPTION TO CONTENT http://www.3playmedia.com/2017/06/28/when-and-when-not-to-add-audio-description-to-content/
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR AUDIO DESCRIPTION http://www.3playmedia.com/2017/03/22/legal-requirements-audio-description/
AUDIO DESCRIPTION EXAMPLES http://www.3playmedia.com/how-it-works/how-to-guides/audio-description/audio-description-examples/
You Describe https://youdescribe.org/ - community-based site where people add descriptions to existing videos
Frozen Trailer with Audio Description (YouTube 1:31) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7j4_aP8dWA
AUDIO DESCRIPTION HOW-TO GUIDES http://www.3playmedia.com/how-it-works/how-to-guides/audio-description/
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See
Descriptive Text / Long Descriptions
on Images and Non-Text Elementes
How to Make Your Video Reach More People https://www.sitepoint.com/make-video-reach-people/
Transcripts good for studying, notetaking...
Interactive (Searchable) transcripts - can also take you to that part of the video
TRANSCRIPTS
Standard 1194.22, a "A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via ìaltî, ìlongdescî, or in element content)." (Section508.gov)
+ audio only
+ slow internet, social situations, get quotes,
A transcript is a full text recount of dialogue and non-dialogue audio in multimedia. Sometimes it also includes text descriptions of visuals. The purpose of a transcript is to give individuals an option to read the transcript instead of watching/listening/interacting with the multimedia. Unlike captions, the text does not have to be synchronous with the video, but some players do allow for synchronization. It is expected that if more information is needed to clarify the content then that information is added to the transcript. Transcripts are often in a separate page or in a separate document
It is recommended to include in the transcript:
- All dialogue from the media. Usually you want to transcribe the dialogue as it is presented, even if it is not grammatically correct. There are some cases where you should even add the disfluencies ( ëahsí and ëumsí in the speech), but not all types of media require this level of accuracy. It is recommended you determine the degree of accuracy before starting the transcription.
- If a person's tone of voice or how they are speaking is relevant then include that information in brackets.
- Important non-dialogue audio (baby crying, car horn honking, fire alarm, music, etc.)
- The names of all the speakers in the transcript. Also include their official titles if that information is relevant and available. Just add the full name and title before their first line of dialogue and then use shorthand for the rest of the transcript.
- Descriptions of content-bearing visuals in the media. An example would be descriptions of graphs, charts and maps. For audio files or videos with unimportant decorative images then descriptions are not needed.
- Clarifications and elaborations on visual instructions in the audio. For example, the narrator in a screencast video might say ìGo over here for contact information.î In the transcript you could clarify where "here" is in the video. You might write in brackets or parenthesis, ìScroll down to the footer of the website to get the contact information.î
- Features of an accessible text document or webpage. This includes a proper heading structure using the built-in styles, high contrast color combinations, descriptive hyperlink text, and a table of contents for longer documents.
+ descriptions of things you see on screen if important
(from AccessMOOC)
Transcripts are required anytime there is dialogue and/or important non-dialogue audio. Transcripts may also contain text descriptions of visual information. Here are some examples of multimedia types that require transcripts:
-Videos
-Audio files, podcasts
-Narrated slide presentations and slide presentations with embedded media
-Audio notes in text documents
There are several ways to create a transcript.
-Modify a pre-made script
-Listen to the audio and manually type of what you hear into a text document
-Edit a transcript created by speech recognition software
-Pay a service
accessMOOC) Tools for Audio Descriptions
Using video editing software to add an extra track to a video you do not own may be a copyright violation. In this situation, there are some free tools available for adding audio descriptions to online videos.
Audio Descriptions Using Video Editing Software (YouTube 2:40) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KRjy4Ga1FU
They use video editing software Adobe Premiere Pro, but you don’t need any fancy software to do this. This works just as well with Camtasia or some other simple editing software.
YouDescribe http://youdescribe.org/search.php is a free online tool that allows users to record audio descriptions for YouTube videos from their web browser. The user does not have to download or change the original video.
YouDescribe - How to create video descriptions! (YouTube 14:05) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCuwclkbZRc
AUDIO DESCRIPTIONS
When a video contains visual information that is not conveyed through a voice over, narration or dialogue then individuals with visual impairments may not get all the information they need from that video. Some possible solutions to this problem are as follows:
- Add detailed descriptions of the visuals in the script before recording
- Add an audio description track to the video
Out of the two solutions, the easiest is to add visual descriptions in the script before you record the video. This is the approach more attuned to Universal Design for Learning and Backward Design because the creator is making the original material accessible to everyone from the beginning and negating the need to modify the media to make it accessible to those with disabilities.
An audio description track is an additional track in the video that verbally describes what is happening in the video. Keep in mind that creating audio descriptions is not always easy, especially if you do not own the video. Creating audio descriptions sometimes requires special software, knowledge of video editing, and editing rights to the video. For these reasons, the other solutions might be the only viable options in some situations.
Some best practices for creating audio descriptions are as follows:
- Do not include personal judgments, opinions, analyses, motivations, etc. Describe only what is visible.
- Be as descriptive as possible in the time allotted.
- Use present tense.
- Be consistent with naming and terminology.
- Read text on the screen that is not recited in the dialogue.
- Do not record over dialogue.
* Access MOOD (with audio Descriptions) = example of audion description where no narration or sound was present to start with... (YouTube 1:19) Access MOOC (with audio descriptions)
You Describe Title: Video Description Guidelines: "How to Know What to Say" by Rick Boggs (18:24) http://youdescribe.org/player.php?v=JZlNVajYx9s
Video Description Guidelines: "How to Know What to Say" by Rick Boggs (YouTube 18:24) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZlNVajYx9s
His 10 General Principles of Description [ of anything]
1. Describe what you see - physically observable
2. Describe that which is most significant or essential in the allotted time.
3. Do not explain what you think is going on or why = these 3 do not Interpret video
4. Do not describe moods, motives or reasoning of the characters
5. Do not inject personal interpretation or opinions
6. Do not censor the material
7. Do not summarize - (not quote) don't take a series of separate actions or images and describe them as one. In an action scene, "they fight" is probably evident - by who is doing waht to whom may not me. (They can hear the sound is already there. Also train example)
8. Use the present tense
9. Use the same name for character's places, objects, etc throughout - even if the mother, the man in the gray suit....
10. Define article use. (not quote) use indefinite 'a' when subject or object is new; use 'the' when it is seen again.
His Rules for Media Description
A. Do describe scene changes when not obvious from audio; keep phrases short:
B Read verbatim any words an subtitles that appear if not voiced. ex. "Words appear: New York City. 2006"
C. Do follow the action whenever possible = your description should occur after the sound if possible.
D. DO not describe over dialog
E. Do not describe obvious sound cues - mention who answers the phone not that it is ringing
F. DO not give away secrets/surprises/sight gags - let user get teh joke or secret when sighed audience does
G. Do not refer to camera angels or the TV screen NO zooms in, etc). Example that is okay "John looks at us (or at the camera"
The ACB Audio Description Project - Guidelines and the Draft of Standards
The Audio Description Coalition Standards
The Description Key by DCMP
The Independent Television Commission Guidance on Standards
Media Access Group at WGBH Strategies and Techniques
VDRDC Webinar #1 - Bringing Video Description Into The 21st Century (YouTube 58:17) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FovYflr-FkU
.
- from EASI CADET webinar Oct 2017
" I am a fan of using a .vtt file for audio descriptions in conjunction with Able Player." (user answer to when using with LMS, which file format)
(explanation: export as vtt, then play back via text to speech program) Also .TTML file?