“Feeling” the Audio Description: A Reception Perspective

Abstract

Is a picture worth a thousand words? Maybe. But, as Joel Snyder (2005, 197) has put it, “the audio describer might say that a few well-chosen words conjure vivid and lasting images”. The present paper aims at identification of the main challenges arising from the audio description (AD) and audio subtitles (AST) in three foreign animation films into Greek and the results from reception studies in order to find the best strategies in synchronisation and voice delivery for an optimal viewing experience for the blind and visually impaired people (B/VIP). The work explores also the usage of touch as a secondary communication channel to deliver additional information along with AD.

The findings reveal that the use of adjectives, the description of emotions and the voice delivery may increase the perception of the audience, making the viewing experience of blind and visually impaired people (B/VIP) more immerse, being also able to communicate a range of emotions. Last but not least, it has been found out that audio description (AD) could be expanded beyond the visual elements of animation films, encompassing a more engaging and entertaining experience for the audience.