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My biggest Christmas treat has been teaming up with my favourite UK TV channel, Talking Pictures TV, to audio describe the 1951 film 'Scrooge' for a screening on 28th December. This audio described screening is a first for TPTV (who are already doing amazing work subtitling 95% of their output). Aaron Chambers has done an excellent job mixing the descriptions into the film (not an easy feat with the soundscape and quality of older films). Audio description (AD) is an accessibility tool: if you're blind, have low vision, or your eyes are 'busy' sorting Christmas presents, or cooking (or you're just hiding from everyone in a darkened room) this special screening will include my voice describing the film's visual elements so that, along with the film's own dialogue and sounds, you'll be able to follow the story without missing anything. It's a bit like turning it into a radio play. And unlike most broadcast AD, TPTV are providing this screening as an instance of ‘open’ AD – with the description playing automatically along with the film. A great opportunity to raise awareness of what AD is and does without any fiddling with settings. ‘Scrooge’ a pretty faithful adaptation of a literary classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’. Indeed the film starts with the opening of Dickens’ book. In response, I’ve tried to refer back to Dickens’ original words where possible to furnish an audio description track that reflects and respects the film’s origin. For example, Charles Dickens described Scrooge’s pre-reformed approach thus: “Even the blindmen's dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts..” For the same scene in the film, I used the following description: “A thick scarf muffled around his face, Scrooge marches past a bustling bakery. A dog tugs its blind owner clear of Scrooge's path." Unfortunately, in many respects, Alastair Sim does not conform overly closely to Dickens’ description of Scrooge: “The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin.” The best I could do, given Alastair Sim’s less ‘pointy’ appearance was to steal the adjective ‘frosty’ to describe this Scrooge’s white hair. But the descriptive opportunities provided by Alastair’s glorious facial expressions more than made up for any physical dissimilarities. I hope the audience enjoy it as much as I enjoyed describing it. As TPTV says, ‘set your Betamaxes’! [All quotes taken from Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol: A Faithful Reproduction of the Original First Edition, Kindle Edition.]
Roz Chalmers
5mo
It was great job, Polly. I hope it’s the first of many.
Melissa Fanshawe
5mo
This is so cool.
Ben Goodwin
5mo
It was charming and eloquent - just like you!
Audio Description Manager at The SubStation Media Services
5moNice one, Polly. There should be more open AD - but only if it's thoroughly advertised. Sighted people can get so grumpy about AD.