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I'm working on a timed audio description script for the 1994 science-fiction / adventure film “Stargate” for blind and low-vision audiences. There are a lot of

I'm working on a timed audio description script for the 1994 science-fiction / adventure film “Stargate” for blind and low-vision audiences. There are a lot of older films that are not audio described, and so every now and again I pick a film and write a script, and another volunteer records and mixes the narration track. It takes about 2+ hours to describe about 20 minutes, and the film itself is 2 hours. Sample: 68 00:11:18,219 --> 00:11:33,169 They step through doors marked "Research Laboratory". The wheel shaped cover stone towers over them, mounted upright on the wall. The disc in the centre has a cartouche, a vertical panel of symbols. Jackson stares up at it open mouthed.

miki123211 2y ago
Blind person here. Where are you publishing this? a???ov??t.net?
- MrVandemar 2y ago
  Yes. You can find our version of "Aliens" and "Alien 3" there, along with Audio Introductions (Pre-show audio description) for each, which I highly recommend. Also the TV shows "The Bureau of Magical Things" and "The Secret of Sulphur Springs". I publish the scripts under a Creative Commons licence so anyone can legally record and mix their own versions if they like. I believe it's possible to run the subtitle files through a braille reader as the film runs for a different experience, but I've never heard of anyone who tried that. That said, we are experimenting with legal distribution by releasing the timed unmixed narration on Youtube and, in theory, you should be able to sync the narration to a (legally purchased) copy of the film. AMA if you like.
  - RobMurray 2y ago
    Another blind person here, Thanks for doing this!What is the censored URL above? ah found it, it's a vault of audio if anyone else is curious. I've had the idea for a while that it should be possible to have an app listen to the movie audio and synchronise the AD track automatically. I think I even heard of such an app but it wasn't open and I haven't heard about it since. Almost every time I watch something with my family I wish that the AD could be separate so we can listen at a normal volume without the boomy describer's voice which is almost always far too loud.
    - MrVandemar 2y ago
      Yeah, that app would be the killer, because we could just legally release the unmixed narration. That would be a game changer.

miki123211 2y ago

Blind person here. Where are you publishing this? a???ov??t.net?

MrVandemar 2y ago
Yes. You can find our version of "Aliens" and "Alien 3" there, along with Audio Introductions (Pre-show audio description) for each, which I highly recommend. Also the TV shows "The Bureau of Magical Things" and "The Secret of Sulphur Springs". I publish the scripts under a Creative Commons licence so anyone can legally record and mix their own versions if they like. I believe it's possible to run the subtitle files through a braille reader as the film runs for a different experience, but I've never heard of anyone who tried that. That said, we are experimenting with legal distribution by releasing the timed unmixed narration on Youtube and, in theory, you should be able to sync the narration to a (legally purchased) copy of the film. AMA if you like.
- RobMurray 2y ago
  Another blind person here, Thanks for doing this!What is the censored URL above? ah found it, it's a vault of audio if anyone else is curious. I've had the idea for a while that it should be possible to have an app listen to the movie audio and synchronise the AD track automatically. I think I even heard of such an app but it wasn't open and I haven't heard about it since. Almost every time I watch something with my family I wish that the AD could be separate so we can listen at a normal volume without the boomy describer's voice which is almost always far too loud.
  - MrVandemar 2y ago
    Yeah, that app would be the killer, because we could just legally release the unmixed narration. That would be a game changer.