Audio Description
Describing What is On-Screen
Audio descriptions are intended to provide blind and visually-impaired users with additional information as to what may be happening on-screen. For instance, a video presentation may include identified speakers or on-screen instructions. If this information is not communicated through the regular audio track, then it is necessary to include this information as audio description, including directional cues and other on-screen information.
Please watch The Importance of Audio Description to experience a video that does not provide context or meaningful description.
Try it!
Writing an audio description transcript for a silent clip.
Incorporate the following facts into your audio description:
- This is a sea anemone called Stomphia coccinea.
- Not all sea anemones have mobility.
Key terms that might help:
- Tentacles: slender, flexible limbs that line around the sea anemone mouth; used for grasping or moving about, or bearing sense organs.
- Column: the cylindrical body of a sea anemone
Goal:
Watch this time-lapse Instructional video describes sea anemone movement. Pretend you are a Biology instructor whose intention of using this video is to help students learn more about sea anemone movement.
Note: this video loops about three times for your convenience to give you an opportunity to watch the video. Do not create an audio description for each of the loops!
Compare what you've written for audio description and our answer key.
Down the rabbit hole!
Want to watch a silent film with audio description? Nosferatu is a 1922 silent horror film by director F. W. Murnau. It is brought to you with closed captioning and audio description by VITAC and Audio Description Associates.
Resources
For more information about how to approach audio descriptions, please enroll in our free Video Captioning Course Links to an external site.. More information will be provided at the end of the course.