This project focused on adding audio description to the creative captions video I previously made.
The process of making this was relatively straightforward. First, I watched my video, and wrote a general script describing what happens. I focused mostly on the visual information that is conveyed rather than anything else.
Next, I placed my script into an online TTS resource I found. I had initially intended to personally record my voice, but found that I could not get the delivery to be clear enough and evenly paced.
I pulled everything into Premiere Pro, and edited it using a mixture of inline and extended captions. As I went, I continuously rewatched with my eyes closed, and added in more descriptions if I felt anywhere was somewhat lacking. While some captions were written to be as is descriptors of the scene, I intentionally added my own interpretations of emotions being shown in other places. I also tried to pick somewhat interesting wording, especially when it came to repetitive actions. For example, I chose the phrase “mystic flick” to denote the Fairy Godmother’s wand use because it reads relatively quickly.
The theme of this work is, as before, about a young girl learning how to participate in society. Because of this, I tried to bring attention to the cues and nuances of facial expressions and body movements as the video proceeds. If I had more time, I would have delved more deeply into it - and there is only so much that can be conveyed at a time. Like in the captions, there is an emotional aspect that is somewhat lost along the way. This project is also still not very inclusive of those with sensory processing issues - it might be a little overwhelming considering how packed the audio is. Again, I think a physical transcript would be more helpful - or even a piece written more like an audiobook.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kd2pVNHj99A4TUlTMSTiCjwHWg7tF7rU/view?usp=sharing