Audio description provides social benefits such as equality, inclusion and community integration. It makes a HUGE difference to the lives of film fans with sight loss.
Here’s how much it’s appreciated:
Jurassic World 2! The scene with the creeping dino and the little girl hiding... I have lost my sight. You think I can't enjoy the cinema? Imagine the scariest film you know, only SCARIER!
It is so very nice to be included, just like any other valued member of society. Somebody, somewhere knew that someone like me was going to go to see a film one day and made it possible for me to enjoy it. They built it for me. I belonged in the cinema along with everybody else. I was included. Put a price tag on that.
Hello! I just wanted to write you a quick note to thank you. My husband, Joe and I have 7 year old twins. Our son, Josh is totally blind. We have been to the cinema before with him but he has been completely bored and so he really hasn't seen much at the cinema. That is until we tried audio description. He enjoyed the movie so much and it was truly a joy to see him so happy and having all of us there together. Since that movie we have been back to see more. We hope that more movies are made available using audio description. We believe it is wonderful tool for the visually impaired and their families. I know that we would travel miles to see another movie in a heartbeat. Thanks Again!
A great night at the cinema belonged to other people, now, thanks to the visionary magic of audio description, it belongs to me too. It's brilliant! Like someone's finally found me a pair of glasses!
I was delighted to hear that this was available. I thought my cinema going days had gone. Thank you!
Audio Description in the cinema has given me the opportunity to enjoy films with friends. It means I can watch and enjoy a film as an equal, feel included and understand what is happening. It would be great if more films were Audio Described in the cinema.
I love films .... but I love films with Audio Description even more. That little extra that makes such a difference!
Splendid experience - Finally I can enjoy a film at the cinema. This is a big step for equal access.
Fantastic innovation. Did not know it was possible. Thanks, thanks, thanks.
I would like to thank you for your generosity in putting the audio description in the cinemas. This enables the blind community to come out and enjoy themselves. This is all because of someone like you who thought of how we are just normal people, with just a little more accommodation needs. Thank you again you have made a difference. Access is so important. Everyone sees, hears and feels differently. Very few of us have 20/20 vision, perfect hearing, and 100-percent use of every single part of our bodies. In fact 1 in 4 has a vision difficulty, 1 in 4 has a dexterity difficulty, and 1 in 5 has a hearing difficulty. But even if you don't have any issues regarding vision, dexterity, or hearing, chances are you may know, work with, or love someone who does.
I got so much out of the film by listening to the description. Thank you so much. It was a wonderful experience.
This is one of the greatest things we have had since computer speech. We can now go to see a film and know what's going on. We don't have to turn to our sighted friends and keep asking them "What's happening?"
A brilliant service!
When I discovered Audio Description I discovered A Whole New World. It was like the magical murmurings of "Open Sesame" revealed an Aladdin's cave to show riches that I had only ever dreamt of.
Fantastic site and campaign - thank you!
Being blind, I always hated going to the cinema. All my friends enjoyed the film and most of the time I had no idea what was going on. They would tell me what was happening on screen but I still couldn't follow the film. I would have to wait until it came on DVD, or on TV, and hope it had audio description there.
I only heard about audio description at the cinema a while ago and on my tenth birthday me and my friends went to see 'Early Man' animation, with audio description, just for me, through headphones. We did the usual, getting popcorn and drinks, and sat down in the cinema. For the first time watching a movie on the big screen I was able to understand it all. I could see figures against the landscapes as a blur, and the description really brought them to life! The person doing the audio description spoke all the words loud and clear, even over the sounds of the movie. It was just great! It really helped me to see what every character looked like.
I will never forget the first time I saw an audio described film in the cinema. I had been an avid film-goer until I lost my sight, the last thing I ever read was Empire magazine and had had quite enough of the hit or miss affair of friends whispering in my ear what was happening on screen, usually after I delivered a sharp blow to their ribs with my elbow. Much better than nothing, but potentially deeply frustrating, especially if you were there with a squeamish pal and there was lots of mayhem going on. Anyway, the first audio described film I saw was Girl With A Pearl Earring and I had the unusual experience of having to explain to my sighted companion what on earth was going on. It's sometimes quite amusing to get the description of what is about to happen and laugh out loud, while waiting for the sighted audience to catch up. There are sometimes also wee added bonuses only available to people listening to the AD track. Happy memories.
Utterly fabulous !!! only wish my local provided this service !! :-(
Just thought i would let you know how much i enjoyed my first visit with audio description on Saturday, the only way to describe it, it was the d.b.'s, (smiles). Although it was a bit further than my local cinemas, we agreed to go, and oh boy was it worth travelling that little bit further. From the moment we entered the cinema nothing was to much trouble for the staff there, they were friendly, polite and helpful in every way possible, and even down to the point that my cinema card had unfortunatly expired, we were only charged for the one seat. They suggested the best seats where i would most benefit the reception on the audio description headsets and they are brilliant, no hiss, crackle or pop, the quality is superb and crystal clear,and so easy to use. All in all, a wonderful experience and the film was good too. This is one cinema i will definitely be visiting again, well worth the extra journey, they seem to be a very blind friendly cinema, and have plenty of films audio described. Once again well done, thats the way to do it, (smiles).
Audio described cinema is great because it's made me want to go to the cinema again. It lets me spin a web with Charlotte, jump from a crane with Bond and ride the Hogwarts Express with Harry. It's like someone has finally turned the light on.
Last night I thoroughly enjoyed a film for the first time in my life. The film was Gravity. I had heard it "looks fantastic", "amazing visuals", 'spectacular", all descriptions that are not very useful to person with severe sight loss. But I'm a space-buff, I just had to catch it on a huge screen. I've seen IMAX space films before I lost my sight, so kind of knew what to expect. For Gravity, all I could see on the screen were black and white blobs and mis-shapes of various sizes. But that's more than I can usually see in a film. The contrast of the white suits of the astronauts floating around the black of space made the film clearer than any I've seen in a long time. But without the audio description explaining what was going on the story, with its many long dialogue-free scenes would have been lost on me. It was absolutely gripping. I was on the edge of my seat! I really felt like I was up there with the characters. It was a wonderful experience.
My blind father and I saw Dr Strange last month and it was such a pleasure to see him as moved and entertained as he was throughout the movie. He said the audio description was like listening to an audiobook, except with the wonderful talents of Benedict Cumberbatch and his fellow actors. I’m so glad that he can still enjoy seeing films.
I loved watching James Bond with audio description and stayed on the edge of my chair for most of it. The describer did a masterful job of quickly identifying the characters and describing the action and relevant scene changes on the fly. I don’t think the credits mentioned who described the movie, but there ought to be an academy award for audio description and I’d nominate him.
Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 was a really good movie, and I loved Rocket the most. Because I am blind I couldn’t see him properly but everything he said was really easy to imagine because of the narration in the background. I really liked it and cannot wait to get the DVD for Christmas to hear it again!
Amazing audio description. My family are visually impaired and we all absolutely love and very much appreciate audio description. Please keep it coming, it makes a massive difference and we really really appreciate it. I used to fall asleep in films before audio description came along because I would completely lose the plot. Now I love films and love talking about them and TV programmes with friends and colleagues. Thank you for all the effort and work that makes this happen. Catherine.
I went to see Greatest Showman. Nottingham Cineworld were very welcoming, and the audio description was fabulous. The headphones were very comfortable to wear, and very simple to use. Although the songs explain a lot of the film, I would have been very lost without the a.d. as it jumped several years in parts, and with all the extra information I was able to follow it as well as the rest of the audience. Thank you for your help, and I look forward to seeing further films in the future.
Many thanks for all of your help advising of where I can get audio description and following-up with the various cinemas on my behalf. My mate and I saw Skyfall last night and the film, together with the AD, was fantastic! It's the first time I've been to the cinema in over 22 years, but like Bond, I'll be back! Once again, thank you very much for your help, it's very much appreciated!
Some say that listening to an audiobook can't compare to reading the printed or e-book. And listening to a described film is not the same as watching a film. Obviously for blind people it's better! Stories originally came from an oral tradition long before they became written stories or films. For a blind person like me, audio description makes sense of the film.
Imagine you are given a book to read that everyone is talking about, except that all of the text except for the dialogue is blacked out. How much of the story would you grasp and understand? This is what it is like for a person who is blind experiencing a film that is not described.
I'm blind, have optic nerve hypoplasia, audio descriptive films help me to experience films. There's no other way.
The audio description on Mission Impossible was really good. I 'get' what people were saying about the jaw-dropping images and camera work. When Hunt swings out a window I could feel the vertigo! And I could hardly see it! It was a blur on the screen but the narration made it vivid, crystal clear, and immersed me in the action. I told many visually impaired people about my experience and of audio description, and your website, and I'll definitely try to experience it more.
@yourlocalcinema This website is amazing! I rarely see my blind brother smile, but watching a film with him with audio description is one of those times. Props for giving smiles to deaf and blind kids and adults alike everywhere!
I watched Sherlock Holmes 2 at the weekend and thought that the audio description worked wonderfully. (But did Conan Doyle ever envision Sherlock in a skin tight jumpsuit, dressed in drag?). The modern style of filming, with high-octane slo-mo action collided beautifully with the 19th century London setting, creating a cinematic dream world for me. I remember before I lost my sight watching The Matrix and always wondered how different old movies would have been if shoot-outs were that exciting! After losing my sight I thought I'd never see any movie ever again. So it's great that audio description is available on all the big films nowadays.
For some films, the AD enhanced the film so much for me that I felt I had appreciated more of the details and characters within the film than my sighted friends, as the AD includes so much more sometimes than what you see in terms of describing things. When it is offered, it makes film a truly open and wonderful experience for the blind, especially with today's high end digital surround sound systems.
To hear a little bit of extra detail as I watch a film is a hugely enriching experience. The audio description is unobtrusive, informative and engaging. It helpfully tells me who people are, which elegantly overcomes my biggest problem with film. Just as in real life, I struggle to recognise people when they appear, or reappear in a new or different context, especially if they have changed their clothes or hairstyle. Without a friendly voice whispering characters names in my ear I would spend the film failing to tell them apart. And the narrator pays a great deal of attention to how people communicate wordlessly, particularly with their eyes: 'Duroy looks at Madeleine with a mixture of sorrow and resentment'; 'Clotilde's eyes flash with hatred and contempt' (Bel Ami). I have never been very good at interpreting facial expressions and usually don't even bother trying. I judge people's mood by the sound of their voice and the way they behave. So I was amazed to discover how much facial expression can tell you about a person. I had no idea that it was so important nor that people could pass messages in that way. I wonder how many silent conversations I've missed by not knowing that they were even going on in the first place. As I left the cinema I felt oddly bereft. I was already missing my invisible friend interpreting the sighted world for me through my headset. How illuminating it would be, I thought, if audio description existed in real life and not just at the movies.
My father is a member of Blind Veterans UK, for soldiers, sailors and airmen who were blinded by gas, shot or shell during Wars. It supports over 3,500 veterans. He tries to catch films with audio description when he can. It’s the only for him to watch films.
In August 2013 I began losing my vision and in November I was registered as legally blind after being diagnosed with a rare genetic eye disease. I am 19 years old and before this, I had wanted to be a film journalist. As you may have guessed, I love films -I went to see one at least once a week and wrote reviews on them. But what I wanted to talk about was that films with audio description are mostly big budget films in mainstream cinema. I used to watch a lot of independent, arthouse and foreign films. However, there seems to be next to no audio description for these kinds of films. I have not yet seen one. There are many foreign films which have English subtitles but no audio description such as The Act of Killing and Blue is the Warmest Colour. Will there ever be support for these kinds of films in the future?
I have been visually impaired since I was born. I was born with Congenital Cataracts, and then developed Glaucoma when I was 4 months old. I can’t enjoy film without audio description.
I didn't think I'd enjoy it, because my particular visual impairment means that I can't see 'snowy' scenes very well, can't always make out what's going on, but the fascinating and thrilling sleigh ride scenes in Arthur Christmas made it worthwhile. The narration was great, lots of animation and emotion in the voice, in fitting with the scenes. But it was difficult picturing Hugh Laurie as anything but the way I remember him when I could see perfectly, back in 'Jeeves and Wooster'!
My father has congenital nystagmus, a condition that makes his eyes move side to side involuntary. He's resigned himself to the fact that he will never be able to see properly and until audio description films came about he never bothered with cinema, it gave him severe headaches. Now we both go regulalry. He just shuts his eyes and enjoys the film!
I am 63 years old, have been blind for more than 30 years, and was always hearing from friends about the wonderful narrated movies being made these days that I may actually enjoy. Recently, cinema - and the Your Local Cinema service - have provided me with an outlet in which to enjoy new films, with audio description becoming ever more prevalent in local cinemas.
So I tried it out with a sighted friend and have so far enjoyed The King's Speech, True Grit, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and some others. I went with two of my oldest friends who saw me smile, heard me chuckle and, importantly, asked my opinion on the events afterwards. For a change I was included in the conversation about the movie, which was most enjoyable.
I can see more than enough to get a great deal of enjoyment out of films and have been watching them for years. But haring a little bit of extra detail as I was watching the film was a hugely enriching experience. It was unobtrusive, informative and engaging. And it made me realise that there are elements of film that I have been missing. The describer helpfully told me who people were. The first time a character appeared they were referred to in a gently informative way: 'a tired-looking woman climbs the stairs'. This elegantly overcomes my biggest problem with film. Just as in real life, I struggle to recognise people when they reappear in a new or different context, especially if they have changed their clothes or hairstyle. Without a friendly voice whispering characters names in my ear I would have spent the film failing to tell them apart. Audio description is extremely good at drawing attention to apparently inconsequential details. Without it I would not have known that one character likes to have a cherry in her drink or that another wept when another died. Audio description fills in the details which are hard to see but which add depth and meaning to the film. I was also struck by the fact that the describer always paid a great deal of attention to how people communicated wordlessly, particularly with their eyes: 'Duroy looks at Madeleine with a mixture of sorrow and reesentment'; 'Clotilde's eyes flash with hatred and contempt'. I have never been very good at interpreting facial expressions and usually don't even bother trying. I judge people's mood by the sound of their voice and the way they behave. So I was amazed to discover how much facial expression can tell you about a person. I had no idea that facial expression was so important nor that people could pass messages in that way. I began to wonder how many silent conversations I had missed by not knowing that they were even going on in the first place.
I have even been dragged along to Avatar with my grandchild, and whilst I couldn't experience the 3D effects like he could, I still enjoyed it a lot. I'm not totally blind, I can still make out giant blue figures on a big bright screen. So I can now appreciate and enjoy films again, revel in the majesty of film, be transported to times I thought long forgotten. Happy times.
My father suffers from macular degeneration; seeing light and shade and blurry figures. My local cinema in Edinburgh helps blind people enjoy the cinema
The audio book version of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series is a bit like movie audio description. It's a full cast recording, a great experience!
Leber's congenital syndrome is a condition that has made me blind. Thanks to the filmmakers that have considered me when making their films, and the cinemas for giving me the chance to watch those films.
I have always loved film. I lost my sight at the age of 17 and have since missed many, many years of cinema. Audio description at the cinema has been a life-changing experience. It has enabled me to 'see' the crazy action of a Michael Bay film, and to experience the origin of time and infinity with evolving galaxies and beautiful nebulae in a Terence Malick film. It has taken me to places I've only ever dreamed of, where I've locked horns with an evil rival, and gone home with the prettiest girl just in time for dinner. I love the cinema all over again. I go with my friends who are sighted and they no longer need to talk to me throughout the film, explaining what's going on (not fun for anyone!). Thanks. You have really changed my life.
I actually said to someone once, when discussing audiobooks 'Ears are for music, eyes are for books - and films'. That was before I went blind! What a stupid, ignorant thing to say. Nowadays, for me and many other people I know with sight loss, thanks to wonderful technology like aidiobooks and audio description, ears are for BOOKS and FILMS.
For some films, the AD enhanced the film so much for me that I left the cinema feeling I had appreciated more of the details and characters within the film than my sighted friends, as the AD includes so much more sometimes than what you see in terms of describing things. When it is offered, it makes the cinema visit a truly open and wonderful experience for the blind, especially with today's high end digital surround sound systems.
Just saw Mission: Impossible. I LOVED the exotic locales, fancy cars, beautiful (and dangerous) women, car chases, foot chases, fist fights, crazy stunts, gadgets, crazed terrorists, hired assassins and the sexy mysterious analyst. BUT without SUBTITLES I would not have had a CLUE as to what the HELL was going on! It makes ALL the difference. So much better than awaiting the (small screen) DVD. More please! Every film!
Audio description attempts to leave little to the imagination. A carefully selected series of words can evoke lucid mental images. It's the closest many people get to experiencing what the rest of us take for granted.
Fact is that as we age, loss of some hearing or sight is inevitable... Access to film via subtitles & audio description is something that we all may appreciate, eventually
Having audio description in cinemas allows visually impaired and blind people to enjoy the full experience of going to the cinema. I no longer have to turn to a friend or family member and interrupt their viewing of the film to clarify what's going on.
I can now jump out of my skin while watching Paranormal activity 2 and know why I have done so, I can also hunt for the Horcruckses with Harry, Ron and Hermione and feel the terror of nearly falling into a burning furnace with Woody and the gang.
My daughter is blind, and without Your Local Cinema, I wouldn't have been able to take her and her friends to Despicable Me for her birthday. They all loved it, and the fact that they were able to enjoy it as well as her but by using different methods is wonderful. Keep up the good work!
Going to the cinema again after so many years was fantastic. I'm grateful this facility is provided for people like me. Without it going to the cinema to see a new release is just a distant memory.
My friend and I need films to have narration. We were both blinded in Afghanistan. I lost my left eye completely and the sight in the other. We go together usually, help each other.
I have always enjoyed going to the cinema. I was blinded when I was 19 and am now 63. In all of those years my dear wife has sat in the cinema describing (as quietly as she could) the movies to me, but often feeling that she had done an inadequate job. This of course detracted from her enjoyment of the film and also from time to time annoyed the people around us.
Now, with audio described cinema, I can sit quietly and fully enjoy the cinema experience without troubling my wife or the people around me. Audio description brings me so much joy it is hard to put into words. My heartfelt thanks go to everyone involved including the brilliant folk who do the narrative.
Audio described cinema is great because it allows me as a blind person to gain access to films. I don't have to rely on having my wife or friends describe for me anymore, which I am sure improves their watching experience.
I remember when I was a young lad watching a movie with my mum. I noticed on a number of occasions my mum went quiet. I later learned that this was because the actors were getting up to naughties! Now of course all scenes of this nature are described (whoopee!).
On a more serious note having experienced audio description I now realise on how much I have missed out on watching films. The ability to choose what I watch is liberating.
My world has opened up since I have been able to enjoy going to the cinema for the first time in years!
I think it was last Friday that I went to the cinema with a friend who is totally blind to catch a show with AD. She has come all the way from India and had never experienced AD in her life before. She was quite excited about watching a film with AD in a cinema for the first time and got even more excited when she found out that Social Network was playing with audio description.
Our experience was just fabulous from the word go - the staff knew exactly what I was talking about when I asked for the AD headsets. Everyone was so keen to help and we even got one ticket for free! I made it quite clear that we did not have a CEA card but I guess it's part of the policy now- one carer goes free with a blind person, which is just excellent. The staff member who gave us the headset very patiently showed us how it worked - I did not want to disappoint him by telling him that I knew how it worked so played along!
And the best of all, it was so easy to find out which films were playing with AD. Congratulations on this fabulous achievement.
I can't say how much it means to me and to my friends that this now exists in our lives!! Thank you so very much.
I'm absolutely thrilled to enjoy the wonderful audio description of the Harry Potter movies and will forever be grateful. Please convey my happy congratulations to everybody concerned with making this happen. The writers, editors, voicer, engineers, everybody concerned with bringing the films to life, the cinema companies, Warner Brothers, Wow!
Audio described cinema is wonderful, not just because it allows me to enjoy movies but to discuss them with sighted friends afterwards. Through cinema audio description, I have been able to follow up the recommendation of a friend who gushed about the beauty of the visuals in Volver. Conversely, I have been able to return the favour by plugging the striking images in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. It doesn't matter that I couldn't 'see' them – the description was so vivid that I can still imagine Brad Pitt shooting into the ice, causing a puff of smoke to rise, or Casey Affleck in a rocking chair. When accompanying sighted friends, I can enjoy the car chase in Casino Royale and the decapitation by helicopter blade in 28 Weeks Later, relying on my memories of being a sighted gorehound.
Please make this more widely available!!
I'm writing to let you know how much my son, Andrew 10 years old severely visual impaired, enjoys audio described movies. I enjoy seeing all the facial expression on my son's face, knowing that they would be not be there without the audio description.
I am a blind person and love going to movies. How wonderful it is to sit and listen to a audio described version while not bothering anyone around me with a friend whispering to me what is happening on the screen. Thank you for the continued efforts to keep the pressure on to have more cinemas offer this service.
I want you to know that I appreciate your emails on movies with audio descriptions. I am owner of an email list for hundreds of visually impaired people and I always pass this information along to them. Your service is greatly appreciated :)
I just wanted to give a GREAT BIG THANKS to whoever thought of starting audio description! Since we found out about it at the cinemas I have enjoyed going SO MUCH with my husband! Before, I would need to talk during a film, disturb other theatre patrons, and still feel frustrated that he wasn't getting as much as he could out of my inadequate description. Do you have any idea how much it meant the first time we saw a movie and he laughed at the same time I laughed at the action on screen? It was a great gift… It has made a great difference in our "date night" at the movies. Whereas my husband could never enjoy any action or mystery film, he now LOVES them! He never understood before how exciting the action could be.
This is a brilliant service – please do keep up the good work!
The youngest of my two daughters has been blind since birth and I am pleased to tell you that audio desciption has greatly enhanced the cinema going experience for my daughter and our whole family. I don't have to lean over and describe the visual events on the screen. She sits happily eating her popcorn and taking in the details of the story she might have otherwise missed. We are very grateful for the efforts producers make to see that their films are available to the blind and deaf communities.
Having audio description at the cinema has been a huge breakthrough for me. I am able to experience the film in its full depth. Now my wife and I can go together, and she won’t feel the burden of having to explain what’s happening – she can have her own experience. It’s marvellous and very impressive – the descriptions flow beautifully and there’s no overlap with the dialogue. This means independence for me.
I never thought I'd live to see the day where I could pay money to see the same film everyone else is seeing. The audio description was absolutely amazing! Intricate and vivid, kept me on the edge of my seat. Thank you so much. It's very impressive. The descriptions flow beautifully and there's no overlap with the dialogue. It's blended so well.
I thought that the writers did a very nice job at picking specific words and descriptions for the action and setting of the movie. It seemed as though the writers were actually there when it was all taking place! The description was absolutely perfect. You could practically feel yourself right there. I got everything and had the same rich experience as anyone else. This means independence for me.
Not only does audio description add immeasurably to my enjoyment and understanding of the story, it allows my companion to relax and enjoy the movie without having to describe the visual parts of it to me. Also, people nearby in the cinema, who might be annoyed by our talk, however quiet, are spared the irritation.
I managed to visit a new cinema for the first time yesterday to watch the new Harry Potter film. I was impressed from the outset at how helpful the staff were and pleased to see how knowledgeable the manager appeared to be around audio description. The headsets worked extremely well but they offered to show us how they worked which is great.
When it works it's a fantastic experience for us. I am able to share in the film, the laughs, and of course the popcorn and sweets!
PRAISE!! Lots and lots of praise!
Now, unfortunately my dad isn't around to enjoy the big screen experience but I took my mum at christmas and she was like a child seeing something for the first time. I'm so pleased at the amount of films available.
After losing most of my sight four years ago I gave up on cinema - only to discover audio description some months later. I've since watched many more films. Watching 'Avatar' I felt just like one of the crowd, reacting with amazement just like the other people in the cinema. I actually felt like I had my vision back.
After being partially blinded in Afghanistan, caught in an IED explosion, I thought I’d never enjoy TV or cinema again but I can, and audio description helps.
I found it very useful and enjoyable. I don't feel left out, or miss out on anything. It's amazing, the technology.
Audio described cinema is wonderful because it allows me to enjoy movies and discuss them with sighted friends afterwards.
I had taken my 9 year old daughter, who is blind, to see a film without audio description and described it to her myself. This, as you can imagine, is very draining and not exactly a perfect alternative. She was keen to see the film again with audio description so she went to see it a second time. She thoroughly enjoyed it and it was far more relaxing for me. Life is difficult enough for a blind child and their family, they have to make a big effort just to get out of the house and interact with other people.
Audio description is changing the world for the visually impaired in a fantastic way. It allows that extra bit of independence and quality of life to be reintroduced so you no longer have to feel left out and shy away from film discussions with friends/colleagues.
My 5 year old daughter lost her sight last year due to a brain tumor. My son is always eager to see the latest films, so it's great that cinemas now have audio description, we can go to the cinema as a family.
Being blind, I always hated going to the cinema. All my friends enjoyed the film and most of the time I had no idea what was going on. They would tell me what was happening on screen but I still couldn't follow the film. Now it's great! It has really helped me to see what every character looks like. It makes me want to go to the cinema again and again.
My best audio description experience was my first. The whole experience came alive as the commentary reintegrated my partial view of the screen with what was going on. For once I totally understood the film, taking in all those significant non-dialogue moments that are so important to understanding the film. Audio description has rekindled my passion for the cinema.
Brilliant, can be part of the audience to enjoy the film and absorb my thoughts to experience the thrill, emotions or fear.
I didn't go to the cinema for years and years. From around the eighties I started reading all about upcoming films and got excited about them, but then my Mum told me I couldn't because of my blindness. Years later, Audio Description came along! And there was nothing quite like my first film. It made me so happy!
I just want to thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity! I seriously can't believe I've been given it! For the first time in 66 years I was able to follow the dialogue and enjoy it!
It's great! It's really helped me access cinema and film in general
It's very important. I only went blind six years ago. Before that I had a passion for films. All of a sudden it was taken away from me. Now I can take the grandchildren to see the latest Harry Potter film.
I speak to hundreds of blind people on websites and we're talking about films to each other. We're not out of the loop now, we're back in the circle. We can enjoy films, we can talk about them, what more could we want?
Audio description not only gives you the words but it gives you the sound effects, the type of music playing, or someone coughing or crying softly. Those are elements that help me to understand things fully. I'm 77 and I never thought that this would happen. It's great that somebody has done this, has thought about this. It's a great thing for people who can't see. I mean I can see actual actions that are happening. I can hear the commentary coming out at the same time, exactly what's happening.
There's a very well known book in India called Mahabharata. The story is that the King is blind. One of his assistants is sitting beside him and describes to the King exactly what is happening in the war. He's telling him everything about who's doing what, and I never imagined that the movies could be like that! A blind man like me can have this experience. This is a great thing, that's what I'm saying.
I served in the Royal Armoured Corps in Northern Ireland. In Afghanistan I was wounded in by a mortar, losing most of my sight. I have limited vision in one eye and if it was not for audio description I would never bother with films. So thanks.
Audio description is very good. The tone was measured, clear, useful and seemed to describe relelvant things efficiently. My eyesight's not bad enough that I need most scenes described to me so I didn't need it all the time, but placenames, foreign subtitles and when film characters read things in books, newspapers and scrolls are where AD becomes useful to me.
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Hundreds of UK cinemas have facilities to screen the latest films with audio description.
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Your Local Cinema .com
Audio described cinema and DVD information
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