Not everyone experiences movies the same way, which is why audio description is important. This feature lets people know exactly what's happening on the screen, even if they can't completely see it.
In this article, we dive deep into what audio description means and why it's important. Let's jump in.
What Is Audio Description on Movies and TV Shows?
The clue is in the name. Audio description, also known as "description" or "video description," is an audio recording that describes everything happening in the scenes you're watching.
Audio description is geared toward viewers with blindness and visual impairments. It differs from narration in that instead of giving you an account of the events, it helps you visualize the characters and events in your mind.
Nowadays, thanks to popular streaming services, more people have access to audio descriptions. For instance, audio descriptions are one of Netflix's accessibility features that aid your viewing.
Why Audio Description Is Important
There is more to watching a TV show or movie than the audio. Production companies pour millions of dollars into their projects so the cinematography, art direction, and scenery help bring their story to life. If the blind or visually impaired only relied on a movie or TV show's audio to understand what was going on, they'd find it difficult to follow the storyline.
That's essentially the reason streaming services add audio description files for selected shows and movies. For example, you can enable audio descriptions on Disney+. Audio description adds meat to the bones and provides additional information over what you hear. The goal is to help you consume content without missing out on all the important nuances that can be missed if you consume the audio alone.
Consider a movie like Titanic. With so many moving parts and elements that evoke emotion, would your experience be the same if you only listened to the movie's audio? Probably not. Watch Titanic's 25th-anniversary movie trailer below.
For a viewer with good vision, this trailer would be fine. You'd know exactly what's happening and what to expect in the movie. However, if you just listened to the trailer, you wouldn't know everything that's happening on your screen.
Now, watch Titanic's 25th-anniversary trailer with the audio description. If you want, you can try closing your eyes and see if you can imagine the whole scene without looking at the screen.
Granted, it's not as easy if it's your first time, but when you listen to a description of what you aren't seeing, especially if you're blind or visually impaired, you'd be able to truly immerse yourself in the trailer.
Quite simply, the audio description brings the trailer to life, and that's the point. Whether you're blind, visually impaired, or listening to a TV show or movie from a distance, this feature allows you to follow the story.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 12 million people aged 40 and older are visually impaired in the US. Not only that but out of those people, one million are blind. That's a huge portion of the population that would be excluded from enjoying amazing movies and TV shows like everyone else if they didn't have access to audio descriptions.
Get the Full Experience With Audio Description
No one should be left out of a good movie or TV show. Fortunately, many streaming services and other entertainment companies offer audio descriptions with just a few clicks. And, truthfully, there's no reason why they shouldn't in this day and age. Whether you need it or know someone who does, anyone can get the full experience by using audio descriptions.