Held Virtually:
Monday, March 1 to Friday, March 5, 2021
1:00 pm-5:00 pm Eastern each day
To access the agenda, visit: https://acb.org/2021-AD-institute-agenda
To register, visit: https://prod-weblink.donorperfect.net/2021AudioDescriptionInstitute
Audio Description (AD) makes visual images accessible for people who are blind or have low vision. Using words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative, media describers convey the visual image from television and film that is not fully accessible to a significant segment of the population (more than 32 million Americans experience significant vision loss).
The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act has spawned a virtual cottage industry for the development of description for broadcast television.
This should interest you if you are:
- Working as freelance description writers for broadcast television
- Working as a describer in a local performing arts program
- Working as a describer for visual art exhibitions
and/or
- Experienced audio describers desiring an updated refresher course.
Institute topics include:
- Audio description history and theory
- The "Four Fundamentals of Audio Description" ©
- Active seeing/visual literacy-developing skills in concentration and observation
- The art of "editing" what you see
- Vivid language: "The Visual Made Verbal"™
- "Speak the speech, I pray you"-using the spoken word to make meaning
Program
- Five afternoons of intensive, interactive training
- Each registrant will receive a PDF copy of Dr. Joel Snyder's ACB-published The Visual Made Verbal: A Comprehensive Training Manual and Guide to the History and Applications of Audio Description.
The Institute will issue ACB-sponsored certificates to all participants who have completed the audio description training program.
The interactive sessions (limited use of lecture, questions/discussion throughout, generous use of media, and individual and group writing exercises) are designed to provide immediate feedback and "give and take," allowing for adaptation according to a sense of participants' grasp of the material. In addition, experienced users of description are a part of the Institute's faculty, providing an important perspective throughout the sessions.
NOTE: freelance writers for broadcast television projects can often be based anywhere in the world—computer equipment capable of accommodating high-speed downloads is a must.
Institute registration is $400 (registration is limited). Registration will close on February 24, 2021 and the invitation to attend the institute will be emailed on February 26, 2021. Your invitation to attend the institute will be sent to the email address provided on the form.
NOTE: Two full scholarships are available; priority will be given to people with disabilities. To be considered for a scholarship, please send an email outlining how and why you are a strong candidate and include your reason for needing financial assistance at this time. Please send an email requesting consideration to [email protected] before February 6, 2021. The scholarship awardees will be notified February 15, 2021.
Scholarships are courtesy of Michele Spitz-Woman of Her Word.
Institute Director
Joel Snyder, Ph.D.— One of the first audio describers, Dr. Snyder began describing theater events and media in 1981; he is the President of Audio Description Associates, LLC with clients around the world (see www.audiodescribe.com for more information) and Director of ACB's Audio Description Project. For six years, he led a staff that produced description for nationally broadcast films and network series including “Sesame Street" broadcasts and DVDs. Snyder has worked with description and trained describers in more than 40 states and the District of Columbia and he has taught description in over 60 countries.
Faculty
Joyce Adams— Joyce has been producing/writing AD scripts for media and museum tours since 2002. She supervised AD script writers for the Described Media program at the National Captioning Institute, is the author of audio described tours for National Park Service visitor centers throughout the U.S. and regularly pens description for promotional videos produced by Microsoft. Both Ms. Adams and Dr. Snyder serve on the Subject Matter Expert Committee developing a certification program for audio describers.
Elisa Jansen—Elisa is a graduate of the ADP Audio Description Institute. She has written audio description for network and Internet broadcast, such as NBC, CBS, Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix—and for the classic film, Citizen Kane. Her work on promotional content includes Walmart, Kimberly-Clark, and over 700 Microsoft videos. Elisa has provided audio description for museum tours and exhibits, including the Smithsonian, the Nevada State Museum in Las Vegas, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum.
In addition, audio description consumer consultants (audio description enthusiasts who are blind or have low vision) will offer their perspectives.