Event description

In this talk Mariana discusses accessibility to film and television for visually impaired audiences that has been traditionally provided through a method called ‘Audio Description’

AD is a third person commentary which is added to a film and television production to describe the visual layer.

But what if we could integrate accessibility to a creative production by harnessing the power of sound design?

The Enhanced Audio Description (EAD) methods are an alternative to Audio Description, in which a combination of sound effects, audio spatialisation and first-person narration is used to create accessible audio-visual experiences.

Mariana will introduce participants to key concepts in the field of accessibility, as well as introduce tangible ways in which creatives can work on making accessible productions. The explorations and findings on how the EAD methods can provide personalised experiences to audiences, while acting as a vehicle for social inclusion, will also be explored.

Speaker biographies

Dr Mariana López is a Senior Lecturer in Sound Production and Postproduction at the Department of Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media at University of York, where she has been working since 2016.

Mariana is the Principal Investigator for the Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project ‘Enhancing Audio Description II: Implementing accessible, personalised and inclusive film and television experiences for visually impaired audiences.’

Mariana was also the Principal Investigator for Enhancing Audio Description, also funded by the AHRC, and the British Academy funded project ‘The Soundscapes of the York Mystery Plays’. She has also supervised Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowships throughout the years, with topics including gaming and education, acoustical heritage studies, and natural acoustics.

Mariana is also active in the field of sound design, having worked on a number of creative experiences.

Series description

The mission of our prestigious inside out series of lectures is to bring the best minds of our generation to inspire and support the work students and staff do across the Leeds School of Arts.

The School of Arts have invited renowned speakers from around the globe. To enhance the cultural life of Leeds.

This lecture series is open to an international audience online and will be available as digital films through the LARC website.