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Guest Blogger Jeremiah Taylor Goes to the Movies with a New Descriptive Audio Narration System

From: VisionAware Blog
Categories: Assistive Technology , Low Vision , Technology , Video Description
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Jeremiah Taylor and his wife Jo-Ann

Guest blogger Jeremiah Taylor (pictured at left with his wife Jo-Ann) is the founder and CEO of ProActive Sales, Inc., a full-service sales management company. In 1999, Jeremiah became suddenly and totally blind as a result of complications during routine back surgery. You can read more about Jeremiah’s (and Jo-Ann’s) long, steady, and inspirational journey – from sudden blindness through rehabilitation to full employment – at the VisionAware website.

In addition to his talents as a dynamic sales professional and motivational speaker, Jeremiah is a serious movie buff. “Going to the movies,” he says, “is not just the movie! It’s a night out with friends and family, hanging out together, enjoying conversations in the car or on the train as you travel to the theater. Movie night is pure Americana! Just because I can’t experience the entire event visually doesn’t mean I can’t be a part of it!”

Descriptive Audio and the Sony Entertainment Access System

Recently, Jeremiah and Jo-Ann had the opportunity to “test drive” the newly-released Sony Entertainment Access System, which provides descriptive video service (or descriptive audio narration) for blind and visually impaired film-goers, as well as closed-captioning and volume control for deaf and hearing impaired audiences.

Descriptive video service (DVS) provides audio narration of key visual elements inserted into natural pauses in the film dialogue. Key visual elements are those cinematic features that viewers with vision loss would ordinarily miss and include actions, costumes, gestures, facial expressions, scene changes, and onscreen text.

The Sony Entertainment Access System (explained and demonstrated in this YouTube video) is available at approximately 6,000 Regal Cinemas since late summer. The service can be accessed on any film for which captions and descriptive text have been included with the digital print. You can check online at the Regal Cinema website for the availability of the system in your local area.

For deaf patrons, the system includes lightweight glasses that project holographic subtitles on the lens, keeping the captions within the wearer’s direct line of sight. The system also provides volume control for patrons with hearing impairments. For patrons who are blind or have low vision, the system includes headphones that provide descriptive audio narration.

The Sony Entertainment Access System

The Sony Entertainment Access System

Jeremiah, Sony, and “Gravity”

Here is Jeremiah’s first-person experience using the Sony system at a showing of Gravity, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock as a veteran astronaut and a medical engineer who become stranded in deep space during a routine spacewalk:

We went to see Gravity last night. It was my suggestion, since the theater had DVS and I thought my wife and friends would love the 3-D aspect of the film. It also got great reviews. The first shock was the price: We paid $13.50 per ticket for the 3-D version of the film and that was with a senior discount!

When you request the device, the box office has you fill out a form with your personal information. This took some time and a long line was forming. The box office had several DVS devices right at the window, so I knew immediately there would be some confusion. I knew the theater wasn’t expecting a rush of blind people coming to see Gravity. (The device is used for deaf and hard of hearing patrons as well as for vision impaired people.)

I was right, as all the devices were “set” for hearing impairment. Luckily, I had called in advance and spoken with a manager and she brought down the device “set” for audio narration.

Now here’s the best part of the story. I seemed to enjoy the movie better than my wife or my friends, since there were many silent scenes of the astronauts working with their equipment. Because I had the narration, I knew what they were doing, but my wife was getting confused. So I was leaning towards her and telling her what was going on. Usually she would be telling me!

My guess is that if you are an action or special-effects person you will love the movie; plus, it did have a good story line and a spiritual side. The DVS worked fine and they did a great job of describing the action. The evening was a total success. Go see it! (PS: with those prices – no popcorn!)

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