It’s been a while since we published a blog post, mostly because we’ve been busy giving talks, creating podcasts and writing up the results of the project. On top of that we also made a short film entitled ‘Shelf Life’!
A big part of our research on Enhancing Audio Description focuses on how digital production and postproduction workflows can be modified to allow for accessibility to be incorporated from the start of the filmmaking process. In order to test our guidelines, we hired 20 students from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television, at the University of York. Students came from a variety of programmes including the BSc in Film and Television Production, the MA/MSc in Postproduction with Sound Design, the MA/MSc in Postproduction with Visual Effects and the MA in Digital Film and TV Production.
The filmmakers were given the challenge of creating a film in 4 weeks and asked to consider the scripting of the first person narration, the use of additional sound effects and the use of audio spatialisation for accessibility from the very start of the creative process.
A key part of making this film was introducing students to the thought of accessibility as a creative process and as something that could be intrinsic to their films. We hope that our students go on to become wonderful professional filmmakers that consider diversity as a key part of their work. By training students today we hope to create a better future that explores the potential of sound design for accessibility in the context of the creative industries.
‘Shelf Life’ premieres in Hamburg in June 2018 as part of the Klingt Gut Sound Symposium.
The students that participated as part of the project were
Director – Gianluca Balla Writer – Bethany White Producer – Emily Thornhill Director of Photography – Will Firth Stavros Ladikos – Editor Make-up – Camilla Boldrin Costume Design – Emma Whitworth and Camilla Boldrin Set Design – Georgie Hook and Roxanne Spence Production and Post-Production Recording – Ewan Marshall-Atherton and Lily Hambly Sound Editor – Márton Bajczi Dubbing Mixer – Patrick Nichols 1st Assistant Camera – Finbar Somers 2nd Assistant Camera – Ben Hewitt Tobías Palma – Gaffer/Electrician
Additional Crew: Zenely Martin Rios Kaloyan Deyanov Joshua Denby Evie Brudenall
Poster Designer – Bianca Cassinelli
