Should Audio Description Reflect the Way Sighted Viewers Look at Films? Combining Eye-Tracking and Reception Study Data

Abstract

The chapter by Mazur and Chmiel reports on a study combining eye-tracking and reception study data to find out to what extent audio description beneficiaries appreciate eye-tracking based descriptions. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 visually impaired respondents who saw videos either with audio descriptions based on eye-tracking data from sighted viewers and reflecting film language, or with audio descriptions based on long-established British audio description standards. The results seem to suggest that audio description should take into consideration the perception of sighted viewers. The findings also show that preferences are greatly determined by individual experience (such as prior exposure to audiobooks).