For the use of sound. Film sound analysis for audio-description: some key issues

Abstract

This article aims to outline the issues involved in the production and reception of film\rsound with a view to identifying its challenges for audio-description (AD). It thereby\rhopes to provide insights into the way in which a careful analysis and integration of\rfilm sound and sound effects are required for the production of coherence in AD, if\rit is to function as part of a new filmic text. However, the article also points to the\rlimits of analysis and interpretation, and to the need for reception research as well as\rcollaboration with visually impaired users. A detailed analysis of a scene from Saving\rPrivate Ryan (Spielberg 1998), a film that won an Oscar for best sound effect editing,\rdemonstrates how complex and narratively charged the soundscape of a film can be,\rthereby exposing the challenges for the audio-describer and, again, demonstrating the\rneed for further research involving the target audience.