Does Your Video Need Extended or Standard Description?

If you’re trying to make your videos more accessible, you’re probably looking into perfecting their audio descriptions. 

However, creating audio descriptions is no easy feat. Audio describers often have to make difficult choices and judgment calls. They must decide what to describe, when to describe, and how to describe visual content to ensure a video is accessible. This task is especially difficult when you have a lot of content to describe, but only a second or two to voice that description. 

These considerations frequently create a dilemma for audio describers – how can I provide accurate and high-quality descriptions in an appropriate amount of time? 

Here’s where extended audio description comes in – and it’s a useful option for those who both create and consume video content with audio descriptions. 

But before we get to that, let’s dive into the necessity that is audio description.

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Download the FREE Beginner’s Guide to Audio Description

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What is Audio Description?

Audio description is the translation of visual images to audible language for the primary benefit of people who are blind or have low vision. It describes what’s being portrayed on-screen so people who have trouble seeing a screen can understand what actions are occurring, what facial expressions are being shown, and what the background scenery looks like – among other key visuals. 

Audio description’s main purpose is to make content accessible to a wider audience. In our Allied episode about the what, how, and why of audio description, Dr. Joel Snyder explains the considerations that go into writing successful descriptions:

“We have to limit what we describe out of necessity, and because it’s better description if we really try to understand we’re in service to the people listening and to the people who have created the art form we’re working with. So if we’re really listening, we’re really observing, we tell what’s most critical to an understanding of the image.

Sometimes a visual element that’s not even very prominent is important because it shows up later in the film, or a particular act or action is foreshadowed that way. We want to know what’s going on in the artist’s head and pick up on that.”

When Is Audio Description Necessary in a Video?

As a general guideline, audio description should be used when there is information portrayed through visual means that is required for understanding. 

For instance: on-screen text, changes in speaker, facial expressions, costumes, and scene changes all give context that helps us better understand and enjoy content. If these elements are not audio-described, a viewer who cannot see the screen will have trouble comprehending the content. 

While this guideline may sound simple, the specific needs for description vary case by case. For example, a movie trailer with little dialogue will have plenty of room for descriptions, while an advanced physics lecture with heavy dialogue may not have enough natural pauses to effectively describe what’s happening on-screen. 

Luckily, there are options when it comes to what type of audio description is best for your content. This is where standard vs. extended audio description comes into play.

Standard Audio Description

Standard audio description allows snippets of narration to be interspersed within the natural pauses in dialogue of the original content. This type of audio description works very well for videos that have lengthy pauses in dialogue, and a limited amount of visual detail that needs to be described or do not contain any speech. Standard audio description may be the only option for videos that absolutely cannot have their duration changed, including most broadcast content. 

When done well, audio descriptions enhance the original piece rather than distract from it. With standard audio description, the describer can add concise descriptions of the visual content where space allows, like the example below. You’ll notice that the original video source plays continuously, and information is described in the pauses throughout.  One thing to keep in mind for standard audio description is that the requirement to only add descriptions where there are spaces in the audible speech may lead to surprising results regarding which details are described, how concise the descriptions are, and exactly when in the video timeline they appear. For example, it is better to describe the most important details a little earlier or later than to skip those details entirely.

 

Extended Audio Description

Videos that lack natural pauses or contain an excess of important visual information can be tricky to describe without interrupting the original audio or exceeding the duration of the frame being described. In these cases, extended audio description is necessary. 

Unlike standard audio description, extended audio description is not constrained to the natural pauses of a video, but rather allows you to pause the original source content to make room for description as needed.

Some situations where extended audio description might be required include:

• Text-heavy videos, like recordings of slideshows or lectures.
• Dialogue-heavy videos, as audio description shouldn’t drown out what people are saying. 
• Noisy videos containing important music or sound, as audio description could detract from these elements. 
• Videos with short cuts and/or extremely detailed frames. Otherwise, by the time an audio description for that shot is complete, the video may already be on the next cut. 
• Videos adhering to WCAG 2.2 Level AAA, which requires extended audio description – when necessary – for accessibility compliance. 

The video below features extended description. When you press play, the video and description begin playing. Then, the source video pauses temporarily while the description continues. After that portion of the description is complete, the video resumes playing again. This happens several times throughout the video. 

Take a look!

If your video doesn’t have enough space to fit a standard audio description, extended is the way to go. 

3Play’s Process

Learn About 3Play Media’s Audio Description Services 

At 3Play Media, we offer white glove support at every step of the process to ensure all of your media accessibility needs are met – especially with our audio description services. These services come with plenty of flexibility in involvement from humans and AI to provide the ideal AD for your videos. 

When placing an order for audio description, you will first choose the speaker type if your account settings allow for it. You’ll be able to choose between AI-generated synthesized speech or a voice artist. 

Next, you’ll have the option to select standard or extended audio description. You’ll also notice a “choose for me” option. 

Your writing can be done either by human describers or entirely by AI – the same as with your voicework. The option for AI lets you balance the cost and timeline of your project while ensuring a quality recording every time.  

3Play’s recommendation is an automated process that evaluates the audio track of your video for natural pauses in speech. This process doesn’t take into consideration any visual aspects of your video; it’s merely a gauge of how much space is available in your audio track for description. 

If minimal audio is detected throughout the video, your file will process at the standard level. If a high volume of audio is detected, your file will be processed with extended audio description. If you’re ordering audio description from a file that has already been transcribed, the recommended audio description level will be visible directly on the file. However, if you’re ordering audio description at the same time that you order transcription, you won’t see the recommended level before the file is complete.

Regardless of the service level your video requires, adding audio description to your videos makes your content more accessible and provides many additional benefits for your audience

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Learn More About Audio Description