John August

QandA

How descriptive audio works

Episode - 208

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Adaptation, Film Industry, Follow Up, How-To, QandA, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, WGA, Writing Process

John and Craig take a deep look at how descriptive audio for the blind works, with clips from Daredevil and an interview with a woman who does it for a living. It’s a fascinating form of writing, with many of the same challenges screenwriters face.

Also this week: Capitals, capitalization, the WGA financial numbers, and answers to a bunch of listener questions.

If you have a Scriptnotes t-shirt design, the deadline is August 11th. Click the link below for details.

Links:

* [Submit your Fall 2015 Scriptnotes shirt design](http://johnaugust.com/shirt) by August 11
* [Capitals](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/capitals-free-word-battle/id968456900?mt=8) for iOS
* [MovieBob Reviews: Pixels](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFD2293oGvA) (NSFW)
* [Subtitling for screenwriters](http://johnaugust.com/2013/subtitling-for-screenwriters) on johnaugust.com
* [Can you reference specific, proper-noun products/songs/locations/etc. in your screenplay?](http://screenwriting.io/can-you-reference-specific-proper-noun-productssongslocationsetc-in-your-screenplay/) on screenwriting.io
* [2015 WGAw Annual Report to Writers](http://wga.org/subpage_whoweare.aspx?id=230)
* [Bathsheba Sculptures](https://www.bathsheba.com/)
* Kevin Kelly’s [Cool Tools](http://kk.org/cooltools/)
* [MacID](http://macid.co/)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Matthew Chilelli ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_208.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_208.mp3).

**UPDATE 7-31-15:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2015/scriptnotes-ep-208-how-descriptive-audio-works-transcript).

How descriptive narration gets written

Film Industry, Follow Up, Television

On [this week’s episode](http://johnaugust.com/2015/why-movies-have-reshoots) of Scriptnotes, I wondered aloud how descriptive narration for the blind was written, and whether those writers consulted the screenplay.

Several listeners quickly pointed me to WGBH, and [this FAQ](http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/faq.html#created):

> Closed captions and descriptive narration are created as part of a movie’s post production process. Once a film has been finalized, a script and a copy of the film are provided to WGBH’s Los Angeles production office.

While the screenplay is a good starting place for captions, descriptive narration really depends on the finished work:

> Descriptions are written by specially trained writers called describers.

> A describer initially listens to the film without watching it, in order to approximate the experience of a person who has limited or no vision. The describer pays close attention to what is already communicated by the soundtrack. The describer uses specially designed computer software to map out the pauses in the movie and then crafts the most expressive and effective description possible in the space available.

> After a script is written, it is edited and rechecked several times. The script is checked for timing, continuity, accuracy, and a natural flow. Professional narrators then read the script while watching and listening to the program.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in. We’ll try to arrange a conversation with a describer for a future episode.

Why movies have reshoots

Film Industry, Follow Up, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, WGA

Reshoots used to be a sign that something had gone horribly wrong. But not anymore. John and Craig look at the reasons why Hollywood movies often go back for additional photography, and how the writer is involved.

Also this week, arbitration esoterica about the “final shooting script,” descriptive text for the blind, and news about the Austin Film Festival. (We’re going.)

It’s been almost a year since the last round of Scriptnotes t-shirts. So let’s print some more. We likely have amazing artists among our listeners, so if you have a design for a shirt you want to see, follow the link below for details. (The deadline for submissions is August 11th.)

Links:

* [Fun Home](http://funhomebroadway.com/) on Broadway
* [Sydney Lucas performs Ring of Keys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USae9nIwqhk)
* [Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_Party_(Lippa_musical)) on Wikipedia
* [Audio description](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_description) on Wikipedia, and [The Audio Description Project](http://www.acb.org/adp/ad.html) and [examples](http://www.acb.org/adp/samples.html) from the American Council of the Blind
* [The Ax, by Donald E. Westlake](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0892965878/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) on Amazon
* [A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder](http://www.agentlemansguidebroadway.com/) on Broadway
* John and Craig will be at the [2015 Austin Film Festival](http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/)
* [Submit your Fall 2015 Scriptnotes shirt design](http://johnaugust.com/shirt)
* [The Peanuts Movie trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVR4E6Q6u5g)
* [Scriptnotes, 193: How writing credits work](http://johnaugust.com/2015/how-writing-credits-work)
* [Patton Oswalt on punch-up and ADR (mildly NSFW)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK9decuuPC0)
* [What is an insert?](http://screenwriting.io/what-is-an-insert/) on screenwriting.io
* [Let’s Talk about Genre, with Neil Gaiman and Kazuo Ishiguro](http://www.newstatesman.com/2015/05/neil-gaiman-kazuo-ishiguro-interview-literature-genre-machines-can-toil-they-can-t-imagine)
* [Capitals](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/capitals-free-word-battle/id968456900?mt=8) for iOS
* [Bloom County](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom_County) on Wikipedia and [Berkeley Breathed](https://www.facebook.com/berkeleybreathed) on Facebook
* [Cathy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathy) on Wikipedia
* [Garfield Minus Garfield](http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Leon Schatz ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_207.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_207.mp3).

**UPDATE 7-24-15:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2015/scriptnotes-ep-207-why-movies-have-reshoots-transcript).

Everything but the dialogue

Follow Up, News, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, Words on the page

John and Craig take a deep dive into scene description, looking at how seven produced screenplays arranged the words on the page. With samples from Aliens, Erin Brockovich, Oceans 11, Unforgiven, Wall-E, Wanted and Whip It, we tackle verbs and metaphors, ellipses and underlining.

You can look at the show notes to see the exact scenes we’re discussing.

Also this week, Paramount has cut a deal with two exhibitors to greatly shorten the window between theatrical and home video on two upcoming releases. We look at why, and what this experiment means for writers in the near and long-term.

Links:

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 7-17-15: The transcript of this episode can be found here.