Auteur description from the director s creative vision to audio description

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1 Auteur description from the director s creative vision to audio description Agnieszka Szarkowska AVT Lab Institute of Applied Linguistics University of Warsaw a.szarkowska@uw.edu.pl

2 Outline Defining major terms Auteur AD to Volver First reactions to auteur AD Potential problems Conclusions

3 Auteurism Auteur (Fr.) author Auteur description = AD to auteur films Auteur theory Theory of filmmaking in which the director is viewed as the major creative force in a motion picture (Enc. Britannica) The theory of director-as-author

4 Auteur-director Author = director + script writer A filmmaker, usually a director, who exercises creative control over and has a strong personal style (American Heritage Dictionary) The author becomes a formal component, the overriding intelligence organizing the film for our comprehension (Bordwell 1979: 59) An auteur-director leaves a recognisable imprint on all his/her films: a small industry is devoted to informing viewers of such authorial marks. International film festivals, reviews and essays in the press, published scripts, film series, career retrospectives, and film education all introduce viewers to authorial codes (Bordwell 1979: 59)

5 Auteur AD Auteur films call for a different type of AD Immersing blind and partially sighted viewers in the story world created by the film author Departing from the conventional description in favour of a more personal style: juicy language, visual metaphors and explicitation of emotions Incorporating the author s personal vision into the AD script through: Published scripts Interviews Personal contact

6 Volver (2006) by Pedro Almodóvar Starring: Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas Three generations of women Raimunda and Sole Madrid Raimunda s daughter, Paula Raimunda s mother, Irene La Mancha Irene supposedly lies in the grave with her husband, but she comes back to reconcile with her daughters. Male character: Paco, Raimunda s husband Paula commits patricide when Paco tries to molest her. Raimunda disposes of Paco s corpse with the help of her Cuban neighbour, Regina.

7 Recurrent themes: Almodóvar s cinema Women, maternity Sexuality Sexual abuse, incest, violence Drugs Death, loss Vivid, gaudy colours Complicated narratives Women melodrama

8 Auteur AD to Volver Voiced-over version Male voice ( lektor ) : reading out the translation of dialogues Female voice: audio description Audio introduction with descriptions of Raimunda and Sole Characters presented as envisaged by Almodóvar in the script, using his idiom and idiosyncrasies Language of the description: juicy, vivid and informal Emotions explicitly named Metaphors to describe visuals WYSIWYS say more than what you see Who? Where? What? and How?

9 Who? Raimunda The film celebrates the lush sensuality of Penélope Cruz, who is more gorgeous here than in any of her Hollywood roles or previous performances for Almodóvar. (Kinder 2007: 9) Cruz's Raimunda looks absolutely spectacular, at moments oddly out of place in the working-class backdrop she inhabits. (Marcantonio 2006)

10 Audio introduction (Who?) SPANISH SCRIPT POLISH AD SCRIPT ENGLISH TRANSLATION Raimunda es racial, de belleza rotunda, arraigada a la tierra por un redondo y generoso trasero y unos pechos de cuyo escote no se puede apartar la vista. Luchadora, visceral llena de coraje y a la vez fragilísima. Rajmunda jest rasowa, o niezaprzeczalnej urodzie, zakorzeniona w ziemi okrągłym i szczodrym tyłkiem; z biustem takim, że wzroku nie można oderwać od dekoltu. Nieustępliwa, stanowcza, żywiołowa, pełna odwagi, a zarazem krucha. Raimunda, of an astounding and racial beauty, is firmly grounded by her luscious rounded bottom and her bosom, which one can hardly take one s eyes off. Uncompromising, resolute, exuberant, courageous, and fragile at the same time.

11 Who? Paco SPANISH SCRIPT POLISH AD SCRIPT ENGLISH TRANSLATION Paco, el padre, contempla el partido de fútbol en la televisión mientras bebe cerveza. Actitud indolente, barba crecida, debe de llevar horas bebiendo, pegado al sofá. Mąż Rajmundy, Paco, rozwalony na sofie, nieogolony, ogląda mecz i żłopie piwo. Raimunda s husband, Paco, sprawled on the sofa, unshaved, is watching a football game while supping on a beer.

12 Who? Paco SPANISH SCRIPT POLISH AD SCRIPT ENGLISH TRANSLATION Paco va a orinar, al lavabo. Es ese tipo de hombre que empieza a abrirse la bragueta en el camino, mucho antes de entrar en el lavabo, como para ganar tiempo. Paco idzie się wysikać. To typ mężczyzny, który rozpina rozporek już po drodze, na długo przed wejściem do łazienki, jakby chciał zyskać na czasie. Paco goes to the bathroom to take a piss. He is the kind of man that pulls the zipper down on his way to the bathroom, way before he gets there, as if to save some time.

13 Who? Regina SPANISH SCRIPT POLISH AD SCRIPT ENGLISH TRANSLATION Regina, una vecina cubana gordita, ceñida hasta la asfixia, se acerca al grupo. Wychodzi Regina, gruba Kubanka w sukience obcisłej do utraty tchu. Regina, a plump Cuban neighbour, with clothes so tight one wonders how she can breathe, comes closer.

14 Where? SPANISH SCRIPT POLISH AD SCRIPT ENGLISH TRANSLATION Llegan a la calle donde vive Raimunda, un precario apéndice del Barrio de Vallecas. [ ] de la impresión de que el barrio y la ciudad tocaran allí a su fin. Wieczór. Dojeżdżają do ulicy, przy której mieszka Rajmunda. Dzielnica i miasto dobiegają tu kresu. Evening. They get to the street where Raimunda lives. It seems as if the neighborhood and the city would end here. Madrid district of Vallecas: un precario apéndice del Barrio de Vallecas

15 What? SPANISH SCRIPT POLISH AD SCRIPT ENGLISH TRANSLATION Las diferentes medallas descansan sobre sus pechos espléndidos. Na jej wydatnych piersiach drzemie medalik. A little pendant is resting on her ample bosom.

16 What? Metaphor SPANISH SCRIPT POLISH AD SCRIPT ENGLISH TRANSLATION Raimunda abre uno de los cajones superiores de la cocina. Saca un bloque de cuatro rollos grandes de papel de cocina. Abre uno. Lo desenrolla y empieza a limpiar la sangre. El papel blanco se empapa de rojo oscuro formando uno especie de encaje oscuro. Raimunda wyjmuje z szafki kilka rolek ręczników papierowych. Biały papier wchłania ciemną czerwień i przez moment wygląda jak ciemna koronka. Raimunda opens one of the top kitchen cupboards. She takes out a pack of four big kitchen-paper rolls. She opens one up, unrolls it and starts cleaning the blood. The white paper soaks in crimson forming a sort of dark embroidery.

17 How? Emotions SPANISH SCRIPT POLISH AD SCRIPT ENGLISH TRANSLATION Paula tiene en los ojos un brillo de pánico. Paco está cachondo. Raimunda aparece en la puerta, con cara de espanto. Raimunda la abraza, horrorizada. Paula ma w oczach błysk przerażenia. Napalony Pako całuje Rajmundę. Rajmunda cofa się z przerażeniem. Zapłakana Rajmunda, zdjęta grozą, przytula Paulę. Paula s eyes glimmer with panic. Feeling horny, Paco kisses Raimunda. Raimunda steps back in horror. Crying Raiumuda, seized with terror, embraces Paula.

18 How? Face expressions SPANISH SCRIPT POLISH AD SCRIPT ENGLISH TRANSLATION Raimunda se arrodilla, le da vuelta al cadáver. Le mira la entrepierna, por su expresión se deduce que el muerto tiene el miembro fuera. Rajmunda przyklęka i powoli obraca ciało Pako. Spogląda na jego krocze, a z wyrazu jej twarzy można wywnioskować, że Pako ma członek na wierzchu. Raimunda kneels down and turns the corpse around. She takes a look at his crotch. Her facial expression tells us his penis must still be out.

19 First reactions to auteur AD A screening at the Polish Association of the Blind (PZN) in Warsaw Enthusiastic reception Juicy and vivid language gave the film a more entertaining character Helped me to better understand the motivations of the characters and to follow the plot

20 Potential problems Not applicable to all films and film genres Not all script contain such detailed descriptions Some ideas from the original script are changed later in production Copyrights Some viewers may find the juicy language off-putting

21 Auteur AD Conclusions Unconventional & experimental Not for mainstream Hollywood productions More entertaining? Successful in creating the cinematic illusion and suspending viewers disbelief Metaphorically bringing the audience towards the author A new sub-genre of AD?

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