In May of 2009, the Media Access Group at WGBH created a Descriptive Video Service® (DVS®) track for the theatrical release of Disney-Pixar’s "Up" which made the film more meaningful and accessible to movie patrons who are blind or have low vision.
The Media Access Group is proud to share the news that the DVS track for "Up" is included on the film’s Blu-ray and DVD releases (available wherever discs are sold) and– a first for Disney, Apple and WGBH– as a digital iTunes release* available to download at this page of the iTunes site:
"Up" (For blind viewers, audio description, DVS) http://tinyurl.com/yjtkg8f
DVS describes, via narration inserted into natural pauses in dialogue, information about actions, costumes, gestures, facial expressions, scene changes, and on-screen text that viewers who are blind have low vision would ordinarily miss. DVS was developed by WGBH for television in 1990, and expanded in 1997 to movies screened in theaters equipped with WGBH’s MoPix® technologies (mopix.org).
About Disney-Pixar’s "Up"
Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios take moviegoers up, up and away on one of the funniest adventures of all time with their latest comedy-fantasy. "Up" follows the uplifting tale of a 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. Their journey to a lost world, where they encounter some strange, exotic and surprising characters, is filled with hilarity, emotion and wildly imaginative adventure.
Where and how the DVS tracks for "Up" are available
- Blu-ray – DVS audio is automatically packaged within the Blu-ray disc. Consumers can find "English Descriptive Video Service 2.0" as an option within the Audio Options menu on any Blu-ray version of "Up."
- DVD – DVS audio is automatically packaged within the DVD. Consumers can find "English Descriptive Video Service 2.0" as an option within the Audio Options menu on all DVD versions of "Up."
- *iTunes – When purchasing the movie from iTunes, please note that there are three options to choose from and one of these includes DVS. The DVS version includes description audible to all users ("Up" For blind viewers, audio description, DVS) available at the link above or by searching the iTunes store for Up DVS. The standard version (SD) and a high definition (HD) version on iTunes do not include the description track.
For a list of additional DVD and Blu-ray releases with DVS, as well as television programs that air with DVS, please visit: http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/description.html
Info on UP DVS
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Great post about the wonderful work of WGBH's NCAM and MoPix--their negotiations with the major film studios have resulted in a substantial uptick in the availability of described movies to consumers, which can only be positive for raising awareness about why description is so vital.
ReplyDeleteSince your blog focuses on education, I'd be remiss not to point out the resources offered by the organization I work for: the Described and Captioned Media Program. We provide free-loan described and captioned educational video to teachers, parents, and others working with K-12 students (in the U.S.) with hearing or vision loss. As a federally funded nonprofit organization, all of our services and products are free-of-charge, and we work with a network of educators and policy-makers to raise awareness in the educational field about the benefits of accessible educational media--both for students who qualify for our services and for those without any hearing or vision loss.
To that end, we have two awareness-building campaigns that are ongoing, but especially active during the month of March: Read Captions Across America (which is held in conjuction with the NEA's Read Across America to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Seuss) and Listening is Learning, which focuses on the wide-ranging benefits of described media in the classroom.
Thanks for providing such a great resource for educators and parents, and please don't hesitate to contact us for more information about the services we offer!
Thank you Thom! I will be sure to make some connections!
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