Marc Andre Lam: Midterm Portfolio – #4 Audio Description

The Project

Audio described video, A Brief Conversation with a Vending Machine

Additional modality, Plain language script

Original script

Project Description 

A Brief Conversation with a Vending Machine, a short, existential video that uses audio description to add detail and differentiate the narrator, person, and vending machine (all performed by me).

Documentation 

For this project I wanted to do something kind of off the wall, which is using audio description to detail a conversation with the same narrator (and one side of it being an inanimate object). The video has an existential vibe, which is definitely what I was going for.

Sisyphus rolling a boulder up a hill, with the caption "One must imagine Sisyphus happy."
Perhaps the most famous existentialist icon

As I thought about vending machines, I tried to think what it would be like to actually be conscious as one. My senior year English teacher taught us about Camus’s Sisyphus and that’s actually the main inspiration for the tone and voice of the vending machine. I recorded all of the functions of the machine and this also includes some footage that I just didn’t know where to fit in:

 

I also had a few different recording spaces for this project, which mainly happened in the basement lounge of Greenwich hall.

A room with beige walls, a white table with a laptop on it, and a red cushion and yellow chair in view.
The recording space

Some of the audio came out rougher than others, not sure if that was because of ambient noise or otherwise.

I also took inspiration from the movie Asteroid City which has a scene that showcases a ton of random vending machines that serve stuff you never see anymore at these kinds of machines. That sent me on the scavenger hunt for the different machines I show in the video.

A row of pastel colored vending machines, each machine selling a different item. The items sold are beer, stockings, cocktails, coffee, ammunition, and candy.
Beautiful inspiration for bizarre vending machines

Finally, with the end credits, I wanted to have a PSA-esque takeaway, because I think we treat vending machines quite harshly when they don’t deserve it.

Reflection Questions

  • What is the theme of the work?The theme of the work is grappling with existing. Whatever our lives are, much of it is given to us. How do we deal with that?
  • How is that theme particularly expressed through the modality of the week?Audio description was a great way to do this because I think in many ways, it helped give more life to the vending machine character I wrote. It also helped distinguish between myself and the machine, because it’s obviously just me talking.
  • Which elements of the work are beautifully/wonderfully/perfectly expressed through the modality?I think the transitions between the speakers is helped with audio description. I also think the beginning sequence is aided by audio description significantly, which helps supports the wider narrative.
  • Which elements are lost or inexpressible through the modality of the week?I don’t think too much is lost through this modality, however I think some of the machine descriptions could’ve been more expressive to convey either humor or absurdity.
  • Who does this project exclude? Who would not be able to interact with this work? Who is this modality not accessible for?I didn’t caption this video, which definitely makes this harder for hard of hearing or deaf people.
  • Now that you’ve identified who is excluded, what is one way you could remix this piece to include another population? (You don’t have to make this part, but think about it and write about it).Adding captions is the obvious one, but also including more vending machine characters could make it more inclusive, since it’s basically just me talking with myself. Having someone else voice the vending machine might accomplish this.

Additional Modality (if applicable) 

What modality did you apply? 

I applied Plain Language writing to my script.

How did you decide on this modality?

I was thinking about some of the things that I could add which would make the video more accessible; it was either this, or adding captions. I wanted to experiment with Plain Language more and see how it would change a video, as opposed to a piece meant to be read, not performed.

What does the beholder gain from this additional modality? Why? 

The beholder gains an easier to understand version of the script, since I’ve elaborated on some definitions and niche NYU things I refer to.

Does the beholder lose anything from this modality? What? 

I don’t think so, honestly. Some of the syntax changes, but the meaning was surprisingly able to be preserved, at least from me (the performer). What would be interesting to see is how the performance would change, as a lot of the audio description I freestyled rather than write down.

Show documentation of this modality, and describe it if it’s not accessible on a screen (ie, if it’s tactile if it’s a scent) 

Most of the changes I made to the script in this process were identifying filler words. I say, “well,” “you know,” and other phrases a lot in the video. I originally implemented these words to make the dialogue sound closer to how I actually speak, but re-reading the script made me realize it could obscure what I was actually conveying. Along with eliminating filler, I added elaboration on locations, such as 370 Jay Street and Bobst Library. I also explained some of the quirks behind the German vending machine, which added context. Despite this, I think I preserved the comedic value of the lines.