How blind people experience movies

Angela Neads, 44, has been registered blind for 10 years and has been gradually loosing her sight for the past 21 years. Angela always enjoyed watching films before she started losing her sight and misses the experience. She now has to rely on the audio aspects if she is to enjoy a film, which is not always easy.

She said: "It’s very difficult, I have to have a sighted person to tell me what’s going on. Some films I can’t follow at all."

Angela explains what a film needs to be like if she is to follow it successfully: "They have to have an easy story line with very few characters."

"The narrative side is very important as long as it’s nice and clear but, sometimes you can’t always hear what they’re saying if the background music is a bit overpowering."

She also has to focus on differentiating one character from another: "If their voices are very clearly different it’s easy to follow but, obviously at the beginning of the film, somebody has to explain to me who is who. Names help as well if they are used a lot in films."

Not all films get the balance right though and blind people can often be put off trying to watch the film. Angela said: "You start to watch it and lose the story when too many characters appear or when I have to ask somebody what’s going on, you just can’t enjoy it."

"When scenes are rushed and it jumps from one scene to another," she added, "that’s when I lose everything. Or when they switch from one place and can be in a completely different place next."

Angela does have a few favourite films though, which she is able to enjoy and follow with more ease, including: "The Rocky series - the story is simple and not complicated. The character’s voices are clear and easy to follow."

"See No Evil, Hear No Evil - there are very few characters, a simple story and it makes me laugh."

"Ben-Hur - I already know the story line and I think it’s entertaining to listen to."

"Grease - Again, it’s entertaining. I know who the characters are and from memory, I know exactly what’s on the screen."

There is some aid available for blind people to experience films more easily as Angela explains: "Audio Visual is available for blind people or you can have films on cassette tape (Or CD now). With Audio Visual, as the film is playing, you have a person talking and explaining who is on the screen, what the background is, what the people are wearing, a full description of them. Colours are explained to you, movements for example ‘ man now going to sit in the chair.’ You can now get Audio Visual television as well."

"Personally, I just can’t get on with it. I tried watching a film but, it just didn’t appeal to me. As you’re trying to follow the story, you’ve got somebody describing everything and it put me off."

Angela says that she would find a brief synopsis at the start of the film a helpful tool: "Before a film for a blind person, if they gave a reading of a rough story line so at least when you go into the film you know who the main characters are, what the film is you’re following in case you lose the story line, at least your memory has had a rough guide of what’s going on."

She says she would also like a voice over after the film has finished to relay certain information: "Some information about the film at the end, like when the film was made, what year, where the film was made, just a bit of general knowledge about it, how old the actors are e.t.c, that would be helpful."

It is impossible to comprehend how blind people have to experience films without being in the same situation as them. We forget how vital it is to be able to see what is happening on screen and take for granted how easily sighted people are able to follow a film. If certain techniques, such as Audio Visual and the ones suggested by Angela, can enhance the film experience for blind people and help them to feel more included in the plot then they should be greatly encouraged.

Oscars 2009 revealed: Britain sweeps the board

It was a huge night for Britain at this years Oscars with Slumdog Millionaire and Kate Winslet having some great success.

Slumdog Millionaire once again overshadowed all of the competition and bagged an outstanding eight out of nine gongs at the 81st Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

Their collection of awards included: Best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, cinematography, sound mixing, film editing, best original score and best original song.

Kate Winslet added an Oscar for best actress in The Reader to her shelf that already includes her recent Golden Globe and her Bafta awards.

In a shock result, come-back king Mickey Rourke, lost out on the best actor award to Sean Penn for his performance in Milk.

Unsurprisingly, Heath Ledger was awarded a posthumous Oscar for his supporting role in the Dark Knight, which his daughter will inherit when she reaches the age of 18.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button claimed 3 out of 13 gongs and Penelope Cruz became the first Spanish actress to win an acting Oscar.