Partnering with a renowned improvisational theater for Live Audio Description Services

Owning a legacy that stretches over six decades, our client owns a premier brand in improv-based sketch comedy. A combination of improvisation, satire, and audience interaction, the client team takes a unique approach to comedy. Above just performances, they educate the comedy landscape with their workshops and training programs.

The client approached CaptioningStar with a request. Their new venue in Brooklyn was set to host a performance of the Main Stage Revue on March 14th. However, one of the attendees required Audio Description Services to fully enjoy the show. This case study explores the challenges we faced, the collaborative process, and the successful outcome of this project.

An immediate need for Live On-site Audio Description Services was asked by the client for their upcoming inauguration event.  Audio description services offer real-time descriptions of the visual footage empowering the diversely challenged to perceive visual content like the others. As the client was satisfied with CaptioningStar’s previous Audio Description services, they sought the request to enhance accessibility to a visually impaired patron who is attending their inauguration service.

It was just one factor that created the pressure, which is to execute this service seamlessly on time, or that’s what the CaptioningStar team had in mind. With just a two-week notice, the team has to work on the entire script frame by frame to offer descriptions without any lag. The event was organized in Brooklyn and the team was on the quest to hire an onsite audio describer. 

The team began the search for qualified Audio describers in and around the Brooklyn area. This called for scanning our huge database of registered audio describers. Thus through networking and database, we were on the search to identify the right candidate who is already aware of the live describing experience. That’s when we face a minor setback. The identified describers did not meet our standard to take up the live description service as a single describing source.

Pivoted through this hiccup by regrouping the strategy and extended our search to identify a remote describer. Thus the candidates who can offer live describing service surged and we had more precise options to choose from. Thus a qualified describer who was located in a different part of the country was made ready to provide Audio Description service through a virtual platform. 

At first, the client team was hesitant to go through with this option. They were worried about the complications that may arise due to the virtual description, such as lag, quality of the description, and the ability to capture the nuances of the live improv performance.

CaptioningStar who prioritizes customer satisfaction, took that take to explain to the clients about the remote audio description service. We thoroughly explained the benefits of the remote audio description, the flexibility it offers, and the non-compromising quality in delivering the description service. The reassurance was given to the clients about the previous implementations of the remote description service, through which we gained their trust to go forward with this option. The client team also analyzed this situation and realized this was the best option that would make the entire event a success within the given time frame.

Now as the plan is again in place, the next step is to choose the right virtual platform for deploying the remote audio description service. The team suggested using Zoom, as they were familiar with it, however, they were not we recommended using Google Meet (Gmeet) as an alternative.

Because Gmeet would let the client host the event without requiring any extra infrastructure or license, we selected it because of its simplicity, dependability, and accessibility. This reduced the possibility of technological difficulties and made the process of establishing the remote audio description service easier to manage.

Once the client agreed on the platform type, we arranged a meeting between the describer and the client. This is to ensure that, all the technical and the logistics details are in place and the describer is aware of the improv-based description that he has to offer.

The Describer received extensive details on the performance, such as the nature of the act, important visual components, and possible difficulties unique to an improvised comedy event.

On the day of the event, our staff kept a careful eye on the setup to make sure everything went without a hitch. Technical difficulties were not encountered when the remote Audio Describer connected to the Google Meet session, and the description was successfully sent to the customer.

In a follow-up conversation the client team praised our team’s adaptability,saying:

“We were initially unsure about using a remote Audio Describer, but your team made us feel comfortable with the process. The technical setup was seamless, and the patron was able to fully enjoy the performance thanks to the excellent service provided. We look forward to working with you in the future.”

This project with the client team was really exciting. We worked on very close deadlines and challenging circumstances. Using innovative problem-solving techniques, lucid communication, and proficient utilization of technology, we fulfilled the demands of the customer and guaranteed a satisfactory experience for every participant. This example shows our dedication to accessibility and our proficiency in offering remote or on-site audio description services. We anticipate working together in the future with the client team and other clients who require specialized accessibility solutions.

If you are such an improv theater or one who is on the look to make your projections accessible to all audiences, reach out!