Sheffield-based research and design company, Paper, also worked on the study.
Beth Evans from Paper said: “Programmes like Stranger Things have gone viral for their captioning being so immersive and creative.
“The captioners worked during the production and got advice from Hollywood orchestrators to help choose the best descriptions of sound to encompass the genre and feel of the moment for deaf audiences.”
Hamza Shaikh, a trustee of the British Deaf Association, took part in the project and said he hoped it would diminish barriers for deaf individuals like himself who struggle to enjoy cinema outings fully.
“I hope this collaborative effort will catalyse the cinema industry to re-evaluate its practices and prioritise accessibility for all patrons,” he said.
The project has resulted in a new film Rethinking Subtitles, external and six guidelines for the media industry, highlighting potential commercial opportunities to improve the accessibility of films and TV programmes for deaf audiences.
The recommendations have also been submitted as evidence to parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee inquiry, external into British film and high-end television.
