Subtitled cinema enables people with hearing loss to enjoy - rather than endure - the cinema experience. Although most popular cinema releases are available with subtitles, not all 'subtitle' equipped cinemas show all available films. And many shows are at unsuitable times. Why? And what can we do about it? It's our job to create awareness, suggest solutions, and to empower people to do something about it. So we recommend that people contact cinemas in their local area and request better access for people with hearing loss. The best people to speak to are the cinema managers. The more people that point out the importance of 'accessible' cinema - subtitled/captioned shows for people with hearing loss - the more likely there is to be change for the better. Most cinemas are now equipped with new digital projection equipment. All digital and 3D systems have built-in subtitle/caption readers. So any cinema with 3D or digital facilities can screen most of the latest cinema releases with subtitles/captions. Subtitle/caption 'files' are available for almost all popular cinema releases, including 3D films. These files can be 'read' by digital projection systems, overlaying subtitles on the cinema screen, to enable people with hearing loss to enjoy cinema. Please contact digital-equipped cinemas in your area and request that they utilise the built in subtitle features of digital projectors! (And remind them that there's more chance of people attending if they publicise their subtitled shows on the Your Local Cinema .com website…) Note: as with DVD releases, the film needs to have a subtitle track included for it to be broadcast. These days almost all popular releases are released digitally and supplied to the cinema on a portable hard drive, rather than on 35mm reels. A subtitle track is usually - but not always - included on the hard drive. Most film distributors ensure that their most popular releases are available with subtitles. The box office top 20 films of last year were available. 41 of the top 50 and 71 of the top 100 were available. In the UK most subtitle-equipped cinemas utilise their subtitle facilities regularly and every week there are almost 1,000 English language subtitled shows nationwide. Listings here: http://www.yourlocalcinema.com/now.showing.html In 2012, developments in digital cinema technology are expected to bring exciting opportunities for people with hearing or sight loss. 'Personal' subtitle systems are a possibility...
::::::::::::::::: It is estimated that about nine million people in the UK have some level of hearing loss – one in seven of the population. Each year around 800 children are born in the UK with significant hearing loss while more than 700,000 people, including 34,000 children and young people, are severely or profoundly deaf. Until fairly recently, the only way people with severe hearing loss could enjoy cinema was to watch a foreign-language film. Today, for people with hearing loss, cinema is not the out of bounds social activity of the past, but is now a very accessible, welcoming, exciting, day or night out with family or friends. The film industry is constantly working to improve access and in recent years, the progress made in the field of cinema access has been fantastic. Today most popular cinemas have facilities to screen the latest films with subtitles. Digital cinema will improve things even more. It's been 10 years or so since digital started transforming cinema and only this year will it be at the stage where it finally overtakes old fashioned 35mm film on a reel. Most UK cinemas now have digital subtitle facilities, including almost all Odeon, Vue, Cineworld, Showcase, Apollo, Empire and Picturehouse cinemas. But not all digital cinema sites utilise their built-in 'access' facilities regularly, to screen available films with subtitles. If many more digital cinema sites utilised their built-in subtitle facilities the number of subtitled shows could be increased. There could easily be twice or three times as many shows overall - many more opportunities for people to catch films. Having more cinema screens equipped with 'access' facilities would enable cinemas to screen more films to people with hearing loss. Currently, most equipped cinemas show less than half of available subtitled films. (They only show one a week, yet two or three films are available most weeks). Please contact cinemas in your area and ask if they are 'digital-equipped'. If so, please ask them to utilise their built-in subtitle facilities as best they can!
::::::::::::::::: Although most popular films are available with subtitles, not all the 'subtitle' equipped cinemas show all available films. Why? Well, one reason is that some of the equipped cinemas have a subtitle system in one screen only, so for a film to play with subtitles, it needs to be shown in that particular screen. This is not always possible, as cinemas move films from screen to screen depending on how popular the film is. A big film might open on the biggest screen, then move to a smaller screen after a few weeks, when it has become less popular. If the subtitle system is connected to the biggest screen, then there may be subtitled shows in the films opening weekend. If it's in a smaller screen, then subtitled shows of that film may be shown a few weeks later. Every cinema is different. A multiplex cinema can put on more subtitled shows, at popular times, as they have more screens, so a 'special', separate, subtitled show does not 'interfere' too much with their schedule. A smaller cinema with one or two screens has to consider how well attended the subtitled show will be, which explains why some smaller cinemas have shows at 'low attendance' times, such as daytime, midweek. Most people who don't need subtitles don't like them on films, so attendance for subtitled shows is usually pretty small - sometimes just deaf or hard of hearing people and their friends or families. Not everyone can drop everything to attend the one or two shows a week, at a particular time, decided by a cinema. It's our job to create awareness of the problem, suggest solutions, and to empower people to do something about it. So we recommend that people contact cinemas in their local area and request better access for people with hearing loss! If your nearest cinema has not already done so, request that they become accessible, by 'going digital', which means subtitle facilities will be built-in. But if a cinema has not 'gone digital', it can still screen most popular films with subtitles, by installing a '35mm-based' subtitle system, which hundreds of cinemas in the UK have already installed (the DTS Cinema Subtitling System & Dolby ScreenTalk System). Full details of shows nationwide can be found here: http://www.yourlocalcinema.com/now.showing.html All cinemas can screen foreign language films. The subtitles are usually etched into the film print/drive and do not require special 'subtitle' facilities to screen them. More details here:
::::::::::::::::: Nowadays all major UK film distributors release almost all their films with subtitles, and many smaller distributors release their most popular films. In the last five years UK film distributors have released more than 1,000 films with these features. The subtitle 'files' can be supplied digitally, as part of the digital film file, or supplied on CD-Roms which cinema subtitling systems 'read'. Think of it like a DVD without the picture or sound - just the subtitles. The subtitle file synchronises with the film when it's played. Most POPULAR cinema releases ARE available with subtitles - usually the top ten films every week are available. But less popular films are usually NOT available. Although more than 500 films are released in UK cinemas each year (577 last year), less than 150 English language films were subtitled/captioned for people with hearing loss. The 100 most popular films of 2010 took around 90% of the box office revenue. The remaining 400+ films, most of which were NOT subtitled & described, accounted for just 10% of revenue. The majority of films that were NOT subtitled & described had a very limited release and were not screened in many multiplex cinemas (multiplex cinemas account for around three quarters of UK cinemas). Last year only around a third of films were on nationwide release (screened in over a hundred cinemas). More than a quarter of films were shown in fewer than ten cinemas. Note: Foreign language subtitled films are not fully accessible to people with hearing loss. The subtitles merely provide a translation of the audio into a different language. They do not include proper 'captions', which can include off-screen sounds such as 'door creaks', 'footsteps approaching', or 'gunshot'.. Every so often a big film is NOT subtitled. Popular films NOT available have included Scream 4, Conan, Spy Kids 4, The Green Hornet, Gnomeo & Juliet and recent Oscar winner The Hurt Locker. A full list of all available films can be found HERE Confusingly, there are actually four 'subtitled cinema' formats. Let's use 'The King's Speech' as an example: The old 'burnt in to the 35mm print' format (still used for some foreign language films, but rare for English language films). The King's Speech is available in this format. There is a handful of prints available, for cinemas that don't have digital equipment. Then there's the DTS-CSS 35mm-based format, in which a disc containing the subtitle 'files' is synchronised with the 35mm film on a reel. Around 200 cinemas have this system. The King's Speech is NOT available on that system. The Dolby Screentalk format works in the same way as the DTS system above. Around 100 have that system. The King's Speech IS available on that system. Every week DTS and Dolby post discs containing subtitle files to equipped cinemas - usually 2 or 3 new releases a week. Then, finally, there's the latest format - DIGITAL, where the film is delivered to the cinema on a computer hard drive and loaded onto the cinema server. There are 64 digital drives of The King's Speech available to cinemas and all have subtitles on there. With digital format, if subtitles are on the film, a digital-equipped cinema can simply switch them on, or off. Basically, if a cinema advertises that it can show 3D films, then it has digital equipment, so can show most popular cinema releases with subtitles. A full list of all available films is listed here: Ideally, for people with hearing loss, cinemas would just switch subtitles on, if requested to do so, at any time. But fact is most cinemas need to schedule subtitled shows a week or so in advance, to notify listings services nationwide of their shows. Subtitled shows need to be planned in advance too. It can cost around £2,000 to subtitle a film. The big film distributors try to ensure that all their films are subtitled. For smaller film distributors, financial help with 'access' costs is sometimes available from government agencies such as the BFI. All distributors should be aware of these funds. Almost all films are subtitled in time for DVD release, a few months after cinema release. If all film distributors produced subtitles a few months earlier, all films could be subtitled at the cinema!
::::::::::::::::: We believe that the film industry should treat 'accessible' films and shows like other 'access' features such as wheelchair spaces, disabled ramps, lifts, toilets, loop systems etc. Not there to make a profit, but to enable people with disabilities to enjoy the cinema experience. The film industry's Disability Working Group meets regularly to make improvements in this area and things HAVE improved. Before 2000 the only subtitled films in cinemas were foreign language films.For cinemas that have a digital subtitle system, a good choice of dates and times is necessary to enable more people to catch accessible shows. Please request that cinemas make proper use of subtitling facilities by screening REGULAR subtitled shows at suitable times. Most people have work or school to attend to, and many cannot just drop everything to fit into a cinemas schedule. People cannot be expected to take the time out to attend one or two subtitled shows at unsuitable times. When you attend a subtitled show and are purchasing tickets, ask cinema staff to DOUBLE CHECK that the film is definitely subtitled, and to switch the subtitles on at the START of the film (some cinemas have been known to forget to do so…) Some cinemas have subtitle facilities installed in only ONE screen of a multi-screen cinema building. But some cinemas have more than one screen equipped, and can provide a much better choice of subtitled films and shows. Informing cinemas in your local area of the need for accessible cinema makes them aware of it, and reminds them what they should be aiming for - access to their services for people with hearing loss. If many people made an effort to do this it would really help the situation! We hope the above info helps to explain the current accessible cinema situation. If you have any more queries please ask!
::::::::::::::::: IMPORTANT! We receive accessible listings directly from cinemas. If cinemas inform us of changes, we will tell you via this website. Many cinemas schedules are "SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTIFICATION". Sometimes the files necessary for a subtitled or described film are not available, or are not delivered to the cinema on time. The only way to be 100% sure is to check with the ACTUAL cinema before you plan a visit. But DOUBLE-check, preferably with a manager. We recommend that you should always request confirmation that a show is definitely on. For suggestions, corrections or just to contact us please visit:
"With ageing, loss of some hearing or sight is inevitable. Subtitled and audio described (narrated) cinema enables people with hearing or sight loss to enjoy film presented in its original and best form - the cinema. The Your Local Cinema .com website & information service exists to create nationwide awareness of - and build audiences for - subtitled & audio described films & shows. Cinema subtitles, displayed along the bottom of the screen, include the spoken text as well as descriptions of sounds such as 'door creaks', 'footsteps approaching', 'gunshot'. "I enjoyed A Christmas Carol a lot. I can hear well with my digital hearing aids, compared to many deaf people I know, but the unfamiliar, oldie-style Dickensian words would have been lost on me without subtitles." Cinema audio description is a recorded narration, delivered through wireless headphones, which explains, during gaps in the dialogue, what is happening on screen. "The cinema audio description experience is like listening to a Harry Potter audio book, but with all the actors voicing their own parts and with the addition of the film's complete soundtrack – delivered in fabulous surround sound" It's the accessible cinema experience:
::::::::::::::::: Another satisfied customer! 'Accessible' cinema has made a huge difference to the lives of cinema-goers with hearing or sight loss. Below is a selection of quotes and reports from people who have discovered - or rediscovered - the joys of cinema-going, thanks to subtitles and audio description.
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::::::::::::::::: An award winning service. The Your Local Cinema .com website & information service has been successful in winning some high-profile awards voted for by the public. Winning awards helps to spread awareness of 'accessible' cinema.
Awards:
This year the service won the Barco 'Innovation in Cinema' Award at the annual Raam Awards in London. The Raam Awards recognise and reward the efforts & achievements of people working in the film industry.
The British Telecom 'BT Remote Workers' Award' which honours people who manage to run a successful business without an office, using mobile technology. Judges selected the winner based on the company that demonstrated how remote working had created the greatest positive impact.
The Daily Mail 'People's Choice' Enterprise Award. The event, hosted by the Institute of Directors, recognises people who have turned their ideas into reality. Thousands of people, including readers of the Daily Mail newspaper voted for the twenty finalists, and Your Local Cinema .com received the most votes overall.
The service beat hundreds of projects, with many thousands of votes, to make the final three in the 'Best Arts Project' category of the National Lottery Awards. The Awards recognise the difference that lottery funded projects have made to local communities. The ceremony was broadcast live, primetime, on BBC1, exposing millions of people to accessible cinema. We are proud to work alongside colleagues in film distribution, cinema exhibition, technology companies and various groups representing people with hearing or sight loss to help ensure that the cinema experience can be enjoyed by all.
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The Your Local Cinema .com listings & information service is a social enterprise, fully supported by the UK film industry. It exists to meet the needs of a niche, specialist audience - film fans with hearing or sight loss that need assistance to enjoy the cinema experience. Not just our ageing society, but people of all ages. Profit plays no role as an incentive. Social benefits such as equality, inclusion and community integration are the goals. The positive feedback received from those helped provides the motivation to continue the passionate, dedicated work. (Feedback here) Your Local Cinema .com is extremely grateful for any support, whether it be financial or in-kind. Taking costs out of the organisation is, in many ways, just as important as bringing funds in. Sponsors and media partners make a valuable contribution, allowing further development of the service, helping to attract new audiences, and maximising the output from administrative effort. In-kind sponsors of all types are welcome - be they product or service oriented, whether they aid the service itself or the marketing and administration behind it. Without sponsorship support, the service would simply not be able to operate. You can read about the sponsors of Your Local Cinema .com and visit their websites HERE. Interested in part-sponsorship? We need your help! Please contact subtitles@yourlocalcinema.com
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"I know quite a few people who, like me, have become disabled in the prime of their lives. I served in Iraq, came home last year with permanent damage to my hearing. I can still enjoy music, it's just not as clear as it used to be. I find I now read a lot of song lyrics! Never really bothered before. Same with films. I can still enjoy them with a little 'assistance'. In this case, subtitles. I only go to the cinema now if the film is subtitled. Thankfully most are these days."
