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Subtitled & audio described cinema in Scotland. £100,000 FUNDING AVAILABLE Scottish Screen offer ends Friday 2nd March 2007. Interested? Please email catherine.murtagh@scottishscreen.com before 5pm on Friday 2nd March - with the following info: Your name, company name, cinema name and location, how many screens to be applied for, and what equipment would be required for each. Completed application forms do NOT need to be completed by Friday, but please state WHEN the forms will be delivered.
Info: £100,000 has been made available to cinemas in Scotland, to enable more hearing or visually impaired people to enjoy the cinema. The funds are there to help to increase the number of cinemas with subtitle and audio description facilities. The funds could enable another 35 screens to become accessible. (Currently only 15 cinemas have the facilities). On behalf of hearing and visually impaired cinema fans - PLEASE take up this fantastic offer, which ends on Fri 2nd March 2007. Please enable people - who need a little extra help - to enjoy the service that a cinema can provide. A cinema can purchase the equipment at HALF PRICE. Or BUY ONE & GET ONE FREE, to enable more than one screen to become accessible. Whichever way you look at it, it's a great opportunity for a cinema to become accessible at a very reduced cost. Application
forms can be downloaded HERE More info from the Scottish Screen website HERE.
More details: Around 220 cinemas in Britain now have subtitle and audio description facilities, to enable hearing or visually impaired people to enjoy the cinema. Most popular films are released with subtitles and audio description "files", and around 1,000 subtitled shows are screened nationwide every month. Cinemas that have a system can simply overlay subtitles onto the latest films. The system can be turned on and off easily - similar to teletext subtitles on TV, or DVD subtitles, so the screen can be used for non-subtitled shows too. The system can also broadcast audio description - a narrated soundrack - for visually impaired people. The on-screen action is described in detail through personal headphones. In the UK, the vast majority of these "accessible" cinemas are in England. Northern and Southern Ireland also have a number of accessible cinemas and this year it is planned that more accessible cinemas will be introduced in Wales. In the USA over 300 cinemas have become accessible and cinemas in Australia are becoming accessible too. Now many cinemas in Scotland have a fantastic opportunity to become accessible...
Cinemas in Scotland can apply for funds from the Cinema Access Equipment Investment Programme. The funds will be distributed by the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen, the national development agency for the country's film industry. To qualify, each cinema must invest the same amount as it claims from the fund. Scotland has more than 60 cinemas, containing over 300 screens in total. 15 cinemas in Scotland already have subtitle/description facilities, but not all have regular subtitled or described shows. The Scottish Screen funds (£100,000), combined with match funding from cinemas, would enable around 35 more screens to be equipped. (Cost is around £5,500 per system including installation, projector for subtitles, and IR headphone system for audio description). Some cinemas may be concerned that subtitled shows will have a low turnout. They are right - compared to the size of the general public audience, the number of hearing or visually impaired people in each town is small. Most people take a friend or family member to the cinema, which increases the audience, but it's still not a huge figure. But audience figures for most morning or afternoon normal cinema shows are very low anyway, and many cinemas are used to fairly empty houses. Cinemas could view the subtitled shows as they view disabled ramps, lifts, wheelchair spaces, loop systems etc. - NOT there to make a profit, but to enable people in their communities, who need a little extra help, to enjoy the service that cinemas provide. Audio described shows need never interfere with normal shows, as the description - a narrated soundtrack - is broadcast through personal, wireless headphones. Only the user can hear it.
Any questions or queries? Please contact: Catherine
Murtagh Contact
email: direct
tel: +44 (0)141 302 1756 http://www.scottishscreen.com/ Exhibitors: On behalf of hearing or visually impaired cinema fans - PLEASE take up this fantastic offer, which ends on March 2nd of this year.
For more information on products please visit suppliers and distributors websites below:
DTS-CSS
Cinema Subtitling System
Dolby
ScreenTalk Cinema Subtitling
More details: The initiative has been launched with the support of the RNID, RNIB and the UK Film Council as well as cinema operators and film distributors. Delia Henry, Director for RNID Scotland says: “We welcome investment in the provision of cinema subtitling in Scotland. It is fantastic news that the needs of deaf and hard of hearing people are being recognised by Scottish Screen and the Scottish Arts Council. This could go a long way to ensuring films are accessible for deaf and hard of hearing people across the whole of the Scotland.” John Legg, Director for RNIB also commented: “RNIB Scotland warmly welcomes the possible roll out of audio description in Scotland’s cinemas. This would allow many more blind and partially sighted people to enjoy the excitement and fun of the movies alongside their family and friends.” Morgan Petrie, Head of Market Development for Scottish Screen said:“We want cinema to be as accessible as possible. This initiative can support the provision of equipment for people with sensory impairments to enjoy a richer cinema experience.” Maggie Maxwell, Head of Equalities at the Scottish Art Council said: “The Scottish Arts Council is committed to tackling barriers which may prevent participation and enjoyment of the arts in Scotland. This initiative can engage new audiences in an exciting and inclusive way and we look forward to working with Scottish Screen to help increase audiences for cinema in Scotland.” Exhibitors: On behalf of hearing or visually impaired cinema fans - PLEASE take up this fantastic offer, which ends on March 2nd of this year.
More info: http://www.yourlocalcinema.com
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A
great opportunity for a cinema to 
