By Dr. Maria Victoria Diaz

Summary:
The Oscar-nominated documentary A House Made of Splinters—featured in POV’s Season 36—follows three children near the frontlines in Eastern Ukraine, cared for by dedicated social workers. To make the film accessible to a wider audience, including those who rely on audio instead of subtitles, audio description and English-acted voices were added to enhance immersion. This approach bridges language and accessibility, ensuring the film can be enjoyed by all.

The Challenge:
Since the characters don’t speak English, adding audio description created a unique challenge. Our team had to ensure high-quality accessibility within a tight schedule and budget, balancing technical demands with rigorous quality checks to make the experience as smooth as possible.

The Solution:
By integrating Dicapta's AI-driven dubbing and audio description into the production process, the film became accessible to audiences with visual impairments and those who prefer audio over subtitles. Unlike traditional dubbing, which would have involved higher costs and extended production time, this AI-assisted approach provided a timely and cost-effective alternative, using talented natural voices and AI based dubbing production procedures. 

The combined use of audio description and AI dubbing allowed viewers to enjoy A House Made of Splinters without needing to rely solely on subtitle narration, which, while functional, does not offer an equitable experience comparable to those of other viewers. This solution allowed the film to maintain its narrative integrity across languages and visual accessibility needs.

The Results:
This approach delivered a more inclusive viewing experience by providing a natural audio flow that complemented the storytelling in both English and Ukrainien. The accessible version of A House Made of Splinters was well-received by visually impaired audiences, who praised the seamless integration of dubbing with audio description. Not only did the AI solution save time and resources, but it also set a new standard for how multilingual films can be made accessible without compromising on quality or viewer experience. Audio description narration of this film was made by Daniel Strauss, and the talented Kaye Babel acting out dialogues. 

Follow the link for a clip of the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5pC4uJ6hjw 

Find where to watch A House Made of Splinters and its Audio Description following this link : https://www.pbs.org/pov/how-to-watch/