3rd International Media For All Conference

Quality Made to Measure

Audiovisual Translation (AVT) earned its credentials as a practice and a research area in the second half of the 20th century. Now, at the close of the 21st century's first decade, the discipline is expanding at a mind-boggling rate. AVT is a form of communication that is subject to, but also actively engaged in aspects of social, political and technological change that call for both increased specialisation and greater diversification on the part of practitioners and researchers alike. In fact, AVT also offers a world of possibilities and challenges to its users. This conference aims to map the current status of AVT research, production, distribution and consumer needs. The complexity and the ways in which research input, technology, user needs and the business aspects of AVT intertwine, merits serious thought. The 2nd international Media for All conference in 2007 revealed concerns about the apparent tug of war between "quantity" and "quality". The present conference would like to investigate whether these concerns were justified. AVT practice crosses many disciplinary borders, but is also thrust in a variety of directions by different influential players. We have mentioned technology, business and political interests. AVT, from both the traditional 'translational' perspective as well as the more encompassing accessibility angle, is considered to be a tool for social integration. But is it? Will AVT and its users be able to reap the benefits of the digital age? Will the research community be able to turn the need for specialisation and diversification of research into an asset? Where do we place AVT at a time when the dividing line between entertainment and information becomes increasingly blurred and the borders between interlingual and intralingual translation, audiovisual translation, creative (technical) writing and localisation appear to be dissolving, challenging the distinction between source and target texts? Audiences with different needs, different access possibilities and different degrees of active input demand AVT forms made to measure. Can these demands be met? How do we deal with hybrid art forms and hybrid forms of communication that mix genres? How do we make the most of the educational potential of AVT in a global village that should be able to remain multilingual? Through papers, panels, and round-table discussions, we hope to investigate these issues. We are inviting presentations reflecting the developments of our rapidly changing times within the scope of the following 11 themes listed below, and with a focus on audiovisual translation and media accessibility. Contributors are invited to suggest under which label they would like to have their contribution classified. THEMES 1. Innovation, technology and quality 2. Literacy and language learning/acquisition 3. Media access/Cultural access (Subtitling for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, live subtitling, audio description, audio subtitling, sign language interpretation) 4. AVT and AVT research, old and new (dubbing, subtitling, voice-over, localisation, fandubbing, fansubbing, surtitling, video games localisation) 5. Different (interdisciplinary) approaches (cognitive psychology, linguistics, discourse analysis, cultural studies, film studies...) 6. Formats, platforms and quality standards 7. Reception research and audience needs 8. Standardisation and harmonisation 9. Censorship and manipulation 10. AVT and training: didactics and skills 11. Lobbies, policies, legislation, law enforcement and audience involvement The 2-day conference (23 - 24 October 2009) will be preceded by one day of optional Workshops (22 October 2009). The workshops will be held at the Department of Translation and Interpreting. The conference will take place at the nearby Faculty of Letters. The topics of the workshops will be announced on the TransMedia Website in February/March 2009: [url=http://www.mediaforall.eu]www.mediaforall.eu[/url] The working language of the conference is English, but a Dutch round table on media accessibility in Belgium and the Netherlands will also be held at the Department of Translation and Interpreting on 22 October, following the workshops. INFORMATION ON PAPERS/WORKSHOPS Papers are allotted 20-minute slots to be followed by 10 minutes discussion (30 minutes in total). Workshops last two and a half hours. Technical equipment including overhead projector, beamer, laptop, loudspeakers, DVD and VHS players will be available. Please contact the local organising committee if you have specific requirements. ABSTRACT PROPOSALS Abstract proposals should be presented on the abstract proposal form which can be downloaded from [url=http://www.mediaforall.eu]www.mediaforall.eu[/url] and the completed proposal should be sent to geral@mediaforall.eu by 2 March 2009. The proposals will be evaluated by members of the organising committee. You will be notified by 15 May 2009 if your proposal has been accepted. IMPORTANT DATES Deadline for the submission of proposals ................. 2 March 2009 Notification of acceptance of proposals .................. 15 May 2009 Early bird registration deadline ............................... 15 July 2009 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE Minako O'Hagan Senior Lecturer, Centre for Translation and Textual Studies, School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies, Dublin City University, Ireland ADVISORY COMMITTEE * Marcel Bobeldijk (President of the European Federation of Hard-of-Hearing People. the Netherlands) * Sabine Braun (University of Surrey, UK) * Frederic Chaume (Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain) * Agnieszka Chmiel (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland) * Pierre Dumouchel (Université du Québec, Canada) * Heidrun Gerzymisch-Arbogast (Universität des Saarlandes, Germany) * Henrik Gottlieb (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) * Jan-Louis Kruger (North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, South Africa) * Leen Petré (Principal Manager, Media and Culture Department, RNIB, UK) * Maria Pavesi (University of Pavia, Italy) * Jan Pedersen (University of Stockholm, Sweden) * Alex Varley (CEO of Media Access, Australia) * Jef Verschueren (University of Antwerp, Belgium) INTERNATIONAL ORGANISING COMMITTEE TransMedia Research Group: * Mary Carroll (Titelbild Subtitling and Translation GmbH, a Red Bee Media Company, Berlin, Germany) * Jorge Díaz-Cintas (Imperial College, London, UK) * Anna Matamala (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain) * Josélia Neves (Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Portugal) * Pilar Orero (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain) * Aline Remael (Artesis University College Antwerp, Belgium) * Diana Sanchez (Red Bee Media, Madrid, Spain) LOCAL CONVENOR Aline Remael (Artesis University College Antwerp, Belgium) Contact: aline.remael@telenet.be