Live Description

The practice of providing descriptions of visual content in real time as events unfold, as opposed to scripted descriptions added during post-production of recorded media. Live description is used in contexts such as livestreaming, live theatre, sporting events, and videoconferencing. It presents distinct challenges including time pressure, the need to prioritize which visual information to describe, and balancing description with existing audio. Describers may use text or speech input, and can employ strategies like play-by-play updates for action and state descriptions for establishing context.