The Demand for Movies with Captions
If you’re one of our regular readers you might remember an article we did regarding deaf people providing feedback on cinema access. In the article, we discussed how deaf and hard of hearing movie-goers, in the UK, require equal access to cinemas and that one way to achieve this is with improved closed captioning.
Although the US has made great strides in creating a more accessible cinematic experience, the UK is still very much behind. However, in October 2017 the National Theatre (NT) unveiled new smart glasses for hard of hearing audiences. So, change is coming.
With this in mind, I wanted to share the various options deaf people have when going to the movies. Although not all of these devices are available in the UK yet, it’s worth knowing what’s out there and what you can expect.
What is closed captions in movie theatres?
Closed captioning (CC) refers to the text version of the spoken words that accompany videos or movies so that us deaf and hard of hearing people can also enjoy watching movies. Unlike open captions, closed captions can be turned on or off, thus the text is created prior to the screening.
Subtitles, or movie CC, effectively help bridge the gap between accessible and inaccessible cinemas. Movie CC’s are designed to enhance the deaf or hard of hearing movie-goer’s experience.
For decades going to the movies wasn’t even an option for us because closed captioning devices weren’t available, but that has changed a lot in recent years.
Unfortunately, not every movie theatre has subtitling options. When you want to go watch a movie with your friends, spouse or brood of hearing kids, there’s a disconnect when you aren’t able to enjoy the movie the same way they can.
Your options for movies with captions
Many movie theatres in America carry closed captioning devices, and hopefully so will ours in the next few years. Subtitling devices include:
The mirror: Reminiscent of old-school spy style, some cinemas provide deaf moviegoers with a mirror. The subtitles are screened in the back of the room backwards. You then place the mirror in your cup holder and adjust until you’re able to see the subtitles, now the right way around, reflected.
Closed caption stands: A small, rectangular LED screen is attached to a long flexible pole which you can insert into your cup holder. The screen then displays the captions and you can adjust the coil type handle to where you want to see the closed captions. Some drawbacks include:
- Closed captions don’t show up straight away on the screen, so you might have a slight delay in trying to follow the plot.
- Like with most technologies, you’ll inevitably have moments when you have to get up and find someone to fix your device for you, which could result in you missing a large section of the movie.
- Some theatres forget to charge their devices, so you run out of juice and the closed captions turn off completely. This is especially frustrating when the movie is at a pinnacle point.
Captioning smart glasses: Words pop-up on a pair of wide tinted glasses, usually on the bottom. These smart glasses display the subtitles as the action happens. Glasses are attached to wires that are attached to a box, which you wear around your neck. Some obvious disadvantages:
- Getting tangled up in all the wires – watching a movie shouldn’t be an Olympic sport.
- Glasses on top of glasses are not comfortable! People who wear glasses will find it very uncomfortable to wear these smart glasses on top of their own glasses. Yes, many people wear contact lenses, but do you know how itchy and dry those things get in an air-conditioned movie theatre!
Open caption movies: The pièce de résistance and much-coveted form of having captions displayed. Subtitles are shown directly on the screen. For many of us, this will be the best option, although finding movies that show captions straight on the screen is nearly impossible.
CC movies as experienced by hard of hearing people
- “I love going to the movies now with these great closed-captioning glasses!”
- “I get migraines with the CC glasses”
- “We have the cup holder ones and I love it and can enjoy movies now!”
- “I won’t go to a theatre if they don’t have the captioning glasses”
- “The glasses are great, but I found I have to tilt my head a lot while watching movies”
- “I saw an open-captioned movie once and wondered whether the hearing people could see them too (obviously they could) and if they would be mad. . . . . I had a big smile on my face”
Clearly, there is room for improvement, but equal access is most definitely moving in the right direction. Although the UK is lagging behind with subtitles in cinemas, live performances at the National Theatre (NT) in London can now be experienced with captioning right in front of our eyes.
Announced earlier this month, October 2017, NT is testing mixed-reality glasses that enables the wearer to see subtitles floating on the stage. These Open Access Smart Capture glasses are geared toward the hard of hearing, removing the need for captioning screens in the auditorium.
We hope these devices will light a fire under UK cinemas and enable equal access for deaf and hard of hearing people.
If you’re on Facebook, join the UK campaign Accessible Cinema and the US campaign All Movie Theaters Must Have Closed Captioning for Deaf
If you’ve used captioning glasses or any other devices, please share your CC movie experiences in the comment section below. We would love to know more.
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I have the smart caption glasses in Knoxville tn. I love it!
Are they heavy to wear and can you wear them over glasses?
How did you get the glasses?
I don’t think you can wear them over glasses. They are a little heavy and sometimes pinch the nose. They are cumbersome and sometimes miss a few words in the movie. But it’s something that actually works.
Went to my very first captioned movie a few weeks ago. Watched ‘It’ using Captiview. It’s like a mini monitor on a stick that attaches in your seat cupholder. It’s adjustable. It’s great!
But where do you put your drink? Are hearing impaired patrons expected to go without refreshments?
Come on UK when will this be available in our cinemas. I really miss going to to movies
We could get subtitles on net, play on our phones as film is played. That way every film for everyone would have captions. Just need to make a simple app. Opensubtiitles for captions. Free
With phones, we have the backlight disturbing people sitting next to us. People have been thrown out for using their phones in theaters. Then, we would be looking up and down all the time. Would the battery drain faster while using the app?
In the US, there’s quite a few options. Caption glasses (which I have used one time) and Rearview Captions (you have a prop with a screen that displays captions from behind you). I personally prefer that all movies have open captions on the screen.
Watch movies with special glasses? As well as my normal glasses? Not for me thanks!
I use the CaptionView . Still works for me .
Hi. What is caption view?
This will be my first time using captioning services at a theater.
Thank you.
They are awful to wear if you already have glasses and hearing aids. Seating yet another pair of equipment behind your ears is difficult. I have to hold them up to my face for the hours that a movie lasts triggers pain from an auto-immune disease. People wear them to the bathroom so as not to miss dialogue and they come back with actual feces on them. They cannot be disinfected completely (they get sprayed and wiped like regular eyeglasses are cleaned). Very few people in the US prefer them to open captions. They were created a by a hearing person who dismisses all the concerns of those with hearing loss as not being a important enough.
I m deaf. I don’t like to wear heavy glass for captions movie
I think they’re great! My family usually does a movie together as a Christmas tradition and I used to always feel left out.
I had previously tried the glasses, and not only were they uncomfortable to wear, but the captions couldn’t be focused well enough to read. However, just last night I tried out the stand that fits into your drink holder, with the small rectangular screen on the flexible pole, and it was great! The captions were clear and well-synced with the dialogue, and it could be positioned by means of the flexible pole just in front of me and under my line of view to the screen — just as good as closed captions on movies at home. I am only slightly hard of hearing, but very low or mumbled dialogue is often lost on me, so this device is terrific, in my experience. (They also display the lyrics to songs playing in the film.) I will definitely request one at future movies in theatres!.Try it out!
Thanks for the great feedback Susan!
Haven’t tried any of the cc devices as yet. However, from reading the reviews I don’t think I will because I have read comments from users and they appear to be not for me. I wonder if this suggestion is possible – create headsets that have the dialog for each movie. Any inventors o ut there?
The movie 🍿
I love cc at home, interesting how much one misses if it’s not there. I have a hard time with accents and voice that are suddenly quiet. Why don’t they develop a 3D type glasses that shows the cc on the screen only with glasses ?
Katy, that is a brilliant idea!
None of the options at theatres are great in my experience. It is ALWAYS frustrating.
Do you know if anyone is onto it?
Hi Mike
There are caption glasses available in the USA and they were trialled in the UK. I think they are just in a few theatres and not widely used (yet). Feedback has been fairly good. If you Google theatre caption glasses, you should be able to find out more.