CAPTIONED MOVIES FORUM
Second Meeting
April 28, 2000
SUMMARY
OF
CONCLUSIONS
As agreed at the meeting of February 25, 2000 the Forum reconvened at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission offices in Sydney on April 28, 2000.
The following organisations participated in the Forum:
- Australian Association of the Deaf
- Deafness Forum of Australia
- Hoyts Cinemas
- Greater Union Cinemas
- Village Roadshow
- Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia
- Australian Caption Centre
Representatives of the distributors and exhibitors presented a plan for a trial of open captioning. Following is a summary of the proposal:
1. The trial will be carried out between July and September 2000 in Melbourne and Sydney.
2. Open captioned, current release films will be exhibited at nine sessions per week in each city. The specific venue will be dependent on the film being exhibited. There are three venues in Melbourne and two in Sydney, all located in the CBD. (See details attached.)
3. The show times will be as follows:
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wed |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
10:00 AM |
10:00 AM |
10:00 AM 6:30 PM |
10:00 AM |
10:00 AM 6:30 PM |
10:00 AM |
3:30 PM |
All showing will be open to all members of the public at regular admission prices.
Information will be provided to all patrons, prior to ticket purchase, to make them aware of the trial and to acquaint them with what open captioning is and why it is being used.
4. Films to be shown, and timing of showings, will be dependent on availability of product from Tripod Captioned Films in the United States. If possible, open captioned showings will begin on the same date as the general Australian release of the films. It is anticipated that if the captioned versions is not immediately available the delay should not be more than two to three weeks.
5. It is anticipated that the normal length of showing will be around two weeks and on average two films will be shown each month. However, length of showings will be adjusted depending on the popularity of a particular film.
6. Decisions on which films to present will be made by the distributors and exhibitors in consultation with the Deafness Forum and the AAD.
7. Patrons of open captioned sessions will be asked to fill out a questionnaire designed to assist in the assessment of the trial. A draft of the proposed questionnaire will be circulated for comment to members of the forum by the end of May. Village Roadshow will prepare the first draft.
8. The exhibitors will publicize the availability of open captioned showings by means of their websites and their regular newspaper advertising. Consideration will also be given to whether the Movieline telephone system can be used to publicise open captioned showings.
The AAD and the Deafness Forum will publicise the showings by means of their own networks. The Commission, in consultation with the community organisations and the exhibitors and distributors, will issue a press release announcing the trial and carry out such other promotional activities as may be assistance.
9. The Forum will reconvene on November 03, 2000 to assess the outcome of the captioned movies trial.
The Forum agreed to defer further consideration of the proposed research project on closed captioning systems until after the assessment of the open captioning trial.
SYDNEY
Village Hoyts Centre
505 George Street,
Sydney 2000
02 9273 7431
www.hoyts.com.au
www.village.com.au
Greater Union
525 George Street
Sydney, 2000
02 9267 8666
www.greaterunion.com.au
MELBOURNE
Village
206 Bourke Street,
Melbourne
03 9667 6565
www.village.com.au
Hoyts
140 Bourke Street,
Melbourne
03 9663 3303
www.hoyts.com.au
Greater Union
131 Russel Street
03 9654 8235
www.greaterunion.com.au