Discussion Accessible Manga for the blind. Good idea?

[Harun]

Good day.

I've had an idea brewing for some time, and would like to hear an opinion on it. Just as some people read books into audio for those who might not be able to access them, I thought the same idea with manga.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/n2pt2c
I recorded the first chapter of "Gin to Kin" and sent it to a forum for BVI (blind and visually impaired) folks. It got some good feedback. It got me wanting to try and get manga accessible to other folks.

The idea is simple:
Choose a chapter of a series, and read it outloud to a soundfile. Read dialogues and describe the visuals.
Writers could write 'scripts' of the dialog and visual descriptions for the Readers to use. Readers could read and describe (either directly from the manga, or from a 'script' that someone else has written) into audio.
[ As you can clearly hear from my horrible presentation, it dosen't have to sound 'professional'. ]

As an alternative, screen readers could also be used to read these 'scripts' if spoken audio isn't available.

Interesting Idea?

Cheers,

 

[Yabe]

Seriously! I think this is a really interesting idea if the feedback from them was large and good enough. Were the people at the forum really interested in manga?

If we mean to start, we also must choose the series carefully though, and I've already got some ideas.

 

[Harun]

Yes, there are alot of bvi folks interested in manga.
I'd love to hit onto anything by Fukumoto Nobuyuki, as you can tell by "Gin to Kin". But I also LOVE anything Shojo.

Please share your ideas.

Cheers,

 

[Yabe]

At the very first moment, I was thinking about some cheerful, positive, spirit-raising series like Rookies, REAL and One Piece - but seeing your preferations I'm stopped and curious to know of your motivations for Shojo; are there special reasons related to the targets our records will be presented to?

When I read this without listening to your record, I was thinking about talking my friends into it together so I didn't get to think about the numbers of main characters in the manga. But after I listened to it I think that it's not quite an easy job to voice the whole chapter alone when the talking characters are increased and keep chatting to one another, was it?

Just small thought - but do you think only listen to the sound of the manga would make someone desire very much to see how they're drawn?

 

[Harun]

At the very first moment, I was thinking about some cheerful, positive, spirit-raising series like Rookies, REAL and One Piece

-My preferences are by no means any kind of standard. I was also thnking of One Piece.

but seeing your preferations I'm stopped and curious to know of your motivations for Shojo; are there special reasons related to the targets our records will be presented to?

-No, not at all. I just like the character development in Shojo, but Shonen or any other kind is great. I had an ideda for MONSTER this morning. Great mystery.

When I read this without listening to your record, I was thinking about talking my friends into it together so I didn't get to think about the numbers of main characters in the manga.

-That's a great idea! I didn't think about that.

Just small thought - but do you think only listen to the sound of the manga would make someone desire very much to see how they're drawn?

-No. A simple description does fine.

Anyways, please choose any series you'd like! If I can, I'll try to help.

Cheers,

---

UPDATE: 2008-08-02
I'm now editing the audio for Chapters 2 and 3 of "Silver and Gold / Gin to Kin" by Fukumoto Nobuyuki

Cheers,

The project is still going strong! Hope this will stimulate other submissions.

 

[eni]

Hm, your download link is gone. It would be nice to if you could upload it again.

Just some input for now:

Start with oneshots and short complete series (around 3 volumes). I know you want to present your favorite series but how long can you keep up this project? One Piece and similar series are loooong, it's hard work to turn such a long and ongoing series into a audio book. Can you promise to end it? You can always start on a longer manga later when you figured out how to work on this project in the long run. But for the beginning, to catch interests and to get yourself into it, chose something that can be finished easily.

Do the series in one go. If you stretch it and need to change voice actors/readers inbetween it's irritating. Imagine a TV series suddenly replacing the actor for a role and you'll have to deal with the new face, not very comfortable. At least, voice a whole volume, not a single chapter. That's also why shorter series in the beginning are better.

Use SFX and moody background music. When a glass falls, let a glass fall. The SFX, noises and music is the "visual" part for blind people, it will feel more like a comic (which is closer to a movie than to a book - make it clear that we deal with a different media here). A manga is not just "to be read" like a normal audio book, imho. You need to make the things you see "perceptible", that's the special thing about visual novels and for blind people the sounds replaces the mood we feel through the drawings. This sure is more work, but the effect will be a looooot more enjoyable.

 

[Harun]

Hm, your download link is gone. It would be nice to if you could upload it again.

-Here you are.
Silver and Gold, Chapter 1 - http://www.sendspace.com/file/1krmz1

Silver and Gold, Chapter 2 - http://www.sendspace.com/file/bbn8mc
Silver and Gold, Chapter 3 - http://www.sendspace.com/file/bu734y

Start with oneshots and short complete series (around 3 volumes). I know you want to present your favorite series but how long can you keep up this project?

-Well, this started as a small project for a few Nobuyuki manga my friends in highschool were requesting. I'm the translator AND the reader. Though, it's quite easy for others to find smaller, already translated manga and start there.

But for the beginning, to catch interests and to get yourself into it, chose something that can be finished easily.

-Good point.

Use SFX and moody background music.

-This project is still in its infant stages. Not quite so advanced yet, but good ideas!

You need to make the things you see "perceptible", that's the special thing about visual novels and for blind people the sounds replaces the mood we feel through the drawings.

-I'm nearly blind myself, so I suppose I'm not the best person for a reader!
--I hope that by doing this, it'll spark sighted (people who can see well) readers to join in the project.

Thanks for the input.

Cheers,

 

[emer]

Wow...really cool : D

There is soundbooks, so why not soundmanga? Maybe somewhat harder but still...

Good luck : D

 

[blai]

I strongly approve this idea and if i can contribute in ANY way PM me or write here because it seems like a really great idea!

 

[Harun]

I strongly approve this idea and if i can contribute in ANY way PM me or write here because it seems like a really great idea!

Thanks so much for your support! People can help by directly Reading and describing manga themselves, or writing Scripts, for other Readers.

I. Reader
1. Find a manga that you like to read.
2. Get a microphone
3. Read the manga outloud. Include character names, and visual descriptions.
4. Upload the mp3, and share the link here.
-Listen to my horrid examples; anyone can do better than that!
-OR-
II. Script Writer
1. Find a script or transcript of a manga you like.
2. Insert Visual descriptions and character names into the text.
3. Upload it, for a Reader to read.

Looking forward to 'hearing' from you.

PS
-Here's the original thread I started in another forum, for those who are interested. Recently, it has also turned into a thread where people can share Anime/Manga Summaries.
http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?id=2306

 

[blai]

I can do whatever to be honest hehe.
It's pretty good what you've read in.

I can read in an episode tomorrow when i got some time after my meetings. Need to transcript a mana first tho so It'll prolly be posted within the next 24hrs, closer to the latter of those hours. : )

---

Woho, anyone that knows where i can find transcripted mangas to read in? : )

 

[Paper]

Great idea Harun! This'll be much like the radio shows of the old days, but with manga instead of cheap daily radio fodder.

This would be a great form of training for aspiring voice actors and actors alike!

Notes: It'd be great to see a group of people using different voices doing it rather than just one person... call them "Audlators"/ "Vocalators" maybe? Another idea I'd like to pitch is the use of props and cheap sound effects. It may take a little more effort, but it'll be just like what Manga Editors do with manga.

 

[blai]

Good ideas. If we start with one manga, we could "assign roles" for the different persons. As in you only read in your lines, and then someone puts it all together as a "Manga Editor" and the voice actors will have the role as "translators" if we are talking in normal manga publishing.

If you get my idea.

 

[Paper]

Yeah, a lot like sound editing adn recording...

Btw, anyone know what program to use for recording? I mean since it's only a person's voice, I don't think using stuff like Cool Edit would be necessary...

 

[Harun]

I usually use cool edit. The amount of 'um' and 'ah' makes it crucial for me!
Try Audacity .

Also, THIS SITE is swimming in transcripted manga.
Other sites such as OneManga allow you to read (and thus have a basis for recording) TONs of manga.

Cheers,

UPDATE:
-Planning out Chapters 4 and 5 of Silver and Gold.

 

[Paper]

Hmhmm... Cool Edit's expensive

 

[Harun]

Hmhmm... Cool Edit's expensive

Oops. I meant cool record edit. It works just as well.

 

[Paper]

Freeware?

 

[Harun]

It's 30USD.

It'd be nice to find a program that could pre-load sounds / music clips, and them play them while you're recording by clicking.
-That'd help this whole 'atmosphere' thing.

 

[Paper]

Hmhmhm... You'd need some real sound recording/ editing software to do that though... And that'll cost way more than $30