Please sign (and ask your friends and family to sign) Charlie’s petition for better cinema access for Deaf people, here.
After the outcry following a cancelled subtitled screening of Star Wars on Sunday night, our petition calling for multiplex cinemas to have a dedicated screen for subtitled films has now reached over 13,000 signatures in less than 72 hours.
During the week, I’ve been in regular contact with a spokesman from Odeon, and requested a conversation with those at the top of the organisation.
Yesterday, I asked our readers for measures they’d like me to ask cinemas to provide, and I received many replies on both Facebook and Twitter (thank you to you all, I raised as many as I possibly could).
This morning, I spent over an hour talking to Carol Welch , Odeon’s Managing Director and Simon Soffe Group Head of Communications via a Google Hangout text chat.
The conversation was friendly, with Welch explaining how apologetic Odeon are about what happened in Brighton and saying that they have learned a lot about the needs of deaf guests in the last week.
She told me that they have increased the number of subtitled screenings this week to try to make amends. She also said they screened 102 subtitled midnight fan screenings of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, following feedback from deaf guests (an increase on the 46 subtitled midnight screenings of the previous Star Wars film in 2015).
Welch mentioned that Odeon try to give deaf people complimentary passes and extra screenings when subtitled screenings fail.
I replied explaining that many deaf people have lots of complimentary passes, but this doesn’t compensate for the wasted time going to failed screenings and the feeling of being let down.
I told them that many deaf people have stopped going to the cinema as a result of the poor service they feel they receive from all UK cinemas, not just Odeon, along with subtitled screenings being scheduled at inconvenient times.
I asked about whether projectionists could be better at checking subtitles are working when films are shown, but I was told that the company no longer uses projectionists, with the system being preloaded with a digital file instead, which can sometimes crash, as happened in Brighton.
Welch told me that Odeon “is continuing to look at ideas around new cinema technology and different screenings to move forward.” She is also a board member at the UK Cinema Association and told me they had discussed new technologies last week and are continuing to pursue these options.
I brought up some of the ideas that have come through this week, including some from our readers.
This included the petition’s proposal for a dedicated cinema screen, better technology such as subtitle glasses, the example of the Depot Cinema in Lewes (which shows subtitles in every screen all day on Mondays), a short film about subtitles before subtitled screenings, better information for deaf audiences and a mailing list.
I also more generally told them that deaf people want to be able to go to the cinema whenever they like, not limited to just a few screenings a week.
What I wasn’t able to get was many firm or concrete commitments to improvements but there were some positives from the meeting. In summary:
1) Odeon say they are committed to increased screenings with subtitles over key periods for their big films.
2) They are committed to discussing a new mailing list and better online resources for deaf customers in January.
However, for some areas they felt they needed more time, and said that they do not want to raise expectations.
They told me that they would:
1) discuss the idea of having a dedicated subtitles screen at multiplexes with their senior management team
2) continue to look at technological solutions to make subtitled screenings easier to attend
3) discuss the idea of making a short film to be shown before features explaining why subtitles will appear with their senior management team
4) will look at what Lewes Depot are doing by showing subtitles in all screens on Mondays.
They also said they want to talk to deaf groups on a regular basis.
One area I did talk to them about was the possibility of a change in approach towards subtitled screenings, of being much more positive and proud of them, as opposed to the current situation where they don’t seem prioritised by cinemas.
While I didn’t get the radical changes I was hoping for, the meeting was positive and polite and I got a sense that at the very least, deaf audiences are now on Odeon’s radar.
Overall this week has shown me that it is possible to raise the issue of subtitles at cinemas and to engage with people from cinemas at the highest level, which I hope to continue with other cinema groups in the new year!
Right now, it’s time for me to enjoy Christmas and new year with my family, but I’ll be returning to this subject in January, so keep your eyes peeled for new developments.
Please sign (and ask your friends and family to sign) Charlie’s petition for better cinema access for Deaf people, here.
Charlie Swinbourne is a journalist and is the editor of Limping Chicken, and is also an award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter. Charlie has just set up his own media production company, Eyewitness Media. Both episodes of his new sketch comedy in BSL, Deaf Funny, can be seen on the BSL Zone website.
Ken Jones
December 22, 2017
Thanks Charlie, not only for the sun-titles thing, but for all your work through the year.
Editor
December 22, 2017
Ah thanks Ken!
Ruth
December 22, 2017
Well done Charlie andthanks for going to so much trouble on our behalf
Queby
December 22, 2017
Hi Charlie, I remember meeting you when you were setting up a theatre group in Richmond! Thank you for your efforts, it’s much appreciated. Happy Christmas!
Ann Jillings
December 22, 2017
Thanks for this action and highlighting the issue with Cinema management. I think attitude towards subtitles is a key factor. We were lucky to have a subtitled screening of the Star Wars film on day of release at an Odeon 30 miles away. Interestingly, as we were going in ushers were ‘warning’ us that there were subtitles (almost apologetically), perpetuating the view that they are annoying for the audience. I was quick to point out that we only attending because there WERE subtitles.
Nia
December 22, 2017
This is so encouraging! I work in a one-screen venue and we always make sure we have the subtitled film and that it works – the difference having actual projectionists makes! We of course have so much room for improvement though, and I’ve learnt a lot from this blog, thank you so much to you and your other contributors! Have a wonderful holiday period.
barakta
December 23, 2017
As one of those deaf people who has given up on cinema I appreciate you highlighting those of us the cinemas won’t be counting and being such a good spokesperson for deaf and HOH people with Odeon et al.
I think we need to keep up the pressure on cinemas (and others) about subtitles and agree wholeheartedly about a positive approach and framing of them.
Editor
December 23, 2017
Thank uou
Derek Dorking
December 23, 2017
Well done Charlie for highlighting this story. As an ex-projectionist I can tell you that sometimes an audience would request the subtitles turned off if there was a majority of hearing people in on a subtitled showing day! However, the statement that the file can sometimes fail is pure rubbish- the subtitle file needs to be loaded within the program- which would not have been overlooked if fully trained dedicated technical staff were still employed. Good luck with the good work.
Alan
December 26, 2017
I’d like to make a point about the cinema which shows subtitles on all screens on one day only. This is not equal access for subtitle users – it is one seventh access. Worse, this is achieved by taking this one seventh away from the hearing people who can’t concentrate on films with subtitles(as the complaints about subtitles incident shows!).
Now, I know one in seven is an interesting statistic because there’s a magazine whose very name claims that one in seven people have hearing loss of some kind. However, this includes those with gradual or partial hearing loss who can probably still hear cinema-spec audio.
Therefore, I would favour any model where at least one screen was dedicated to subtitled showings full-time. To avoid harming small independent cinemas(many of which frequently show foreign films with subtitles anyway), this should apply only to cinemas with more than, say, seven screens.
Editor
December 26, 2017
Great, it sounds like you support the petition then?
It’s important to say that not all hearing people dislike subtitles, although we know some really really do.
In terms of their access being ‘taken away,’ well it hasn’t really, as they can still follow the film (which isn’t true of the reverse).
And I have no sympathy for a hearing audience who can watch any film they like on the other six days or at numerous other cinemas and multiplexes.
Marika Rebicsek
December 27, 2017
HUGE WELL DONE ON DOING THIS! I am so grateful for all your efforts as my life is not easy right now with poor health so all my energies focused on staying in work and working and not got anything left to do anything else so I am so appreciative of your efforts for us all. Lots of my friends and students have signed the petition. I circulated it as widely as I could. One in 6 (not 7) have a hearing loss plus the younger generation will have hearing problems as we live in a much nosier society now. I bet it will go to one in 5 later on. THANK YOU