WatchWord: Closed Captions for Cinema
Revolutionising accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing cinema audiences
WatchWord line-of-sight closed-caption glasses
WatchWord is an 'always-on' closed-captioning accessibility system designed for deaf and hard-of-hearing cinemagoers
It works by broadcasting closed captions, provided with a movie, over Wi-Fi to augmented reality glasses. These glasses can be worn over prescription glasses and around cochlear implants. Cinemas offering WatchWord allow audiences to choose which films to attend based on their title, rather than a specific time slot.
While many films display open captions on the screen, WatchWord offers a discreet closed-captioning system, ensuring that only those wearing the glasses can see the captions. Unlike other forms of closed captioning, the use of augmented reality glasses provides users with a superior line-of-sight viewing experience, so there’s no need to look away from the screen.
WatchWord supports cinemas, by significantly increasing the proportion of accessible movie screenings. During our trials at one cinema, WatchWord increased captioned screenings from 5 to 175 in a single week, providing a much greater choice for audiences who rely on captions. See how users reacted when they tried WatchWord for the first time - video below.
Cinemagoers experiencing WatchWord for the first time
Using WatchWord: A Simple Guide
WatchWord has been designed to be easy to use. Once you’ve requested the glasses for your cinema visit, simply collect them from the cinema staff, who will show you how they work.
The glasses are connected to a touch-screen controller (photo below). When you put them on, you’ll be greeted with a welcome message as scrolling text appears in the glasses.
During the adverts and trailers, you may notice there are no captions, this is because most adverts and trailers don’t yet include them. We’ve already begun lobbying film distributors to address this.
While waiting for the movie to begin, it’s a good time to ensure the glasses sit comfortably on your nose. If they’re sliding down, simply remove them and adjust the nose piece, which is both sturdy and flexible.
WatchWord touch-screen controller
Once you have the glasses comfortably positioned, sit back and enjoy the film. As it begins, the dialogue will appear projected on the lenses, allowing you to follow along and read the captions without missing any of the action.
Unlike on-screen captions, users have the flexibility to customise the text. You can adjust the size, colour, position, and focal distance to suit your preferences.
Using the hand-held controller, which works similarly to a smartphone, you can easily make these adjustments. Once you’ve set the text to your liking, the controller screen will go dark to avoid disturbing you or your fellow cinema-goers. If you wish to make further changes, simply touch the screen at any time, and it will reactivate.
The WatchWord experience
Feedback has been exceptional, with many describing the experience as 'life-changing.’”
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What are Closed Captions?
Captions are described as ‘closed’ when displayed on personal devices like smartphones or ‘smart’ glasses, such as the ones WatchWord uses.
Many films provided to cinemas include closed captions and the WatchWord system can broadcast them to people wearing the glasses.
Captions are described as ‘open’ when they are displayed on the bottom of the same screen as the movie so everyone can see them.
Most cinemas schedule a proportion of screenings with open captions, and WatchWord has been developed so people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing can choose to attend films scheduled without open captions.
