Heartstopper: Audio Description and Internationalization for 21st Century Audiences
Heartstopper, an authentic and beautiful celebration of “gay panic” and LGBTQ+ pride, has won and warmed the hearts of audiences across the world. Released in April 2022 and recently renewed for two more seasons (Netflix), this show features a diverse cast of incredible LGBTQ+ talent and well-paced plot points. In particular, the usage of text messaging and a handful of classic rom-com cliches are key elements that help root Heartstopper as a deeply relatable yet slightly fantastical representation of a modern love story.
Beautiful and wholesome scenes of young love and self discovery are emotionally charged, and Heartstopper represents these emotions in a new way. Most every episode is interlaced with creative indications of how the characters feel and interact. Thoughts that are typically communicated solely through actors’ facial expressions are now mirrored by the messages that they wrote but didn’t send, magical animations, and the nuances behind Gen Z texting language.
The animations are a nod to Heartstopper’s “origins as a graphic novel… hands almost touch; cartoon lightning crackles between them” (Guardian). These unique representations of emotions, ranging from joy to anger to sadness, are crucial to the audience’s understanding of the characters and how they develop throughout the show. As such, the way in which these features are conveyed through the audio descriptions are equally as important. Audio description must not only cover the objective visuals on screen but also immerse the viewer in an extension of the storytelling. As audiences have pointed out, a fitting vibe and ambiance of the AD is a marker of a well-produced track.
As with other shows, the internationalization of the audio description must also occur in a timely fashion. There are 30 different languages available via audio and 31 different subtitle options — but without audio description, visual cues can be missed or misinterpreted. Interestingly, when listening to the Chinese audio track, the cultural nuances of different texting habits seemed to be lost in translation a bit, primarily in part to the differences of texting in Chinese and English. Although there will always be differences that can’t quite be captured in language, adding audio description in different languages can help sighted and blind audiences build a stronger understanding of a show’s cultural context.
Blind and low vision audiences around the world deserve high quality audio description to have equal access to entertainment and modern cultural phenomena, and Heartstopper sits squarely at the intersection of these two areas. Although Pride Month is coming to an end, the beautiful stories of Charlie, Nick, Elle, Tao, Tara, and Darcy show that LGBTQ+ stories should be celebrated year-round. Excited for future seasons and even more creative audio descriptions!
