Cinema per i non vedenti. Dispositivi tattili per la fruizione/Cinema for the blind. Tactile devices for enjoyment

This paper presents the first results of a research on the topic of tactile devices for the fruition of films by blind people. This topic has been rarely addressed so far, and its principles have not been systematized yet. Therefore, it offers many possibilities for experimentation. Research is still ongoing and has been simultaneously developed for the tactile perception of photography and two-dimensional graphic arts. This paper will focus on cinematography, while referring to principles which are mostly valid for other figurative forms. The auxiliary tools currently available to a blind person to enjoy a film consist exclusively of audio supports which integrate the dialogues between the characters and offer minimal information relating to visual qualities. The audio integrations, based on the verbal description, are not suitable for describing many expressive components related to visuality (shots, optics, video camera movements, choices related to film editing etc.) which, as is evident, constitute essential elements to fully appreciate a movie. The most advanced studies and the first prototypes made in the digital tactile devices industries (motorized microspheres tablets), even if not yet available on a commercial scale, could expand an economically relevant sector of great scientific interest for design science. In addition, it would allow inclusiveness and greater access to culture to a category of disadvantaged people. In this paper we describe the method developed to achieve the bas-reliefs of the key scenes of a film, applying it to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window and trying to focus on the weaknesses and potentials of this experience.