The world is becoming ever more complex and the world of audiovisual translation and media accessibility no less so. With ever more ways and ever more environments (cinema, TV, video games, computers, smart phones and glasses, social media etc.) in which to take part of (and in) audiovisual material, the complexities for AVT and MA are increasing.

Not only that, but more diverse groups of inhabitants of our audiovisual world (such as the visually, aurally or cognitively impaired, language learners, the elderly etc.) are demanding and getting their just rights as audiovisual citizens.

The media itself is also getting more complex, with more forms interacting (e.g. YouTube clips on facebook, surtitling in smart phones or glasses, cinema releases reappearing on streaming sites, interactive displays at museums etc.). Media has also become democratized, with more prosumer creating, and translating, their own content.

Furthermore, AVT and MA research is becoming ever more complex, as we search for understanding, not only by descriptive, text-centred studies, but also through experimental, viewer-centred studies using ever more complex methods (such as eyetracking, EEG, skin conductivity and fMRI scans). Understanding audiovisual content and impact has never been more important in this increasingly polarized world.

The aim of the conference

This conference is about creating and mediating understanding in an increasingly complex mediascape. Understanding not only of audiovisual content, but also understanding of and between producers, consumers and prosumers, understanding for the technical and cognitive processes involved, understanding for consumers’ needs and desires, and understanding of and for working conditions, among many other perspectives. So, let’s get together to understand all these complexities!

Call for papers

The organizers welcome papers in four different formats: workshops, panels, presentations and posters.

Call for workshop proposals

The day preceding the conference will include a number of workshops with a duration of either a full or a half day. We invite proposals for high-quality workshops within the scope of the conference (see also the themes below), which will give participants hands on experience of new approaches, new technology or new techniques in the fields of AVT and MA. Workshops could include new techniques, systems and practices for practitioners, as well as new approaches and methods for researchers.

A proposal for a workshop should include a description of the topic that will be taught as well as a detailed description of the planning of the workshop and what the participants can expect.

Deadline for submitting a workshop proposal is May 30, 2018.

Call for panel proposals

The organizers are opening up spaces for a few high-quality panels within the aim and scope of the conference. We invite panel proposals which focus on one specific theme of the conference (see below) and which are organized so that discussions with the audience are encouraged. Panels should have high scientific and academic quality, and panel organizers will present a suggested theme and draft programme for the panel. If the panel is accepted, panel organizers will also pre-screen the abstracts for each participant in the panel. Panel participants will be encouraged to submit speaking points rather than a paper. Each panel will have a duration of sixty minutes.

Deadline for submitting a panel proposal is May 30, 2018.

Call for poster proposals

The conference will include a poster exhibition and time will be set aside for a poster presentation slot. We therefore hope to see many high-quality applications for posters. We consider the poster format very valuable for presenting projects, whether they be completed studies or as work-in-progress. We would like to stress the importance of the visual element of posters, and thus encourage those researchers attending with a poster to prioritize the visual benefits of the poster, thus downsizing the written presentation, in order to ensure discussion and interaction with fellow scholars. There will be an award for the best poster.

Deadline for submitting a poster proposal is September 20, 2018.

Call for paper presentation proposals

The individual oral presentation of papers is the backbone of this conference. We welcome abstracts on, or related to, all the themes listed below. We encourage speakers to speak freely when presenting, rather than reading aloud from a pre-prepared paper. Spots for presentations will be 30 minutes long, including a ten-minute session for questions. Even though the organizers are preparing many slots for presentations, we will only accept high-quality contributions, which will be judged in a double-blinded peer review process. Depending on the content and the format of the paper presented in the abstract, the organizers may suggest resubmission in a different format.

Deadline for submitting a paper presentation proposal is September 20, 2018.

Submission instructions

If you don't already have an EasyChair account, create an account on
https://easychair.org/account/signup.cgi?conf=m4a8 and follow the instructions.

For submitting an abstract

Go to https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=m4a8Log in

Choose: enter as an author

Enter the required information on the M4A8 submission form.

Full details: https://www.tolk.su.se/english/media-for-all-8/call-for-papers