Research Assistant, Enhancing Audio Description, University of York
Enhancing Audio Description is a collaborative project run by the Department of Electronic Engineering and the Department of Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media at the University of York. The project seeks to explore the potential of sound design practices and spatial audio to provide accessible film and television experiences for visually impaired audiences. The project builds on the first Enhancing Audio Description (EAD) Project, which proposed a new paradigm in accessible experiences for visually impaired individuals. Rather than a reliance on spoken description, as in traditional Audio Description, EAD utilises new accessibility features that include: the addition of sound effects, the spatialisation of dialogue and sounding objects, and first-person narration, to provide accessible experiences that are seamlessly integrated into the soundtrack of a film or television programme. This project explores further how these features can transition from one-off bespoke projects, to fully integrated tools in the production workflows for television and film.
Project details:
We are seeking an intern to undertake experiments relating to how humans watch television and film experiences which will be used to inform new EAD production tools. Specifically, you will:
- Set up experimental rigs
- Generate audio content for the experiments
- Perform listening tests on members of the public in our bespoke research facilities
- Analyse the results
- Write a report summarising your findings
You will be supported throughout by supervision from Dr. Gavin Kearney and Dr. Michael McLoughlin.
We are looking for someone with:
- A background in audio/music technology
- Experience of producing audio content in digital audio workstations
- Experience of the Matlab programming environment
- Interest in research on accessibility
Desirable:
- Prior experience of conducting listening tests is desirable but not essential.
What the intern can gain from this internship:
- First hand experience of working in a strong research team at the cutting edge of immersive and interactive audio technologies.
- Opportunity to develop your practical laboratory skills as well as data analysis and report writing.
- You will gain valuable experience working with 3D sound in a project that has a strong industry focus.
- You will gain valuable insight into the accessibility needs of people who have visual impairments.
Application details
This post is brought to you by the Student Internship Bureau and is for a full time internship, starting on 4th July for 10 weeks, working 37 hours per week on an in-person working basis.
The closing date is 25th May, with interviews expected to take place on the 9th June.
Please note that if you are offered an internship through the Internship Bureau, it is a condition of the agreement that you participate fully in the training elements of your project, which includes maintenance of a learning journal and completion of a short project report or video about your experience.
Employers choose to advertise their roles via the Student Internship Bureau, therefore we ask that you do not contact employers directly with your application. If you have any questions about your application, please email careers-placements@york.ac.uk.
How to apply:
To apply, please click the red ‘apply’ link.
- Please download the Student Internship Bureau application form. You can find this on the Student Internship Bureau company profile as an attachment. Alternatively, the application form is attached to the internship vacancy. Once you have completed this, please re-upload along with your CV.
- Please note that if you do not receive a confirmation email following your application, we have not received it. Therefore please be sure to save a copy of your application in case you need to reapply, and email careers-placements@york.ac.uk if you wish to check your application status.
- Please note that details of this project will not be accessible through Handshake following the closing date; please save a copy of this opportunity for your reference.
- If you have not heard from the internship bureau within two weeks of the application deadline, please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.
- You are encouraged to seek support when putting together your application. You can access CV and interview advice at york.ac.uk/careers/applications
INTERNSHIP ELIGIBILITY: YOU MUST READ THIS INFORMATION BEFORE APPLYING. Please send any queries to careers-placements@york.ac.uk.
This internship is open to all students, including final year students of the University of York who will be based in and have the legal right to work in the UK for the duration of the internship. Continuing students must be registered with the University for the duration of the internship.
As this is a full-time internship it cannot be undertaken alongside courses of study or research that are active over the summer vacation period. If you are registered on such a course and believe that your individual circumstances enable you to complete the internship on a full-time basis you should email careers-placements@york.ac.uk with an email providing specific consent to undertake the internship on a full-time basis from your tutor/supervisor at the time of application. If no such email is received, your application will not be considered.
Please note that students studying on a student visa may not exceed 20 hours of paid work (including voluntary work) per week during term time. For postgraduate students, we consider term-time to include the summer vacation.
Right to work documentation: Any applicant who is offered this internship will be asked to provide evidence of their right to work in the UK before beginning the internship. This will involve providing a copy of your passport to the University’s HR Team. If you are a non-EU national your passport should contain details of your student visa confirming that you have obtained permission to work. You will be contacted with further instructions on how to complete a Right to Work check either virtually or in-person if you are offered the role.
You must be eligible to work in the UK and have a valid National Insurance (NI) number to complete this internship. If you are in the application process for an NI number at the time your internship is due to start, you can start work, however please note the University of York Casual Worker Team will require you to provide your NI number as soon as possible. Further information on NI numbers can be found on the UK Government website.