M+E Europe
International Digital Centre Wins ACB Award
Story Highlights
Post-production specialists International Digital Centre (IDC Digital) has been honoured by the American Council of the Blind (ACB) with the 2023 Audio Description People’s Choice Award at the ACB’s recent Audio Description Awards Gala.
The award recognised IDC’s description track work for the hit Netflix series “Wednesday,” which was a collaboration between IDC’s bicoastal studios, written by Liz Gutman and produced by Eric Wickstrom in New York City, and voiced by Frankie Corzo and mixed by Luke Thompson in Los Angeles.
The series was one of five finalists that were chosen through an open nomination process.
The award is “a unique opportunity for fans to get involved by showing their support for the audio description they love the most,” ACB said.
“The People’s Choice Award is particularly meaningful to us,” Gutman said. “Any recognition of our work is appreciated; but when the award comes directly from our audience, that really shows that we’re on the right track.”
IDC said the award is noteworthy because of the unusual creative approach Wickstrom and Corzo took in the recording step. Wickstrom said “the tone of the show is famously very dry and witty; we wanted the narration to reflect that. Frankie has an audiobook background, and I told her to really lean into the performance.”
The result is a wry delivery which weaves its way into the narrative, bucking the historical trend of audio description tracks that aim for a more neutral tone. One viewer tweeted that they felt like they were listening to Morticia describing her daughter’s journey.
Wickstrom added, “It was a new approach. Certainly, something less traditional. We were thrilled with the audience’s response.”
The People’s Choice Award – IDC’s second award from the ACB, following their 2021 Achievement in Media Award – stems from IDC’s continuing commitment to elevate and evolve all aspects of Audio Description. “AD users aren’t shy in telling us where they want the craft to go. All we have to do is listen and then help lead the way,” Wickstrom said.
