THOUGHTS & EXPERIENCE FROM A DEAF DIRECTOR
(IMAGE FROMĀ āMĆKKAKAFFE,ā A TV SERIES I DIRECTED IN NORWAY, SEE IPEK MEHLUM [LEFT] & ANNE RYG [RIGHT])
I am 36 years old. Iām deaf. I use American Sign Language. I also have the ability to speak clearly. I suck at lip reading. Iāve directed so many things that Iāve lost count. I direct lots of movies, short, several series, music videos, PSAās. Iāve directed some live shows, short plays. Iāve even directed musicians on how they deliver performances (in both music, signing and singing), including deaf musicians, a CODA singer, once. Iāve graduated from Gallaudet University (having been there for four years). And Iāve graduated from the University of Southern California at the School of Cinematic Artsā with an MFA in Film Production.
And I still keep fighting society to work with deaf actors for deaf roles.
And Iām not the only oneā many others have been doing the sameā Linda Bove, CJ Jones, Jackie Roth, Tyrone Giordano, DJ Kurs, Michelle Banks, Lewis Merkin, Marlee Matlin, Phyllis Frelich, Alexandria Wailes, Shoshannah Stern, Deanne Bray, John McGinty, Deaf West Theatre, and now the āSpring Awakeningā cast is working in this fight.
Iāve worked with so many deaf actors in so many different situations and Iāve learned quite a few things. Hereās what Iāve gathered for everyone to consider:
A high percentage of deaf people want to be actors and are eager to learn.
Most of the directors they work with are hearing and are usually clueless about sign language or deaf culture.
In a professional world, quite frequently, it is expected that all actors are already trained and know what they are doing, so therefore the director or anyone wonāt take the time to train any actor.
There are tons of acting classes out thereā but nearly 95% of them are not accessible to deaf actors. Itās the same situation. The teachers do not have understanding of deaf culture or sign language, so how can they assess what skills deaf and hard of hearing actors need to improve on? Granted there are little things they can do, but ultimately, the classes need to be fully accessible. It is ideal that the classes are for all deaf people or for all who can sign together. Josh Castille, one of the young actors from āSpring Awakeningā is currently buildingĀ āThe Deaf Gangā which is intended to bring access and opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing actors.
Casting calls require more time and work to find the right deaf actor, almost always. However, if you are in major cities, like New York or Los Angeles, (or even Washington, D.C., Austin, Texas, or the Bay Area in California) you will most likely find someone you need. Patience and much more research and digging is required. What helps is if you talk to casting directors whoāve cast deaf people beforeā and there are some amazing onesā like David Zimmerman, John McGinty, Lexi Marman, or a few agents of deaf actors, like Gail Williamson, et cetera. I, myself, love to help with casting whenever I can, since Iāve met so many talented deaf actors. Just give me a message on my FB page, and Iāll do the best I can if I have free time. If you are far away from major cities, give yourself a month at least for casting the appropriate deaf actor for your role. Another useful tip: Use #DeafTalent on any platform, you will most likely find deaf actors associated with that hashtag on Instagram, Facebook, Google Plus, YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter. I suggest you use Snapchat or Instagram stories to learn more about deaf actors themselves, and what they tend to do. You can see how entertaining and informative they can be.
In most professional situations, they expect deaf actors to be treated just like any other hearing actor, but every time that happens, thereās almost always a negative result. And all hell breaks loose when a hearing actor is cast for a deaf role, that is, if the deaf and hard of hearing and sign language communities find out about it.
Deaf actors struggle to find casting calls that are fitting for them. They often rely on Facebook to find the casting calls. Twitter is least popular, since itās more English-based. Facebook is the #1 social media platform for deaf and hard of hearing people, of all ages. And whatās more, some deaf people highly rely on sign language to communicate so their English may sometimes seem poorly-written, but that does not mean that they are uneducated. It just means that sign language is their main language of communication. American Sign Language is an entirely different language than Englishā itās got itās own set of rules and grammar, so therefore, all translations require heavy thought and processes. It is NEVER assisted-English. The reason itās got itās own set of rules and grammar is because English is phonetic-based and it is not deaf-friendly for reading. ASL is 100% visually-friendly, so thatās why itās so much easier to utilize if you are just relying on your eyes alone. Which means, it is much better to have your casting calls to be done in ASL and ENGLISH so that way you can reach out to more deaf and hard of hearing people.
Not all deaf and hard of hearing people know sign language either. Some speak, some lip-read, some just read. They need to be given access as well, which means make your shows captioned. Ideally, all situations should have captioning and sign language access. Captions give access to sound and English. Sign language give access to sound and definition.
Not all deaf and hard of hearing people come from deaf and hard of hearing families. In fact, most arenāt from deaf and hard of hearing familiesā about 90%. Ā
Another FYIā deaf and hard of hearing people are often afraid to audition for roles that arenāt written for deaf and hard of hearing people because it usually means that they have to take the time to explain and educate an entirely new crowd of people, and that in itself, is a ton of work. Few strong deaf actors are willing to go the full mile for that to happen, because they know that they are making a difference for other deaf actors in the future.
Let me reiterate #2 from above: Most of the directors they work with are hearing and are usually clueless about sign language or deaf culture. This is a problem, ultimately because usually deaf and hard of hearing audiences who come to watch the deaf actors are often confused about how they are directed and are not visually friendly for deaf and hard of hearing.
Ultimately it is always helpful to have an ASL master/Director of ASL (someone who writes ASL dialogue when needed). Even myself, as a deaf director and fluent in ASL, I always need one. Because it is a whole body of work, and requires someone who understands the acting process and story. Bear in mind, it is not respectful to ask deaf or hard of hearing actors to translate the English into ASL. It is often too much for themā because they are meant to act, not write.
I recommend this to directors who are new to deaf people ā I recommend that you read the scenes and memorize the lines that are signed completely. Then study the signers. Make sure they are delivering the lines well. Bear in mind that there are two different elements to the face and handsā a) They are expressive, which is communicating pieces of information, which must always be present to communicate lines, such as raised eyebrows to indicate a question. b) They are sharing an emotion or a feeling. Those are two layers that should always exist with the signer. Both can be easily confused by anyone, but if the director can keep both in mind, then youāll have amazing results.Ā
Directorsā I also recommend that you do a LOT of research on deaf culture and sign language whenever dealing with it. It is so much to learn, but youāll find a lot of interesting things about deaf history and how deaf and hard of hearing people can be so much fun to party with. ;)
So you see, thereās more to this than meets the eye. It is ultimately because deaf and hard of hearing people donāt have a ton of privilege like hearing people do. And as a result, the deaf and hard of hearing people often get slammed for trying to make a difference for deaf and hard of hearing actors. Just simply because itās ādifferentā or inconvenient for others to change.Ā
INTERESTING FACT: According to Wikipedia, African Americans are 13.2 % of the population. Hispanic and Latino Americans are 17% of the population. Asian Americans are 6%. What about deaf and hard of hearing people overall?Ā
15% of American adults (aged 18 or over) have hearing loss. (SEE LINK HERE.)
13% of Americans (aged 12 or over) has hearing loss in both ears.
The percentages are pretty comparable with African Americans in the U.S. Give this some thought.Ā
But guess what? After change happensā things are SO much easier and people can get used to it. As a deaf filmmaker myselfā I always thought that being deaf was just one of the many, many things that make filmmaking difficultā like editing, or filming, or adding sound. Itās just another notch on your production listā adding a budget for interpreters, captioning, and ASL Master/Director of ASL, and supporting deaf actors. Anyone would do that if they add specialty items on their budget if the casting decision fits well.
Bear in mindā this article Iāve written was essentially from the top of my headā and it is only a scratch of the surface of the many, many things you will learn. But donāt worryā it really can be a lot of fun if you let it.
