SIGNS FROM THE NARRATOR
One of my most unusual assignments was to create a video for deaf and hard-of-hearing parents of deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Since much of the audience couldn’t hear, the primary narrator was chosen from a list of professionals fluent in American Sign Language. There was also open captioning and a voiceover for hearing viewers.
After meetings with reps from the Virginia Department of Health, I determined it would frustrating for deaf viewers to try to “read” ASL while watching explanatory footage. As a result, the narrator’s on-camera explanations alternate with video footage that rolls in silence. (Music was deemed to confusing for those with partial hearing.)
We shot in a school classroom, an audiologists’ lab and a model home, where we conducted interviews with parents. The studio shoot and edit was done at the VITA facility run by Charlie Reilly.
The result? An explanation of the options available that’s easy to follow for hearing, partial hearing and completely deaf viewers.
Wanna hear or see it? Call me at 804-358-5320 or email me.