Have you ever seen an ASL story performance and thought, “That’s like watching a movie!”? Television and film use certain conventions (often referred to as their “grammar”) when recording and editing audiovisual media. ASL literature has been found to use the same types of conventions by ASL writers (Krentz, 2006. Bauman, 2006.) This workshop examines the parallels between cinematic techniques and ASL grammar conventions such as use of space, depiction, sign modification, and facial affect (Wink, 2011).
A common misconception is that Cinematic ASL is only used by ASL performers, so is only appropriate for theatrical interpreting. This is simply not true. Cinematic ASL techniques are used by native signers in a myriad of settings, and have numerous applications for interpreting: when discussing anatomy, conducting an interview in a legal setting, teaching history, or telling a story. One benefit in studying these techniques observed by past participants is the variety of options that this workshop presents. ASL messages can be composed of so much more than a few rote approaches.
Cinematic techniques used by the Deaf community in storytelling and conversation will enhance interpreters’ work as well. Incorporating these techniques and ASL grammatical features supports linguistic integrity in interpreted messages. If someone wants to create captivating “blockbuster” of ASL literature or stunning visual interpreting work, they must be aware of and practice these conventions.
In addition to learning how to produce such concepts expressively, it is imperative interpreters are able to recognize them receptively. ASL signers, including performers, commonly use techniques such as long shots, close ups, and panning shots to show action in ASL narratives. Once interpreters recognize cinematic techniques in action, they must also be able to deduce their intended function and purpose within the interaction. Without catching the cinematic action, an interpreter can misunderstand the interaction between referents, creating miscues.
This workshop includes some of the most important conventions for conveying meaning through particular camera and editing techniques (as well as some of the specialized vocabulary of film production) which relate directly to ASL’s use of space, depiction, eye gaze, and other parts of ASL grammar commonly employed by native ASL users.

ASL Abstract: https://youtu.be/ALYrsP9fBj8