Disney’s ASL Revolution: Creating Authentic Representation in Animation 4K

0:05
I'll uh I'll start if nobody else has a
0:07
question. Um obviously with the the
0:10
concept of this program, um do you
0:13
foresee this going beyond just shorts
0:17
like adaptations of songs? Uh, do you
0:19
foresee this as like almost like the way
0:21
that Disney dubs all their films and has
0:24
um text localized that there could
0:26
potentially in the future be ASL
0:29
versions of like a full complete feature
0:31
film?
0:32
>> Yeah, it's a great question. I I I can't
0:34
comment comment on any future projects.
0:37
For me, I'm just enjoying living in the
0:40
moment right now of just what this is,
0:42
right? And just how significant it is.
0:46
I mean to go further with that, you
0:48
know, I I brought it up at the previous
0:51
breakout room. I mean, most deaf and
0:53
disabled people watch Disney and those
0:57
characters are coded for them as opposed
0:59
to literal. Uh, do you hope that this
1:02
does inspire Disney to create deaf and
1:05
disabled heroins, leading characters,
1:08
uh, furthering that conversation of I
1:12
mean, you your shorts prove that you can
1:14
include ASL in these stories.
1:16
>> Yeah. Honestly, I think I hope it
1:18
inspires everyone, not just Disney,
1:21
right? I think that there's so many
1:22
opportunities and mediums out there to
1:24
to explore this where we can represent
1:27
and connect with, you know, all over the
1:31
world in different ways. So, absolutely.
1:36
>> I want to add to that. I think it's not
1:37
only about representation, but it's also
1:39
about the art form itself. We're
1:41
creating a new form of art. uh bring to
1:44
the table uh this level of art that
1:47
we've seen in Moana or Ila Merde and
1:51
this is something that's different but
1:53
the same but it's like looking at a
1:56
different side of the same prison and so
1:58
that's what's really exciting about this
2:00
not just that it's checking off boxes
2:03
but that it in fact is a new art form
2:06
we've seen in these short films the
2:08
power of those short films because of
2:10
the personal experience expressed by the
2:13
directors in those projects. That's true
2:15
in this case.
2:17
>> Yeah. Can I jump on that too?
2:20
>> I think this show is significant. It's
2:22
also just beautiful. Yeah.
2:23
>> Right. I just sign language is gorgeous
2:26
and just being able to do that within
2:28
animation.
2:30
Wonderful.
2:34
>> This is unique. This this represents
2:37
aside from all the obvious things, this
2:40
is a huge effort on behalf of Disney
2:42
with regards to redoing, you know,
2:45
redoing segments from feature films.
2:48
>> Um, how long did this take from the from
2:51
when the idea first came about? Um, how
2:56
long until you kind of had an idea of
2:58
okay, this is how we will do this to
3:01
then how long did it take to do it?
3:04
>> Yeah. Okay, that's a great question.
3:06
This was a slow burn, meaning, you know,
3:09
I'd had ideas a long time ago for what
3:13
this potentially could be. Uh, you know,
3:15
Jennifer Lee, Clark, Spencer, they they
3:17
saw the vision of it, but it became
3:19
something where it had to start small
3:21
and then it progressed and then right
3:23
towards the end is where all hands on
3:26
deck we it went pretty fast and the
3:29
production of this took place within a
3:30
matter of months um for the majority of
3:33
it. So, like conceptually took a long
3:35
time, right, to kind of think about um
3:39
cuz again, and I think I mentioned in
3:40
the video there, like it had to be
3:42
right, like this had to be correct. We
3:45
couldn't just slap sign language on top
3:47
of something, right? We knew it had to
3:48
be genuine. And so, uh we did our
3:51
homework and I think we did. We're okay
3:54
with it taking a little while to make
3:55
sure that it was correct. Did that
3:58
answer your question? Okay.
4:03
Speaking of it as almost like an art
4:06
form, um obviously De West Theater is is
4:08
a popular um performance art. Uh I know
4:11
Disney's like YouTube channels have done
4:14
like Let It Go with In the Bottom
4:16
Corner, like a liveaction person giving
4:18
the ASL um interpretation of it. I'm
4:22
curious, you mentioned you've been
4:23
wanting to do something like this for a
4:25
while. Did those um did the popularity
4:28
of that kind of content online help make
4:31
this an easier sell to like the
4:33
corporate powers that be?
4:36
>> You know, I guess I would say it it
4:39
wasn't it wasn't a situation of me
4:41
having to sell this, right? Like from
4:44
the get-go, the studio just saw the
4:46
vision of what this is and how important
4:48
this could be. So I I don't know that
4:50
there was a whole lot of me like we got
4:52
to do this because because they
4:53
immediately saw the vision. So, uh, as
4:56
far as what else had been done
4:57
beforehand, I I I can't speak to that.
4:59
You know, I know I know Death West did a
5:01
lot of stuff, uh, to kind of
5:06
put those out into the world and and for
5:08
audiences to see, but yeah, I just I
5:10
just felt like there was there's always
5:12
a lot of support and excitement behind
5:15
this.
5:18
What I'd like to add to that Iron I
5:20
think you know what said in the panel
5:24
earlier made all the difference. It's
5:25
his personal story. He wanted to connect
5:27
to his power and that makes all the
5:29
difference for me. Uh it made this
5:33
project much more powerful and the push
5:35
for collaboration uh was an easy cell
5:38
for me because there was a purpose. All
5:41
art is personal of course but the intent
5:44
and the impact this project will have
5:46
was very exciting for me as well. But
5:48
the origin of the story is the most
5:50
beautiful part for me
5:53
>> to go off of that. I mean, I know K you
5:56
talked about, you know, learning sign
5:59
language uh in the process of doing
6:01
this. I mean, one in four has a
6:04
disability, but that means three and
6:05
four are not disabled. And so, how do
6:08
you think working on this project has
6:10
shaped your allyship to the deaf and
6:13
disabled community?
6:16
No, that's a great question. Um,
6:20
you know, DJ brought up how personal
6:23
this is to me and I brought up, you
6:26
know, in our meeting together just uh
6:30
the regrets I've had, you know, as as a
6:33
kid not being able to really connect
6:35
with my dad. And I just think that if
6:37
anything for me, I'm just getting
6:40
personal here, but for me, this this
6:42
project stands a bit as just um a symbol
6:47
of that. Like we can we can take down
6:50
those barriers. We can take down those
6:51
roles and and we can do that.
6:54
>> I love that. It's very true.
6:56
>> Thank you.
6:58
I have a niece and nephew who have
7:01
significant hearing loss since since
7:02
birth and I know one of the things that
7:05
is always they're always fighting to in
7:08
in conversation and in everything
7:10
they're always fighting to to hear and
7:13
be part of things because they came here
7:16
and I know that there's been a lot more
7:19
as you were saying you know on a corner
7:21
of a screen someone doing ASL and uh
7:26
but This is completely different. This
7:29
is a This is integrated with the
7:31
performance. From your perspective,
7:34
how different is this for you just to
7:37
watch it and uh to see it and watch it
7:41
compared to just a normally ASL
7:45
uh you know with ASL integrated.
7:49
It just seems fundamentally hugely
7:51
different.
7:52
>> Yeah, absolutely. It is 100% for sure
7:55
different because when you have an
7:58
interpreter or a deaf signer in the
7:59
corner that's always good for providing
8:02
access for providing information and so
8:05
I get my uh you know equal accessibility
8:08
uh met you know I experience the same
8:10
thing the hearing person is experiencing
8:12
this project is different because of the
8:14
artistic approach to it to the music to
8:18
the emotion to the story it's different
8:21
in that way an interpreter or a deaf
8:23
signer on this screen is very very
8:24
helpful for the information you know to
8:27
say so that I can say oh I'm watching
8:29
this thing with an interpretation so I
8:31
understand the information but this is
8:33
very like I can relate to the character
8:35
for example Mona Mirabel I can feel like
8:39
oh that's I'm one of you you're one of
8:42
me I have this connection to a character
8:45
that the deaf community has never had
8:47
the opportunity to experience when it
8:49
comes to entertainment so this project
8:51
this time is so exciting And I believe
8:53
that the deaf community will feel this
8:54
is an an historic first when they will
8:56
see themselves on the screen in an
8:59
animated representation that's never
9:01
been done before.
9:05
>> I have a question about adapting the um
9:08
the lyrics essentially into into ASL. Um
9:11
there are sometimes especially in We
9:13
Don't Talk About Bruno where things
9:15
would be like redundant to say because
9:17
we see it are not necessarily signed.
9:20
Um, so I was wonder if you could talk
9:22
about like the decisions to not sign I
9:25
grew a gut. Um, just show it and move
9:27
on. Um, and like how that how that all
9:30
comes out.
9:33
>> I grew a gut.
9:36
>> That's a really good question. I think
9:39
originally we did think about signing
9:42
Grow a Gut, but we realized at the same
9:45
time that if we sign it, then all the
9:47
action is happening at the same time and
9:48
that really it was funnier for comedic
9:52
purposes. It would be funnier if we left
9:54
it as is and let the action speak for
9:56
itself in that moment. So, because, you
9:59
know, we don't want to give the audience
10:02
the sign before they're going to see it
10:04
or or else they'll miss the joke in its
10:06
entirety because they're watching the
10:07
signing of it. So, that was a really
10:09
good question because yeah, we made
10:10
those decisions based on how the
10:12
audience would receive the information
10:16
>> and um we didn't want to diminish the
10:18
moment uh the animators, you know,
10:20
making the beautiful moment of his
10:22
popping out of his shirt. We want to
10:24
step on that moment that's accessible.
10:27
So we found the balance between art and
10:28
intention. The intention is clearly
10:30
there originally. It's just don't need
10:33
that.
10:33
>> Yeah. One thing I would say is, you
10:36
know, Disney animation,
10:38
we have a strong focus on restraint in
10:41
our performance, in our acting
10:43
performance. We put a lot of effort into
10:44
making sure uh that that happens. And so
10:48
that's what I love about sign language
10:50
is it's it sign language the ability to
10:53
be able to convey something with very
10:55
few signs. uh to not overdo it, to not
10:58
overdo the moment. And I think that's
11:00
one of the examples of well, we don't
11:01
need that right there. Let's let's let's
11:04
contain and show that restraint.
11:10
>> I agree.
11:12
>> You spoke about connection earlier and
11:14
clearly there is a connection in the
11:16
collaboration of creating this. Could
11:18
each of you talk about the process and
11:20
connecting and maybe some surprises you
11:22
had along the way with this?
11:37
You know, Death West traditionally
11:40
since the beginning has always
11:42
collaborated with the larger theater
11:45
business, the hearing world. Sometimes
11:47
it works, sometimes it didn't as well.
11:50
And I think the thing is I found that
11:53
working with people Open minds and open
11:54
hearts allowed for productive
11:56
collaboration with Disney and Hyram
11:59
being so open and aware and ready,
12:02
willing and able to take on the project.
12:05
That right there tells me that the
12:07
artistic result will be affected
12:09
effective because of that spirit
12:11
entering the project. To me that was a
12:13
great relief.
12:18
>> Me
12:21
okay. Um, I think
12:26
this is particularly special to me
12:27
because it's my first big project. I've
12:31
done a lot of translation work on my own
12:33
with my own content, but this is my
12:36
first time ever doing something for a
12:39
company, like a large institution like
12:42
Disney. So, at De West, DJ contacted me
12:45
about it and he said, "What do you
12:46
think? Would you be interested in doing
12:47
something like this?" And I was an
12:49
immediate yes with it. So we just I sort
12:51
of do dove in and I met Hyram and really
12:54
I felt immediately like
12:58
it going to work so wonderfully because
13:00
of the people the work environment.
13:03
Everyone was so passionate, so
13:08
uh committed to making this work and
13:10
making this equivalent experience
13:13
available to deaf people. And so it was
13:15
just a fabulous experience to work with
13:17
both companies, both with Def West and
13:19
Disney.
13:21
>> Yeah. And I would just say, you know,
13:24
when when you try and sit out and do a
13:27
big project, sometimes you can think it
13:29
about it as as okay, these people do
13:31
this, we do this, you do that. From the
13:33
very beginning, um, we connected and I
13:37
just felt like we crafted this thing
13:40
together. This was not, you know, the
13:43
segment is you do your part, I'll do
13:44
mine. We really work together to make
13:46
sure this was right.
13:50
For our uh friends from Death West, I'm
13:52
curious, what role did animation play in
13:55
your life? Was it a more accessible
13:57
medium to you because of the like over
14:00
emotion that is shown in animation? Um,
14:04
like did you have an easier time
14:05
watching animation than live action? um
14:07
and understanding things even if you
14:09
couldn't hear or read as a young child.
14:17
>> Well, I'll start because I'm a little
14:18
older than Catalina
14:21
and I do remember growing up there were
14:23
no subtitles, closing captions, closed
14:25
captions, nothing like that. Uh you just
14:28
watch the characters move on the screen
14:31
and that was entertaining enough
14:33
already.
14:34
Uh, and later on my life when captions
14:37
came up, I was like, "Oh, that's what
14:38
they were saying."
14:43
And so it's that transition from the era
14:46
of no subtitles to the day where we're
14:49
seeing Disney characters express
14:51
themselves in American Sign Language is
14:53
very powerful for someone from my
14:55
generation.
14:57
Uh, to see the doors open over the years
15:00
to get to this point, this moment in
15:02
time is grow.
15:06
>> For me, I grew up I had all types of
15:11
Disney princess animation available to
15:13
me. I watched them on repeat growing up
15:16
and loved them all. Um, so yes, I they
15:19
were entertaining. I found myself
15:21
fascinated by them. But the meaning
15:23
behind the story, I didn't have a
15:26
complete understanding of what was the
15:29
meaning until I became bolder.
15:32
Then I would watch him again with the
15:34
captions when I was old enough to get
15:35
what the captions were saying. Um, and
15:37
then I was understanding it better. So I
15:40
think for very young children, they're
15:41
not going to have access with captions,
15:44
you know. Um, so because of that, I feel
15:48
that I've never fully understood
15:50
anything until I became an adult. With
15:52
this project, I think there's going to
15:54
be an incredibly different impact on the
15:57
future generations of deaf children
15:59
because they'll be able to watch
16:00
something that's in their language
16:02
presented to them and uh and it's going
16:05
to be really appreciated by them. So,
16:07
it's important
16:10
>> to go off of that for for Catalina and
16:12
and EJ. I mean, Kathleen, what you were
16:15
saying about the equivalent experience,
16:17
I think, is so important because so
16:19
often with deaf and disabled people,
16:21
it's we're giving you a side thing and
16:24
be happy that you have that side thing.
16:26
It's separate but equal. This is
16:28
equivalent. It's it's the similar tone.
16:31
It's integrated. How do you two look at
16:36
the future of film making and
16:38
entertainment after working on this? Is
16:41
it too much to ask at this point that we
16:44
have equivalent experiences
16:46
as opposed to just kind of being okay
16:50
with subtitles or or the things that we
16:52
have been historically offered?
17:00
>> Well, we want the world to change
17:02
already. I mean
17:04
>> same
17:05
>> and through this I think that this kind
17:07
of project celebrates that we can
17:10
celebrate this as a big step forward and
17:13
we hope that this leads to something
17:15
like you were talking about more doors I
17:18
believe will be open more perspectives
17:20
will shift and someday before we know it
17:24
the world has moved on to feature films
17:26
and signs without us
17:32
This question is maybe more for you
17:33
Hyron, but uh as you're as you're
17:36
adapting the animation, obviously we're
17:38
not moving lips to the lyrics, but
17:40
something like Anna taking a very
17:42
audible breath in the song is always
17:44
kept like that is her inhale. Um I'm
17:47
curious, were the eyes like also kept
17:49
the same? Like how much how much needed
17:51
to change beyond like not moving the
17:53
mouth and changing the hands?
17:55
>> Okay, that's a great question. Um, we
17:58
had the chance actually when this was
17:59
all done to do a composition of the old
18:04
film with the sign language version just
18:07
on top just to kind of see. And it's
18:10
very different. Um, when when when
18:12
you're talking about the face, yeah, the
18:14
lips aren't moving, but and DJ and
18:17
Kathleen can speak to this, but so much
18:19
of what you do in sign language is in
18:22
the face. and and if the face isn't
18:24
right, it can mean something totally
18:26
different. So there was a lot of
18:27
attention on facial expressions, the
18:30
eyes, the brows, and so we we worked
18:33
very hard on that. So no, I would say
18:35
most of the face that you're going to
18:37
see is it's new. It's not because a lot
18:39
of times too when you're animating to
18:41
dialogue, the face will reflect the, you
18:44
know, inflections of what's happening.
18:47
We we redid it. So that's very
18:50
important. I I learned that very
18:52
important facial with with what's
18:54
happening with the hand gesture
18:57
>> since uh if I may there's a moment when
19:00
I cried out to all of the actors who did
19:02
great work. I just you know honestly I
19:07
when I I see Marble I see Milan but at
19:09
the same time I can see the actors who
19:11
did so much to give life to the
19:14
animators who then gave more life to the
19:17
character. It's amazing. Sign language
19:20
is so personal. Everybody signs
19:23
different. I sign different than
19:25
a lot of signs different from Ariel. You
19:27
can't separate the signer from what's
19:30
being said. You just can't.
19:32
>> Second.
19:35
Uh since Moana was shaped by
19:37
collaborations with Colombian and
19:40
Pacifica communities, how did you
19:42
approach honoring those cultural
19:44
specifics where the songs are
19:45
interpreted through ASL in turn visual
19:48
performance?
19:55
You know, we we did make the effort to
19:58
find native science from that culture
20:00
because we want them to be understood as
20:05
Moana is from the Pacific Islander. So,
20:08
we want to get nuance actors carry that
20:11
lineage. So there's so much stoicism in
20:14
that culture uh or specific cultural
20:17
traits that I actually learned from the
20:19
actors during this process that actually
20:22
had a big impact on me. The Colombian
20:24
actors who came out that were born in
20:26
Colombia.
20:28
They brought that uh cultural
20:30
authenticity and used some of their
20:34
signs mixed with the American sign
20:36
language as well to make this wonderful
20:40
collaboration
20:41
much deeper and richer and the nuance is
20:44
there and all of that was captured
20:46
through the actors that we chose.
20:52
one uh I don't have kids myself, but all
20:55
my friends who have toddlers, especially
20:57
as they're um not yet verbal, but like
20:59
expressing communication, they're being
21:01
taught some early uh ASL, like they're
21:05
being taught uh no and and yes and more.
21:08
Um, I was wondering if if at any point
21:10
during testing for these shorts, if like
21:12
young kids who maybe aren't necessarily
21:15
hard of hearing, but um know some level
21:17
of sign language, if there was any like
21:19
look at how well they're engaging with
21:21
the content because there may be some
21:23
hand gestures that they recognize um
21:25
compared to if they're watching a normal
21:27
animated film, there's nothing there
21:29
that it's it's just Charlie Brown
21:32
Peanut's teacher is talking.
21:35
>> You know what? We're going to have to
21:36
ask Heather that question.
21:39
That's true. I have a one and a
21:40
halfyear-old son and he has seen a bit
21:43
of this um uh of these sequences and he
21:46
was so incredibly engaged and he does we
21:49
have taught him you know more and um
21:52
quite a few other basic signs and um he
21:56
absolutely connected with it um and he's
21:59
also just getting at the age where I
22:00
think he um loves movement in general
22:04
and to see him just connecting with what
22:06
we put on screen was so incredibly
22:08
moving for
22:09
So really great question. Yeah.
22:14
>> You know, and also it's very interesting
22:16
to know that sometimes sign language is
22:17
taught in many homes, but often not in
22:21
homes that have dead children. Uh so
22:24
that's something that's very exciting to
22:25
me about this that we get the Disney
22:28
seal of approval for sign language. Uh
22:30
on a political level, that's very
22:32
powerful. Sign language is now in the
22:34
mainstream uh because of Disney in that
22:36
sense. And very before about the impact
22:39
this will have again of the children of
22:41
the future.
22:42
>> Yeah. And I have to add to that um as a
22:44
deaf person everywhere I go every time
22:46
I'm out in the world at a restaurant a
22:48
store anywhere anywhere it is every time
22:51
I'm signing it's guaranteed to have
22:53
people watch me look at me or babies
22:55
will just suddenly become engaged
22:57
because it's visual right and it's just
22:59
out there in the world. So, I would not
23:01
be surprised if people just naturally
23:03
more are engaged with the reimagining a
23:06
reimagined ASL version because of that,
23:09
just cuz it's so visual and it's
23:10
engaging in its nature.
23:13
>> We've got time for a few more questions.
23:18
>> Do you have a favorite moment in any of
23:19
these songs that really stands out to
23:21
you as this was what it was all about?
23:23
This captures what we were trying to do.
23:29
>> Yes.
23:30
But you start.
23:33
>> Okay. I do have one. Yeah. For me, my
23:36
favorite moment is the moment between
23:39
Moana and her grandmother.
23:42
Uh in that particular scene, it's so
23:44
powerful because you're seeing uh the
23:48
music, you're seeing the scenery, you're
23:50
seeing the sign language, and then
23:51
there's conversation happening as well.
23:53
There's communication between them. So,
23:54
while I was working on it, I had it I
23:56
completely forgot about that. I was
23:58
right. Oh, there's a conversation.
24:00
There's going to be a spoken dialogue
24:01
that's going to be signed as well. I had
24:04
gotten so used to like um all aspects of
24:06
my language, you know, I'm thinking
24:08
about conversations that I have
24:10
theatrical stuff um songs in that
24:12
moment, in that scene, all of the ways
24:15
in which I express myself as a deaf
24:17
person using sign language or enga
24:19
engaged in that in case. So, it's very
24:22
normal in that particular moment for two
24:24
people to be having just a regular
24:26
conversational dialogue. that hit me
24:28
very very strongly strongly because of
24:30
the authent authenticity that that had.
24:33
So that was absolutely my favorite part
24:34
for that reason.
24:38
>> And um
24:41
weren't there two de I don't I guess two
24:43
signers looking at each other and
24:45
finding acceptance in each other. I
24:47
think that added a layer of meaning that
24:49
I experienced as a de person that made
24:51
that seem very important to you.
24:53
>> Yes. And for me personally, my favorite
24:55
moment perhaps is the most complicated
24:58
scene, the dining hall
25:01
where everybody signing. We got eight
25:03
different people signing, eight
25:04
different theory on top of each other.
25:07
It's very stimulating, powerful.
25:10
>> Yeah, it was a lot of work
25:13
um for me. And this is just just
25:16
personal to me, but um in the next right
25:18
thing,
25:20
you know, there's a lot of pain in that
25:22
song.
25:23
and um pain that builds to a release on
25:28
that very last shot which I got to
25:30
animate. Uh and um just that was just
25:36
super powerful for me to be able to
25:38
animate that moment.
25:41
Um
25:43
powerful. So
25:45
for me
25:50
we should probably move on but thank you
25:52
guys.
25:53
Fantastic.

Disney’s ASL Revolution: Creating Authentic Representation in Animation 4K

Daps Magic - Disney and Positive Stuff

The Parent Trap II | DISNEY THIS DAY | July 26, 1986 4K

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Twenty Something | DISNEY THIS DAY | September 10, 2021

Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension | DISNEY THIS DAY | August 5, 2011

Sam Witwer & Darth Maul Surprise Opening Moment | Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite 🌌✨

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Bringing ASL to Life: Inside Disney’s "Songs and Signs" 🤟✨

Striking a Chord: Creating Music for Disney Parks | D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 4K

Walt: The Man Behind the Myth | DISNEY THIS DAY | September 16, 2001

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Ichabod Crane & Headless Horseman | Oogie Boogie Bash 2026 4K 🎃🐎🏮

Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room | DISNEY THIS DAY | August 14, 2011

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Disney’s ASL Revolution: Creating Authentic Representation in Animation 4K

Daps Magic - Disney and Positive Stuff