Netflix’s upcoming series, *Black Rabbit*, features Oscar winner Troy Kotsur as the powerful and menacing head of a criminal family. His performance is fantastic and provides a wonderful showcase for American Sign Language. I recently spoke with the director of episodes 5 and 6 about the experience of filming ASL, how it influenced the visual style of those episodes, and what he gained from collaborating with such a talented actor.
Director Ben Semanoff shared that the team held discussions before filming began about directing and collaborating with deaf actors and using American Sign Language. He described the experience as positive and straightforward. He then explained how he worked with Troy Kotsur and the two on-set interpreters, detailing the specific roles each interpreter played.
I worked with a translator on set, specifically for Troy. They helped me communicate with him and vice versa, making sure we understood each other’s directions.
The first translator worked closely with the actor and director, allowing for smooth communication. At the same time, the second translator collaborated with Semanoff near the monitors, ensuring the sign language footage was captured well and with sensitivity, as the director explained.
One person would monitor the filming process from the control room, focusing on how I directed scenes and ensured the sign language was visible. It’s important because when the camera zooms in – for example, on someone signing near their chest – the viewer can lose sight of what they’re saying. Ultimately, focusing too closely on a person’s face can unintentionally diminish their ability to communicate and their overall presence.
It’s clear that if you can’t see someone’s hands while they’re signing, you won’t understand what they’re saying, so keeping their hands visible in the shot is crucial. But Semanoff also shared another challenge they faced: they wanted to capture someone’s reaction to what Troy Kotsur’s character, Joe, was signing. He explained that…
It was a delicate balance. We had a lot of discussion about how to film conversations between two people. Normally, a camera can point away from the actors while still capturing their dialogue. However, that doesn’t work when filming American Sign Language. We wanted to maintain some standard filmmaking techniques while also accurately portraying the communication.
Semanoff explained the delicate balance of directing Troy Kotsur and Forrest Weber by referencing a particular scene. He highlighted the challenge of knowing how far to push them without overshadowing their performances, stating:
Troy is scolding Junior, but he’s doing it from across the room without even looking at him. I’m trying to capture Junior’s feelings and how he’s responding. This creates a challenge for filming – finding ways to show both Troy’s actions and Junior’s reaction, including his sign language, at the same time. Sometimes that’s easy to do, and other times it isn’t.
A director from Black Rabbit described working with Jason Bateman as similar to a couple going to marriage counseling – and meant it as a compliment! Apparently, it’s a surprisingly positive experience.
The crime thriller *Black Rabbit* uses a combination of translation and captions to show Joe’s sign language. If characters in a scene understand ASL, someone will verbally translate what he’s signing. Otherwise, captions appear on screen.
In Episode 6, available on Netflix, Joe harshly scolds his son, Junior. The scene shows Joe signing, then cuts to Junior’s reaction as subtitles display Joe’s cutting words: “What an embarrassment you turned out to be.” This allows viewers to see both Joe’s actions and Junior’s response. Most of the scene, however, focuses on Kotsur’s signing.
Semanoff explained that everyone was flexible and open to figuring out the best way to film the show while including American Sign Language. He also praised Troy Kotsur’s quick understanding, noting that they often communicated perfectly on set without needing interpreters.
Troy is incredibly intelligent and a fantastic actor. I’m very expressive, as you may have noticed, and there were times when Troy and I could almost understand each other without needing translators. He’d watch me start a conversation with a translator, see my gestures and expressions, and simply nod and say, ‘Got it,’ or ‘Okay,’ – he just understood what I meant.
The director of *Black Rabbit* described Kotsur’s performance as “breathtaking,” highlighting the actor’s incredible presence. I think that’s what makes him a compelling villain in the show, and it’s fantastic to see another strong deaf character authentically portrayed by a deaf actor in a widely-seen production.
You can now watch *Black Rabbit* on Netflix to see how the show features sign language and highlights the incredible skills of Troy Kotsur.
Read More
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Inside Robert Redford and Wife Sibylle Szaggars’ Love Story
- The Housemaid – TRAILER
- Did Tom Brady Violate Rules in Raiders’ Coaching Booth? NFL Says…
- Windows 11 Notepad will soon let you generate text using on-device AI models — no subscription required
- Strange Antiquities Launches September 17, 2025
- Marvel’s AI Character Raises Alarming Questions
- Skate 4: How to Invite Cross Platform Friends & Party Up
- Stephen Colbert Honors Late Assistant Amy Cole at Emmys 2025
- Square Enix Reportedly Bringing Back PS2 RPG Series
2025-09-21 02:21