‘Songs in Sign Language’ Director Hyrum Osmond Shares a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Disney Animation’s Powerful New Project

“We watched the [original] films, and then we analyzed the context of the songs within the larger story,” Kurz explained. “Then, we decided what each lyric meant and how it fit within the beat and the rhythm of the song. From there, we developed a general idea of what signs we would use, and then we presented them to the actors to see how it would look… Some of the signs are more on the hands, and others are more on the face or in the body.”

Osmond added, “Sign language and English are not a direct translation. They’re very different. When we went in to reimagine these sequences, in collaboration with Deaf West Theatre, it was very important for us both to work with the Deaf community to identify exactly how these signs should look, because we want them to be real — to be genuine.”

Other equally important considerations were taken during this process. For “Beyond,” Kurs cast an actor of Pacific Islands heritage who is Deaf to retain each movement’s cultural nuances. For “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” Colombian actors who are Deaf were cast to ensure authenticity.