Join us for this great webinar!

Location: Your home or office (online - Zoom)

RID CEUs: 0.4 PS (4 hours)

Cost: $60

Language: ASL

*This workshop will be available in Spoken English on the website in the near future.

Workshop Description:

We all talk about the movies. And with the recent successes of Deaf actors and artists on screen, we now find ourselves interpreting about the movies as well. For those looking to interpret for and about film production, or who are simply curious about the process, The Language of Film takes interpreters through every step of filmmaking, beginning with story development and screenwriting, and moving onto casting, pre-production, production, post-production and release. Filmmakers speak their own language from slug lines, storyboards, and gaffers to 180-degree lines, acting adjustments, cinematography, and, more broadly, to screenwriting, editing, and directing. We will also answer that most vexing question: what does a producer actually do?  This workshop is presented by Alek Lev, a writer, editor, producer, and director, and a certified American Sign Language interpreter (NIC-Master, CI/CT). Alek’s recent feature film, WHAT? was produced by Deaf entrepreneurs and artists, with a Deaf cast, a Deaf cinematographer and crew, and even a Deaf caterer. Alek will use his personal experience — directing a film where the primary on-set language was ASL —  to introduce interpreters to the specialized language of film.

Educational Objectives:

We will learn the meaning of vocabulary used in filmmaking in order to be better prepared to interpret both for and about film production. Participants will:

• Understand the full journey of the filmmaker, from concept to release

• Discover the phases of the writing process and name the sections of a screenplay

• List and interpret the 5 key steps in pre-production, production, and post-production

• Discuss and debate ethical and linguistic challenges interpreters may confront on set

• Define the roles of the central filmmaking production team

Presenter Bio:

Alek Lev

Alek Lev is a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter (NIC-Master, CI, CT), a director, actor, and writer, and a political organizer. He has interpreted for three presidents, two Broadway shows, and one Beatle. Over the last twenty years, he has worked freelance in New York and Los Angeles, has taught translation at California State University at Northridge, and has presented CEU workshops to interpreters all around the country. Alek graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wesleyan University with a BA in Theater and English. 

Alek trained at The National Theatre of the Deaf’s Professional Theatre School, and stage managed, interpreted, and performed on to tour with their children’s theater, The Little Theatre of the Deaf. In Los Angeles, he has worked with Deaf West Theatre, appearing in Romeo and Juliet and Flowers for Algernon, directing their Much Ado About Nothing workshop, and rehearsal interpreting for Spring Awakening, At Home at the Zoo, and American Buffalo. In 2023, Alek co-directed Victory Hall Opera’s Orpheus and Erica, a new opera performed by Deaf actors and hearing singers.

Alek wrote, directed, edited, and produced WHAT?,  a silent, black-and-white silent feature film which tells the story of a Deaf man struggling for respect in Hollywood. The investors were Deaf, the executive producers were Deaf, the cinematographer was Deaf, as was most of the cast. Also the caterer. The film was accepted to 24 film festival across 9 countries, winning 20 awards, including 4 for Best Picture, 4 for Best Actor, 3 for Best Director, and 3 Audience Awards. Then in November of 2023, Alek directed No Plans This Weekend, an entirely improvised feature comedy, currently in post-production.

As a podcast producer, Alek has created four series: Private Joke: The Official How I Met Your Mother Podcast, Talking Buster Keaton, Meeting Tom Cruise, and his current work, Arts Educators Save the World. This latest show brings together successful artists in conversation with their mentors; Season One launched with Lin-Manuel Miranda (’02) and Season Two concluded with Bradley Whitford (’81).

Alek also worked on several presidential campaigns, functioning as a campaign surrogate, congressional district team coordinator, city-wide training director, precinct captain organizer, and special project assistant to the State and Field Directors. He also ran - alas, unsuccessfully - to join his local community council.

His workshops for ASL interpreters include: A History of the English Language (And Why Interpreters Should Care); Acting Tools for Terps: A Crash Course in Sounding Human; The Language of Film: Interpreting for and about Film Production; Caffeinated Classifiers: Coffee, Espresso, and Other Reasons for Living; and the Interpreting Politics series, which includes The Congress; The President; The Courts and the Constitution; and Political Parties and Ideology.

Born and raised in New York City, Alek now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two children, and espresso machine. Check out all the goodies at www.AlekLev.com.