Taking a Lead in Deaf Multimedia...from Behind the Scenes

By Michael Walton

Jane Norman is a deaf multimedia producer and advocate of deaf artists

When Jane Norman was a little girl, Norman’s mother would take her to the movies with her sister. In those days there were no captions in the movies. Norman, her mother, and her sister were deaf, but they loved the movies anyway. After every movie, the family walked to a drug store near the movie theater. Norman’s mother would act out the scenes from the movies. Watching her, Norman and her sister re-lived the movie.

Today both sisters have become well-known in the deaf culture TV community. While her sister, Freda Norman, performs, Jane Norman works behind the scenes. She has transformed her love of film and TV to directing, producing and consulting.

It was not easy for Norman, a young deaf woman, to become a TV producer and consultant. Her first job was as a linotype operator. In the days before the computer, linotype operators set type for newspapers. Norman worked for many different newspapers, including the Washington Post, the Daily News, and the Evening Star. Norman worked hard and saved her money so she could go to college.

She graduated from Gallaudet University and later New York University. Norman moved to San Francisco. In San Francisco, she finally got a job in television, working for KRON-TV. At KRON-TV, Norman and three of her colleagues produced one of the first TV shows in sign language for deaf people. It was called NEWSIGN-4 and won several awards.

Later, Norman worked on a TV show called Rainbow's End. Rainbow’s End became an important show for deaf and hearing people because many of the actors were deaf and used sign language. It also won important awards. During the 1980's, Norman re-designed a television show produced by Gallaudet University called Images into Deaf Mosaic. Deaf Mosaic also won many important awards.

Deaf Advocate

Norman advocated for the rights of deaf TV viewers. She worked for the National Captioning Institute (NCI). NCI captions TV shows. She also traveled from her home in Washington, DC to New York City to meet with people who managed the TV networks like CBS, NBC, and ABC. Norman helped convince these people to add captions to TV shows.

Today, Norman is a professor at Gallaudet University. She is also an advocate of deaf filmmakers. Norman travels all over the world and gives speeches at deaf film and art festivals. She has participated in a deaf art festival in Reims, France and she will soon travel to another deaf film festival in Japan.

“Today more deaf people are making films than ever before,” Norman said. “Making films is cheaper and easier than in the past. Further, filmmakers can post their movies on the Web for effortless dissemination. Deaf filmmakers can share their films with deaf people around the world.” Norman encourages deaf young people to explore their love of art and to be creative. “There is an artist in everyone,” she says.

WAY VIDEO! Watch Jane's web video of her visit to the deaf film festival in Reims, France.

View Deaf Art Festival Video