transcribing from video

[Kimberley Shaw]

Hello Stefan:
Thank you for your empathy! I knew that people had done transcriptions
from VHS, and I have a bit better picture now of how it was possible
(although not easy).
My purpose with this particular transcription (which is handwritten,
no glossary) is so that I can put the two versions Lentz created of
her poem side by side, and directly compare the differences between
them.
And with the ASL knowledge I have already, it does make it easier to
know which motions and expressions need to be transcribed, and which
don't.
Best,
Kim from Boston

On 1/1/07, Stefan Wöhrmann <stefanwoehrmann at gebaerdenschrift.de> wrote:
> Happy new year to all of you –
>
>
>
> Hi Kim, Valerie and friends ...
>
>
>
> reading your message I can understand completely. I can feel with you and I
> know pretty much about your feelings.
>
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> Well from my point of view it should be of advantage to clarify your goal –
> detailed writing  versus writing a SW-document that allows to undestand a
> SignLanguage message -
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> Years ago I had been lucky to participate in a small teaching-course about a
> transcribing a video ( a Japanese Bible – project)
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> I only can recommend to become a SW.Org member in order to get this
> wonderful support Valerie offered in one of her last messages - ;-)
>
>
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> I took sooooo much advantage out of this course – thanks again Valerie. It
> has been so much fun and so much work. We discussed everything in detail and
> it has been a precious experience that it takes time to transcribe a single
> sign/gesture  with all its aspects  -  plus – it makes a difference to know
> and to understand what the signer is talking about. – and there is almost
> always another spelling - option ;-))  a better one and besides that
> Valeries best ! – smile
>
> And it makes a difference just to try to follow the sequence of signs or
> really to write exactly any individual nuance that can be found in the video
> (including head and body movements, eyegaze, movements of the passive hand
> ..orientation..Mundbilder (ha – smile)   ) – and which leads to the
> consequence that the same signer performs one and the same sign in several
> variations!! Often he or she wouldnot believe himself/herself.
>
>
>
> In your case – I hate to transcribe any video if it is not possible to look
> at it frame by frame – and at normal speed again. So I would recommend to
> record your video with your computer in order to get a different source. I
> cannot believe that I did the same as you do – working with a video –
> recorder - when I started years ago  Now – with computer-videos it is much
> easier to press the Stop – button – and to repeat any given sequence again
> and again ...
>
>
>
> In the beginning I made lots and lots of "stills" of these videos – just in
> order to get an idea where to start a new sign ...
>
>
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> And then – what is your goal – if it is just to write down the sequence of
> well-known signs – you should not worry too much about detailed writing. –
> You could write down the signorder and can take these signs one by one from
> your dictionary ...
>
> Nevertheless – it is fun to ask people to repeat any given SignLanguage
> performance without looking at a written document. They will not know about
> all the aspects you will want to document if you transcribe this performance
> with SW. It takes me several times to go back and forth to the video and to
> my SW-Programm. So I prefer to work on two different computers if I do that.
>
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> And yes – though I have transcribed lots of video-sequences I have to admit
> that it is a very time-consuming procedure. My goal is most often to learn
> from the signer to understand his way of signing – kind of personal style.
> This is not just picking given signs from a dictionary. While transcribing
> from video I almosst never work with a dictionary but write the document
> sign by sign from scratch. There is an advantage aside – smile – you will
> become faster and much more competent to use the software which you need to
> write the document.
>
>
>
> Lately I try to speed up a little with a different technique. So I try to do
> my first draft in handwriting and afterwards I write it with the good old
> SW44 – pretty fast by the way – smile!
>
>
>
> And Valerie – yes I am looking forward to participate in your teaching
> projects – L.I.F.E.  – a warm hello to Tini ;-)
>
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> Stefan ;-))
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>   _____
>
> Von: owner-sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
> [mailto:owner-sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu] Im Auftrag von Kimberley Shaw
> Gesendet: Montag, 1. Januar 2007 06:54
> An: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
> Betreff: [sw-l] transcribing from video
>
>
>
> Hello all:
> and a very happy New Year to you all!
> Val, I only get more and more impressed by the day by the things you have
> done! I have been trying to transcribe a poem of Ella Mae Lentz ("Travels
> with Malz"), and it has become an exercise in frustration.As an ASL student
> who has just been placed into a 2nd-year ASL class at a univiersity level, I
> am trying to figure out why it is being so diffficult to simply write down
> sentence by sentence from the VHS (no, the video her poem is on has never
> been released to DVD, alas), and I am wondering how on earth you were able
> to transcribe from video when you were not yet a signer.
> Was it the dance training?
> Have all of you other signwriters got some special wisdom to share with me?
> Or just useful tips?
> You don't even want to know how many times I have had to hit "pause" and
> "rewind" just to get the first sentence down on paper.
> All the best,
> Kim from Boston
>
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>