Deaf Ninja Sequel: Deaf Ninja vs. Transformers

For any of you who have watched Austin Andrews do his brief story on Youtube of the Deaf ninja fighting a gang of thugs with his martial arts skills and old-style hearing aid whip action, you must find time in your busy schedules to watch the sequel: Deaf Ninja vs. Transformers! He is an amazing storyteller, setting scene and surroundings subtly and poetically. His use of classifiers is beyond skilled with an awe-inspiring facility of changing viewpoints frequently amidst all the action. The size and shape classifiers that he uses are incredibly detailed and creative, speeding by so quickly that although it would be almost impossible to transcribe, the image he creates appears instantly in the movie screen of your mind. If you have ever wondered how you could show the transformation of a Transformer, this is the video to watch.

I was particularly interested in the way he used his point of reference hand as a means of showing speed and movement as things sped through the air (ex: a jet plane careening down as the backdrop blurs by). I recommend not only that everyone watch this 4-minute video, but also that you pay attention to specific grammatical elements that he’s using, such as: the movement of the point of reference hand, the size and shape classifiers (SASS), the pronominal classifiers (note how he modifies the ILY handshape of the plane to one that shows the shape of a jet plane), the quick characterization amidst all the classifier action, the non-manual grammar (especially on his face) and the slowing down of sign articulation to replicate slow motion drama. I considered suggesting that we all practice shadowing the video, except that I honestly think it would be impossible for someone who is not a native signer to shadow this guy’s work; he is a Master! Enjoy and prepare to be amazed.

To find this video, go to www.youtube.com and search for ‘Deaf Ninja: DN vs. TF’.
Or, copy and paste the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6GmJ3ZvjQE