Writer Hillary Van Ness spoke about offering her interpreting skills for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to Film and TV productions. #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos has the scoop.
Born and raised in Southern California, Van Ness recently moved to Austin, Texas to continue her creative journey. “Austin is an incredible place for me to pursue my dreams of storytelling and interpreting on film and television sets,” she says.
Hillary says that she struggled accessing her own voice growing up and believes that’s why she was always drawn to sign language. In high school, she went to the library and checked out books, dictionaries and DVD’s about sign language and began teaching herself.
Her mom saw how inspired she became about sign language and hired a private tutor. Van Ness then went on to Golden West College in Huntington Beach and completed the Interpreter Training Program.”
While living in Sacramento, Hillary was introduced to film and TV production while attending a casting event for short films. She spent a few years on a number of sets doing production work.
And her journey eventually came full circle with the publication of her book Empath Uncovered, which she’s now working on as a pilot series. During the filming of that project Van Ness discovered her passion for interpreting on set; because the pilot features a deaf character, which required Van Ness to interpret.
Van Ness says she struggled to find resources and interpreters in this industry and she wants to bridge that gap and make it easier for Deaf/HH actors and interpreters to work together.
We talked with the writer, actor and interpreter recently to find out more about her plans to make film and TV a more inviting accessible place to the deaf and hard of hearing.
Hillary, what is it about signing that you like?
I like that it is another way of being able to express myself. I like that you can have conversations in a loud room, through a window, or when you feel sick and have a sore throat without having to use your voice. That is only if the people around you also understand sign language. I like that it gave me a voice within my own silence. A way to speak up and a different way of expressing myself. Somehow it gave my soul a voice.
What has signing taught you about life?
It has taught me and shown me that everyone just wants to be seen and heard. This is a difficult question to answer for me. Maybe it taught me the power that can come from silence. How so much can be expressed without words.
Where would you envision that this career takes you?
I envision being an on-set sign language interpreter as well as an actor. By combining my two passions I can create a steady income and comfortable life that I strive to live. When I am being an on-set interpreter I can also be acting for film and television. Maybe even sometimes I can do both simultaneously as I do on my TV show Pilot, Empath: Uncovered.
Do you feel like you were called to do this work?
I do. I have tried to not be an interpreter. Honestly, I never wanted to be that. I just loved the language, the culture, and most of the Deaf that I interacted with. I fell in love with the expression. I feel drawn and called to this. I feel that I can understand what it means to not have a voice, or access to a voice. I could always technically speak but as a child and growing up, I struggled to access my voice.
I would instead shut down when I was mad and felt like I couldn’t talk. Because even if I could access that voice of mine, no one would hear me so what was the point? I even took a break from interpreting for about a year, maybe a little longer.
I was just a person who used to interpret, didn’t have any Deaf family, was a part of the community, and was just trying to exist. But the universe wouldn’t allow me to let it go. I am meant to do this. It is a form of healing for myself and others. I don’t know how to explain why that is. It just is. It isn’t just a job or work for me anymore. This is a piece of my soul.
It is ingrained into the core of who I am. Even when I don’t interpret or when I am not around Deaf, I still find myself signing to myself. Or to a song in the car even though I know it isn’t accurate and I am just doing whatever signs and however I feel like signing the song.
What does an ideal career look like for you?
Where I don’t need to have a day job in order to pay my bills. I can do both acting and on-set interpreting at the same time, as well as separate. One day can be on-set interpreting and the next day can be acting on set. Where I can finally be my own boss. Maybe even create my own app helping Deaf get more easy access to film/tv and maybe even commercial acting jobs in Austin.
Who are some of your heroes? (in life and career) And why are these people your heroes?
In life my hero is Kim Rhodes (Suite Life of Zac and Cody; Supernatural). She represented that someone exists in the world with a similar personality type to me. Something that I didn’t think existed outside of myself. She is the most loving person that I have ever met. When she looks at me I feel like she sees me down to my soul level.
Another thing I didn’t think was even possible. I always knew people talked about representation and how important it was but because I am a white female I never thought much about it for myself. Now I realize how important it really is.
I don’t really have a role model in my career as I believe I am trying to create something fairly new within the industry. I did really admire and look up to Austin McKenzie in the play Spring Awakening with Deaf West because he is hearing and spoke and signed everything as well as being one of the lead actors. I admire and aspire to be like that myself.
What are your career goals?
To be a full time on-set sign language interpreter and lead actor in multiple genres. I also plan to have my TV pilot/proof of concept based off of my novels completed and picked up to complete the series based on both novels. I have another novel I am working on but life keeps getting in my way so I would also like to find a way to complete that and publish it.
What accomplishments are you most proud of so far?
I struggle with celebrating my accomplishments because I move on the next thing so rapidly. However, having said that, I am incredibly proud of myself for what I have accomplished with my TV show pilot. I am new to the TV/Film industry and therefore very green. I didn’t really know what I was doing or really the extent of what I was getting myself into and yet I accomplished so much.
I found a director/writer who jumped on board with me quickly. We raised enough money to film the first 5 days and I found the cast and she worked on getting the crew. Without knowing how best to do it and with little to no budget I made it happen. I brought everyone together. I keep telling myself, “I did that. That was me.”
I know one of the accomplishments that I should be most proud of is the fact that I published a novel. But it didn’t feel difficult and honestly it feels like it kind of just happened. I know I put a lot of work into it but I just struggle to feel proud about it all. I love to create more than the actual physical process of writing.
To learn more about Hillary Van Ness, check out her official homepage.
