Looking for
Deaf Native BSL Professionals
BSL Native Signers:
A Paid Recording Project, and an Open Conversation
Who we are
My name is Lucas Soto. I am the owner of Mind Your Language, Inc. (MYL), a sign language interpreting agency based in California, USA. I am a certified ASL/Spanish/English interpreter myself, and I have been working with the Deaf, HH, and DeafBlind communities for 30 years. [Link: LinkedIn profile]
First, about AI. All views are welcome here.
I know there are different views on AI and sign language, and I respect all of them. Some people are not comfortable with this work under any circumstances. Others are open to it, but only under specific conditions. Both positions are completely valid.
I want to be transparent: the terms of this project are under active discussion with the client right now, and feedback from Deaf signers is directly shaping that conversation.
So whether your answer is yes, no, or only if certain things change, I genuinely want to hear from you. The form below is for all three answers. If you would only consider this work under different terms, tell me what would need to change. Those responses go directly into what we take back to the client.
The opportunity
A paid BSL recording project in Hoxton, London, hopefully starting the week of August 10th, running through December 2026.
Native BSL users watch movies with English captions and sign the dialogue into BSL on camera. More than a dozen BSL signers will take part.
Who this is for
This is open to Deaf people whose first language is BSL. Important: You do not need to be a translator or interpreter. Many of the people we are looking for are professionals in other fields entirely: educators, academics, artists, researchers, and others.
You need to be:
- A Deaf person whose first language is BSL
- Comfortable working in front of a camera
- Comfortable reading English subtitles
How the process works, step by step
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You are filmed from the waist up while you sign. Two Deaf signers work each day, taking turns on camera every 30 minutes.
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Your footage is never shown publicly. It is not broadcast, streamed, or published anywhere.
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The AI system extracts movement data points from the recordings: how hands, arms, body, and face move when producing BSL.
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Your data is combined with data from many other signers into one large training dataset.
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What the public eventually sees is a computer-generated avatar. Its signing is built from many signers combined, so it is not designed to look like any one person or copy any one person's style, and it will not use your face in any real or simulated way.
Schedule and pay
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Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm (9-hour day) with a 30-minute lunch
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Two Deaf signers per day, alternating every 30 minutes
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Weeks available from August through December 2026. Take as many or as few days as suit you. We keep track of your availability and will confirm you according to it.
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£500 flat per day
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If a confirmed day is cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice, that day is still paid in full
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A hearing BSL interpreter is present for the entire shoot to support communication between the crew and signers
Preparation
You'll know in advance which videos you're signing, and we'll send them to you ahead of time so you can watch and prepare. During recording, you sign from a scripted prompt with the captions displayed. The translation follows those captions, not a live feed from an interpreter.
The release
Before confirming any dates, you would need to sign a release. It states that the data from your recordings will be used to train an AI model, and that your face will not be used or shown to the public, in a real or simulated way.
My team will walk through the full document with anyone who is considering this, in sign language if you prefer, before you sign anything. If there are terms you are not comfortable with, I want to know exactly which ones and why, whether or not you end up taking part.
Tell us where you stand
Yes, no, or only if. All three answers help.
*Your details are collected by Mind Your Language, Inc. and used only for this project and directly related opportunities. We will never share your information without your consent, and you can ask us to delete it at any time by emailing [contact email].*