Main Researcher

Nuno Fragata Marques
nuno.marques@ipleiria.pt

Duration

01.06.23 — ongoing

Sign&mation is a project that merges the expressive creation of animated cinema with Deaflore (Deaf culture).

Utilizing Portuguese Sign Language (LGP) and the Digital Realities Laboratory at ESAD.CR, we create explorations in digital and direct animation to develop gestural animation. These experiments aim for expressive, comprehensive, and meaningful communication. The project combines gestural animation created with elements from sequential narrative forms, targeting both Deaf and hearing audiences. Treating animation as a tool for linguistic accessibility, visual and cognitive stimulation, representation, and education, highlights its significant importance.

Research, made in context of the masters in Inclusive Communication, has shown that incorporating visual elements such as subtitles, icons, graphic notations, and other resources into animations is valuable. These elements convey crucial information and aid in creating signing animations, where characters use sign language instead of interpretation, blending plasticity and sound to produce the illusion of movement. By representing sound through visual forms, synesthetic experiences are tested. Employing typographic representation and subtitling enhances the understanding of the content. Visual sound complements images and actions, representing both sound items and their nature. The explorations are developed with students, from ESAD.CR and RUN.EU partners, connecting school and investigation.

Exploring animation as a medium for promoting reflection and culture, raising awareness of communities, their challenges, and the importance of equality.

Team:

Nuno Fragata Marques (LIDA)
Andreia Rodrigues (ESEC)
Joana Conde e Sousa (ESEC)
Carla Freire (LIDA)
Aprígio Morgado (LIDA)
João dos Santos (LIDA)
João Mateus (LIDA)

Partners

TUS - Technological University of the Shannon - RUN.EU

ESEC - Escola Superior de Educação de Coimbra

Funding

This work is financed by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the Base Funding with the reference UIDB/05468/2020 and the identifier doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/05468/2020.