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BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY: An ASL Translation of the Epic Song by Queenn

ASL Video produced by:

Joani Laginess

Amber Miles

Cheryl Monte

Ben Seiple

Directed and Edited by:

Brett Wheat

Video Assistants:

Julie Pulgini Alyse Paquin

Angela Keller Ted Pittman

A special thank-you to

Dan McDougall for

creative assistance.

Introduction: This video was produced as a project for Sign Language Studies class,

SLS4650: Contrastive Text Analysis class at Madonna University, Livonia, Michigan. Our group of

four students was paired with an intern from the Broadcast and Cinema Arts (BCA) program with the

objective of creating a music video with an ASL translation of a song. The video needed to

incorporate into its translation the features found in ASL poetry, story telling and other established

creative forms of signing. This is our story.....

The process: As a group, we had about 12 weeks to select a song, translate it into ASL, and video

tape a performance of the song. Once we chose our song, we looked at its composition. Bohemian

Rhapsody does not have a typical song structure (verses and chorus). However, it has 6 distinct

sections: intro, ballad, guitar solo, opera, hard rock and outro. It also has repetition of some lyrics.

We used all of these features to not only divide the work of creating a translation, but to connect the

various parts of the song. We researched the lyrics, the group Queen, and various opinions on the true

meaning of the song. Did it refer to a murder or a suicide? Is it a veiled personal story about AIDS or

drug use? One of the members of Queen described the song as “fairly self-explanatory with just a bit

of nonsense in the middle.” In the end, we developed OUR translation of the song...

Storyboard Translation: This epic song tells the story of a prisoner that is sentenced to death by

electric chair for murdering a man. The video opens paying homage to the original music video

produced by Queen in 1975 when music videos were in their infancy. The diamond formation with the

four members of our group mirrors the four members of Queen in the beginning of their video of

Bohemian Rhapsody. The second section is a ballad, where the story is told by the prisoner as he sits in

a prison cell. All members of our group play the part of the prisoner, showing that the story is universal

- it can apply to all people. The prisoner is writing a farewell letter to his mother on his final day. As

the prisoner is being led to the electric chair, he experiences a nonsensical jumble of words, feelings and

emotions, as depicted in the opera section of the song. The feel is that of an acid trip gone bad....sensory

overload. In the second half of the opera the forces of good and evil wrestle for the prisoner’s soul, with

evil prevailing in the end, convincing the “good” to join in, condemning the prisoner. The switch to the

electric chair is thrown and the prisoner dies, but in the throes of death, the prisoner feels he has defied

death. The hard rock section of the song shows the prisoner defiant and victorious over death, but as the

song crescendos then slows to the outro, the prisoner realizes that he is in fact dead. He accepts his

fate...what will be, will be. Again, the outro pays homage to the original Queen video with the diamond

shape formation at its closing.

INDEX:

Video Guide: Pgs 2 - 5

Lyrics-ASL Gloss: Pgs 6 - 8

Bohemian Rhapsody from the album

A Night at the Opera Released 1975

Members of Queen:

Freddie Mercury

Brian May

John Deacon

Roger Taylor

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Time Code Feature Type Feature Description VIDEO GUIDE

INTRO

0:00-0:47

Setting the Scene The intro portion of the video pays tribute to the original video by Queen, with the diamond formation of the

four members of Queen. We used the same overhead lighting for an eerie, fleeting feel to the song

Behind the Scenes This section of the video is compiled using 3 different cameras angles, cutting from camera to camera.

0:01 Signing: Rhyme Using the signs REAL and FAKE keeps the same hand shape that is used for ME and QUESTION.

Additionally, the sentence structure flows down then up, with the sides mirroring each other to give balance

to the overall effect.

0:08 Signing: Lexical

Choice

The choice of ANXIETY depicted by “rising water” and DROWNING allowed us to “play” with the sign,

again passing the sign upward and downward.

0:15 Signing: Lexical

Choice

The choice of a cupped closed ‘5’ hand mimics an unmasking of the eyes, followed by a full upward gaze,

finalizing with a complete understanding of self.

0:26 Signing: Lexical choice

and Poetic Feature

“poor” boy is translated as a person that’s BROKEN-DOWN, but refusing to be pitied. Again, the signed

sentence moves down then up the diamond shape

0:32 Signing: Rhyme and

Rhythm

The sign for TAKE-IT-EASY moves, side to side, then up and down in a wave-like motion to give the

impression of a person that is truly “easy come, easy go, Little high, little low” with a rhyming hand shape.

0:39 Signing: Lexical choice

and Poetic Feature

“Anyway the wind blows” is translated to mean that anything life throws your way, you accept. The center

of the diamond formation is LIFE, the sides mirror each other to ACCEPT.

0:43 Signing: Poetic Feature The end of the intro and the end of the outro feature this identical line, DON’T CARE, WORTHLESS.

Additionally, the sign used for WORTHLESS is featured in the ballad as well. Repetition is a poetic feature

found in ASL as well as English.

BALLAD

Part 1

0:48-1:53

Setting the Scene The ballad begins the story of a prisoner (each person in the video plays the part of a prisoner) who has killed

a man, resulting in a death sentence. The prisoner displays no remorse for the killing, but is sorry for the

pain he has caused his mother.

Behind the Scenes The bars on the window of the jail are achieved by “opacity” superimposing a cut-out of jail bars over the

set. This section of video uses cross dissolves to change from one camera to another, thus including all four

characters in the ballad sections.

Signing: Rhythm Because this is a story, the ASL translation is straightforward, telling the story of killing a man. Throughout

the ballad, signing pace matches the music for a rhythmic flow. Many signs are modified to 2 hands for

poetic reasons.

1:02 Signing: Lexical choice The use of classifiers in ASL gives a visual picture of exactly what takes place. The fist is a classifier for a

head, which explodes when shot with a gun (modified ‘H’ classifier), then flows into the sign for DEAD.

1:09 Signing: Lexical choice The sign for MOTHER is modified to a 2-handed sign to show the prisoner reaching out to his mom during

the story. “Life has just begun” is translated to mean that the prisoner is young....

1:15 Signing: Lexical choice ....and has in effect torn his heart out (thrown his life away) because of his actions.

1:23 Signing: Rhyme The 2-handed sign for MOTHER used above is used again, followed by the same hand shape flowing into

the sign for a bleeding heart, a metaphor to match the mournful “oo’s” in the music where no words are

spoken but the sorrow can be felt in the music.

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Time Code Feature Type Feature Description VIDEO GUIDE

1:29 Signing: Lexical choice The sign for CRY is modified with an outstretched left hand, tracing the tear on the mother’s cheek to show

that it is the mother that is crying. The reaching out to the mother, also mimics the outstretched hand used

for MOTHER at the beginning of the ballad.

1:34 Signing: Lexical choice Straightforward ASL translation, using the “if” part of a conditional question (eyebrows raised)

1:38 Signing: Lexical choice The “then” part of an ASL conditional. Carry on, carry on is signed with 2 different ASL signs for

CONTINUE and PROCEED to tell the mother that life must go on as usual.

1:41 Signing: Rhyme The sign WORTHLESS used at the end of the intro is repeated, as a poetic feature linking the intro to the

ballad.

BALLAD

Part 2

1:54-2:36

Setting the Scene The second part of the ballad is a realization of what is to come, and a final good-bye to his mother, as the

story continues.

1:55 Signing: Lexical choice “Too late, my time has come” is interpreted as the prisoner realizes and accepts the futility of the situation,

giving up.... knowing that he will be executed for his crime.

2:02 Signing: Lexical choice SHIVER and ACHE are Body Anchored signs in ASL, showing that the feeling is all over the body. Non-

manual markers (facial expression) are required to show the degree of pain and agony of the situation.

2:09 Signing: Lexical choice The ASL sign for “good-bye” did not fit the meaning of this final good-bye. Rather, it is a separation from

all people, hence the single person classifier is shown separating from the group (5-hand classifier), which is

glossed as UNPOPULAR.

2:15 Signing: Lexical choice The group (society) is pushed aside, and the prisoner confronts the truth of his situation.

2:23 Signing: Rhyme For a third time, the 2-handed sign for MOTHER is used, followed by the same hand shape flowing into the

sign for a bleeding heart again, a metaphor to match the mournful “oo’s” in the music where no words are

spoken but the sorrow can be felt in the music.

2:29 Signing: Lexical choice This is a straight ASL translation of the English sentences “I don’t want to die” and “I sometimes wish I’d

never been born at all.”

GUITAR

SOLO

2:37-3:03

Behind the Scenes The B roll footage shot throughout the song contains no signing, but adds to the mood of the story, and fills

in with pictures similar to instrumental solos within a song. During the final line of the ballad (2:32), opacity

is used to show the male prisoner sitting up from his cot, while another prisoner is signing to set the stage for

the cot being overturned. Time relapse (speed change) is used for the scene where the cot is overturned

during the musical interlude. The remaining portion of the guitar solo between the ballad and the opera

consists of a master shot of the cot, with layers of cross dissolves to show all of the prisoners in different

positions in the jail cell contemplating their impending death sentence.

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Time Code Feature Type Feature Description VIDEO GUIDE

OPERA

Part 1

3:03-3:33

Setting the Scene The guards lead two condemned prisoners to the electric chair. The thought of their impending deaths

causes sensory overload (like an acid trip!), with random, nonsensical thoughts and a pity party.

Behind the Scenes The first part of the opera consists of cuts from the various cameras to give interest and to focus on the story

elements.

3:09 Signing: Lexical choice All signs are two-handed, with the prisoners hands constricted by handcuffs. “Scaramouch” in an opera

refers to a character who appears as a boastful coward. We chose to translate this as one wearing a mask.

3:11 Signing: Lexical choice Fandango is a courtship dance done with castanets. The guards perform the more traditional dance, while the

prisoners provide a more “hip” translation, reflective of their “bad acid trip” state of mind.

3:16 Signing: Lexical choice The lyrics in the song are random, nonsensical referrals to Galileo, the famous astronomer, hence the sign

shows the prisoners viewing the moon, the sun and stars with a telescope.

3:22 Signing: Lexical choice Magnifico is translated as an accolade, hence the blowing of a kiss.

3:23 Signing: Rhyme “Poor boy” is translated the same as in the Intro, a broken-down person;

3:27 Signing: Lexical choice However, “poor family” is translated as not wealthy. English often has more than one meaning for the same

word, hence a different sign choice is appropriate.

OPERA

Part 2

3:34-4:07

Setting the Scene The prisoner(s) is now strapped into the electric chair. A struggle over the prisoner’s soul begins between

good and evil, represented by characters clothed in white and black. Ultimately, the white character gives up

and also condemns the prisoner to die.

Behind the Scenes This section begins with cuts from the various cameras to show the good and the evil arguing over the

prisoner’s soul. Time relapse is used to speed up the signing, and to coincide with the overlapping of the

words in the music. At 3:49 (the final “let me go!” which is signed as SAVE), a video filter gives the light

rays effect. At 3:58 (Beelzebub/DEVIL), cut-outs of the 3 characters are used with a reduction, and

superimposed over a black screen. The aspect ratio is changed to fit all 3 characters in layer by layer.

3:34 Signing: Rhyme The sign for TAKE-IT-EASY is repeated, to mirror the signing in the intro.

3:37 Signing: Lexical choice “Bismallah” refers to a supreme being (Allah), hence the sign for GOD was chosen.

3:54 Signing: Rhyme MOTHER is again signed with two hands, identical to the ballad sections.

3:58 Signing: Lexical choice “Beelzebub” is another name for devil; in our translation, the supreme devil is sending a part of himself to

devour the soul of the prisoner.

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Time Code Feature Type Feature Description VIDEO GUIDE

HARD

ROCK

4:07-4:55

Setting the Scene The switch on the electric chair is thrown, and the prisoner(s) die. However, during most of the hard rock

section, the prisoners feel they have defeated death and are defiant. They break their straps in the electric

chair, much to the amazement of the portrayers of good and evil. In the end, the prisoners “disconnect” as

they are truly dead, slumped in the electric chair. Their fates have been sealed.

Behind the Scenes After the switch is thrown, video of the prisoners in the throes of death is split into short segments with a

blade tool, and the short segments are spliced together, and given a negative effect (every color is replaced

with its opposite). This gives the appearance of the prisoners being electrocuted. Cuts from the different

cameras are then used for visual interest as the prisoners defy their death.

4:15 Signing: Rhythm The hard rock section reverts back to the telling of a story in ASL. As in the ballad, the rhythm of the story

matches the rhythm of the music. In the ballad section, the signing was slow, soft and poetic to match the

rhythm of the music. In this hard rock section, the signing is rough and demonstrative, to match the rhythm

of the music.

OUTRO

4:55-5:55

Setting the Scene For the final section of the song, we again pay tribute to the original video by Queen, returning once again to

the diamond formation, which allows not only a poetic tie to the beginning of the video, but also interplay

between the signs, poetic movement of ASL(motion and location rhyme).

Behind the Scenes As the song transitions from the Hard Rock section to the outro (5:01) the sign for DISCONNECT is done

using a superimposed image of the prisoners over a plain background with an opacity effect. This allows the

scene to transition to the next scene where both prisoners are dead in the electric chair. The editor uses a

split screen with feathered edges on each of the dead prisoner’s images. The outro is done with the same

technique as the intro, using 3 different cameras angles, cutting from camera to camera, but with a higher

contrast. At 5:38 as the camera spans upward, a lens flare is added to the spotlight, giving the impression of

movement. At 5:43 a flash dissolve to white screen is used. Finally, at 5:49 a dissolve glow technique to

fade is used, visually representing the final gong.

Theme The video concludes with a fleeting sense that all is lost and the life of the prisoner is insignificant. The pace

of the signing slows to match the music as it winds down.

5:01 Signing: Lexical choice As the music transitions from hard rock to the slow paced outro, the prisoners “DISCONNECT” from their

life, as they finally realize that they are truly dead.

5:12 Signing: Lexical choice “Nothing really matters” is sung 3 times in this part of the song. ASL uses a faceting expansion technique to

give a whole definition and feeling to these words. WHATEVER is introduced, while DON’T CARE and

WORTHLESS are poetic repetitions of the ASL signs used in the introduction, thus tying the outro to the

intro in an additional way besides the diamond formation.

5:44 Signing: Rhyme The sign for ABANDON moves up the diamond formation, while the sign ACCEPT is drawn from the sides

of the diamond formation, as a form of ASL poetic movement. It poetically ties to the intro, where LIFE was

signed by the middle of the formation, and ACCEPT was drawn from the sides of the diamond.

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Intro (0:00 – 0:47) Lyrics Translation - ASL GLOSS

Is this the real life? ME REAL

Is this just fantasy? ME FAKE

Caught in a landslide ANXIETY DROWNING

No escape from reality SAFE NEVER

Open your eyes CL-EYES OPENING (flat palms across eyes open)

Look up to the skies and see CL-LOOK UPWARD (4 hand shape, starting from the eyes, looking up) UNDERSTAND

I’m just a poor boy ME BROKEN-DOWN

I need no sympathy PITY-ME (brushed aside)

Because I’m easy come, easy go TAKE IT EASY (left and right)

Little high, little low TAKE-IT-EASY (in wave motion, up and down)

Anyway the wind blows LIFE ACCEPT

Doesn’t really matter to me to me DON’T CARE WORTHLESS

Ballad 1 (0:48 – 1:53) Mama just killed a man MOTHER (with outstretched left hand) MAN I KILL

Put a gun against his head CL- (left S hand signify person) – (H right hand signify gun)

Pulled my trigger now he’s dead CL (show pull trigger – S hand explodes) DIE-FINISH

Mama life has just begun MOTHER (with outstretched left hand) ME (honorific) YOUNG

But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away NOW LIFE (tearing out heart and throw away to the right) DISAPPEAR FINISH

Mama, ooh MOTHER (with outstretched left hand) BLEEDING-HEART (8 left hand touch heart, 5 right hand

palm back indicate bleed)

Didn’t mean to make you cry CRY(one hand on own cheek, one hand on “mother’s cheek”) SORRY

If I’m not back again this time tomorrow TOMORROW SHOW-UP NOT (if part of conditional – eyebrows raised)

Carry on Carry on as if nothing really

matters

CONTINUE PROCEED - WORTHLESS (eyebrows lowered)

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Ballad 2 (1:54 – 2:36) Too late my time has come GIVE-UP DEATH WILL (short will close to body)

Send shivers down my spine SHIVER-CL (Right open 5 hand moves up one arm down another)

Body’s aching all the time ACHE (all over body move ache up and down body)

Goodbye, Everybody UNPOPULAR-CL (person (1 CL) separating from group (5 CL))

I got to go PERSON-CL (turns and leaves group) LEAVE

Gotta leave you all behind and face the

truth

PUSH-ASIDE (as if pushing group away) TRUTH CONFRONT

Mama oooooooh ( Anyway the wind

blows)

MOTHER (with outstretched left hand) BLEEDING-HEART (8 left hand touch heart, 5 right hand

palm back indicate bleed)

I don’t want to die (show negation, shake head no) DIE NOT-WANT

Sometimes wish I’d never born at all SOMETIMES WISH BORN NEVER

Opera (3:03 – 4:07) Prisoners Guards CL-(C-opera hands during piano intro)

I see a little silhouetto of a man SEE - DARK - SHAPE (2 hands)

Scaramouch, Scaramouch MASK (one hand) MASK (one hand)

Will you do the Fandango (dance) (cassinets - left) (cassinets - right)

Thunderbolt and Lightening (dance) THUNDER - LIGHTENING

Very, very frightening me! SCARED EXPLODE

Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Figaro! TELESCOPE (3rd

) TELESCOPE (4th

) MOON (1st) SUN (2

nd ) STARS (5

th)

Magnifico! (Blow kiss, right hand, palm up outward

I’m just a poor boy, nobody loves me, ME (honorific), POOR; LOVE NONE

He’s just a poor boy from a poor family, HE BREAK-DOWN; FAMILY POOR

Spare him his life from this monstrosity PITY-ME SAVE LIFE TERRIBLE HAPPEN

Prisoners Good (person on right) Evil (person on left)

Easy come, easy go, TAKE-IT-EASY

Will you let me go? SAVE – PITY-ME

Bismillah! No, we will not let you go! GOD SAVE NEVER

Let him go! SAVE – PITY-HIM

Bismillah! No, we will not let you go! GOD SAVE NEVER

Let him go! SAVE – PITY-HIM

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Bismillah! No, we will not let you go GOD SAVE NEVER

Let me go (Will not let you go) SAVE - PITY-ON-ME SAVE NEVER SAVE NEVER

Let me go (Will not let you go) SAVE - PITY-ON-ME SAVE NEVER SAVE NEVER

Let me go, o, o, o, o SAVE!

No, no, no, no, no, no! N-O! (x6) (alternate rt & left

hands)

N-O! (x6) (alternate rt & left

hands)

Oh mama mia, mama mia! Mama mia! Let

me go

MOM (sign with rt. hand, while

left hand reaches forward)

FORGIVE!

Beelzebub has a devil put aside DEVIL (mime putting "devil"

on left hand)

DEVIL (mime putting "devil"

on rt hand)

For me, for me, for me! PROTECT PUSH ASIDE SEND SEND

Hard Rock (4:07 – 4:55) Lyrics Translation

So you think you can stone me and spit in

my eye

YOU THINK CAN ATTACK (directional towards self) SPIT INSULT (pointing at eye)

So you think you can love me and leave me

to die

YOU THINK CAN LOVE IGNORE ABANDON

Oh baby can’t do this to me baby NO NO INSULT CAN’T

NO NO IGNORE CAN’T

Just gotta get out just gotta get right outta

here

I MUST ESCAPE I MUST LEAVE

Oooh yeah, oooh yeah DISCONNECT

Outro (4:55 – 5:55) Lyrics Translation

Nothing really matters WHATEVER

Anyone can see EVERYONE KNOW

Nothing really matters DON’T CARE

Nothing really matters to me WORTHLESS

Anyway the wind blows ABANDON (middle of formation) ACCEPT (side people of formation)

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