Lip Reading Secrets: The Shocking Truth About Crime

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As you delve into the gripping crime drama “Code of Silence,” airing on ITV and ITVX in the U.K. starting May 18, with its U.S. and Canadian debut on streaming service BritBox in July, it becomes apparent that lip reading is far more challenging and less scientific than you might assume. The show’s depiction of this difficulty, woven throughout the detective series, stems from the involvement of partially deaf creator and writer Catherine Moulton (known for “Baptiste” and “Hijack”) and its deaf lead actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, who plays the protagonist Alison, a deaf cafeteria worker at the police station who is called upon to participate in a sting operation due to her exceptional lip-reading abilities.

According to Moulton, there’s a constant search for fresh perspectives in crime dramas. It struck him as fitting that a lip reader could function as a detective. Therefore, creating a crime series centered around a lip reader resonated deeply with him as a unique and personal concept.

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Moulton explains to THR that there’s always curiosity about new angles in crime shows. The idea of a lip reader as a detective seemed logical, so he thought it would be intriguing to craft a crime series around this character, as it felt like a personal and innovative concept to him.

The series, co-produced by Bryony Arnold and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen under ITV Studios, along with Robert Schildhouse and Stephen Nye for BritBox, and additionally Ayling-Ellis and Moulton, boasts a star-studded cast including Kieron Moore (known from “Vampire Academy”, “Masters of the Air”, and “The Corps”), Charlotte Ritchie (“You”, “Ghosts”), and Andrew Buchan (“Black Doves”, “The Honourable Woman”, “Broadchurch”).

Moulton discussed the origins of the series, the story behind its name, and her aspirations for debunking common misunderstandings about lip-reading with THR.

Could you share a little bit about what inspired you to create and write Code of Silence?

I’ve been deaf since my childhood, similar to Alison, and I naturally developed lip-reading skills on my own. It felt quite intuitive, and I didn’t fully grasp how I was doing it. Later, I became interested in understanding it better and improving my skills, so I took lip-reading lessons and learned more about the theory behind it. It’s estimated that up to 40% of speech can be seen on lips, but even in ideal conditions like face-to-face conversations, the rest is essentially an educated guess. You’re analyzing people’s body language, considering what you know about them and the situation, and even recognizing the rhythm of speech to decipher sentences. In essence, there are numerous factors at play when lip-reading.

Should I find myself spending an entire day relying on lip-reading, I become incredibly fatigued as it’s quite demanding work. It struck me that in detective roles, people might use lip readers, given the constant search for innovative methods in crime shows. Consequently, envisioning a crime series revolving around a lip reader seemed intuitive and fitting. This concept was particularly resonant with my personal experiences.

What inspired the choice of “Code of Silence” as the title? The multiple interpretations really appeal to me…

The title was established quite early in the process. Titles often come instantly or require numerous adjustments, but this one felt fitting for a thriller and hinted at its genre. Moreover, it subtly alludes to lip-reading – a silent form of communication, which serves as the central theme of the show.

In this production, you gain valuable insights into the complexities of lip-reading. For instance, at one point, Alison queries whether the police could enlarge a person’s face in a video. Similarly, she requests that someone turn to her during conversation in another scene. How did we incorporate these complications within the script?

The most challenging aspect was blending the necessary details for our thriller and mystery plot with the practicality of lip-reading. Our lead director, Diarmuid Goggins, did an exceptional job, as he managed to avoid both instances where the lip shapes are unclear or characters seem to be staring directly at the camera in a too convenient manner. Instead, Diarmuid skillfully crafted a presentation that seamlessly fits the narrative.

In the scenes where Alison deciphers lip movements, you immerse the audience in an intriguing detective work akin to lip-reading. As we follow along with these puzzles, letters seem to dance and shift on screen until they coalesce into sentences or phrases. I found myself growing increasingly frustrated yet developing deeper admiration for this skill as I often struggled to decipher the spoken words until they were revealed on screen. It seems that you intentionally created this sense of tension…

Absolutely! My intention was to make the viewers experience what it feels like to be a lip reader, emphasizing its complexity and physical toll. Often, there’s a misunderstanding that lip-reading is as simple as reading a book, but it’s actually much more challenging than one might think. I’m glad you found it stressful, as it highlights the mental effort required by lip readers, which many people may not fully appreciate.

Catherine Moulton

How did you manage to harmonize the educational content with the entertaining elements in your program?

It mattered greatly to me that the series was engaging and effortlessly enjoyable for viewers. I’m hoping it turns out to be a captivating crime tale. I have always been drawn to detective shows, having grown up watching them and appreciating mainstream crime dramas. When considering Code of Silence, my aim was to craft a narrative that would incorporate aspects of my and Rose’s experiences within the crime genre. While there are familiar themes like surveillance and heist stories, introducing an unique character like Alison at the core could potentially breathe new life into the storyline, altering its dynamics and offering a fresh perspective.

What was the biggest challenge as a writer on the show?

The primary issue we faced was ensuring both the authenticity and complexity of lip-syncing, while simultaneously delivering crucial moments from the crime narrative at opportune times for audience comprehension and engagement. Interestingly, our lip-sync captions underwent modifications during post-production as well.

To put it another way, this script stood out because it required us to depict not only the scene before the camera, such as Rose with the police, but also the concurrent events unfolding off-camera – the criminal activities of the gang. This duality demanded a delicate balance between authentic dialogue and disclosed information, making it unlike any other crime series I’ve encountered in my work.

What feedback did Rose give on her experience that led you to adjust the script?

Rose truly excelled when we arrived at perfecting the genuine lip-reading subtitles. She was incredibly focused on maintaining the scene’s realism and what could visually be perceived on the screen. What visual cues are available? What can we utilize? In contrast, I was often balancing that with the audience’s need for information. Therefore, she effectively kept me in check regarding authenticity. There were moments when it was truly beneficial to have another brilliant lip reader on set. Often, our conversations centered around: Can I really see that on screen? Or is this a line I just wrote in my script?

Did you always know Alison would be someone who gets a chance to work with the police?

As a gamer, I found myself pondering over an intriguing concept: a deaf lip reader solving crimes like a detective. The constant vigilance required by her profession got me thinking about a captivating TV series centered around surveillance. I realized that making her a cop or a criminal wouldn’t fit the narrative, so she became a civilian, working alongside the police in an unconventional yet compelling role.

In a different phrasing:

I found myself cheering for Alison from the start since most seem skeptical of her abilities, yet she is incredibly driven. Could you discuss the reasoning behind making her such an active character rather than creating one who passively finds herself in a significant role?

In my story, I didn’t intend for the character Alison to come across as a victim because that’s not fitting for Rose or myself. We don’t view ourselves as victims. Instead, we embrace who we are, even if it means being deaf. So, I wanted Alison to be an active, self-determined character, rather than someone who is merely acted upon.

I hoped you’d feel a mix of cheering for her success and concern, as at the moment, she’s not quite where she aspires to be in life. She juggles two jobs, and when she encounters this chance with the police to showcase an ability that frequently goes unnoticed, she seizes it eagerly. However, I also wanted you to harbor some concern about how far she might go in pursuit of this opportunity, since it’s clear she has something to prove.

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2025-05-26 12:25