Multimedia - not simply translation

There is a lot more to multimedia localisation than translation. With most multimedia titles aimed at the home user, and children in particular, the content is rarely restricted to the standard technical language of office software. It is often conversational and uses geographically based cultural expressions and images, or those of a specific game culture. In addition, the language must be accessible to the target age-group. Titles aimed at younger users have a large range of language styles, from simple instructions to poetry and song. The translator has to be significantly more creative in producing localised versions. The localised version must make sense, be in the right language style for the age group, fit into the graphics and rhyme - all at the same time.

The multimedia localiser's role as a re-writer

Localisation demands vary enormously both from territory to territory and for different types of multimedia title. For some local distributors the US content is acceptable, others require changes that go beyond translation. When re-writing is required it extends to the overall style and content changes, especially for software with educational elements. Some distributors will take the view that education is a deeply formal affair and no place for conversational language or even adjectives. The topics people are warned to avoid at parties - sex, politics and religion - can raise difficulties during localisation of these types of multimedia titles. Such distributor's demands can be wide-ranging, especially as they normally need not consider the cost element of the work, having previously agreed a fixed-price deal with the publisher. The job of the multimedia localiser is to help both publisher and distributor effectively resolve these issues.

Visual and audio icons

Cultural localisation is an issue that extends beyond the text and into the graphics and sound effects. An artist may think nothing of including fire hydrants in street scenes, or placing waffles and maple syrup in a breakfast scene. But if the program needs to look as though it is set in the local territory, then these very national icons cause problems. It is best to leave such elements out, since their absence is rarely noted. A newspaper sitting in the background with indefinable marks for text works anywhere, whereas a witty, but English, headline will need to be erased and re-drawn. Sound effects such as telephone rings or emergency vehicle sirens also vary from territory to territory and need to be localised, and even onomatopoeia in the dialogue, such as dogs going 'bow-wow', is far from universal. In these respects a UK-based localisation company can act as a useful bridge for localising US projects and can recognise the cultural difficulties raised in a multimedia project.

Multimedia games present different challenges. The language is colourful, stylised and the terminology is esoteric, steeped in the traditions of Star Trek, Terminator and Bruce Lee, and seldom found in any dictionary. As with any specialised topic, there is a need to ensure that the localised versions of the technical words in a game both sound right and are used in the right context.

Two countries separated by a common language

The UK market itself is far from immune to the needs of localisation. US English and UK English at a conversational level are different enough to make unlocalised reference works now almost unsaleable, and more and more publishers are requesting UK localisation. The differences are small, but are glaringly noticeable. Few US readers will have got thus far in this article without noticing the UK English spellings, local phraseology and cultural references. At best they betray the country of origin, and at worst they make no sense. Adults may forgive this in software directed at them for entertainment - but they become almost hostile when it is presented as 'fact' to their children in reference or edutainment titles.

Fitting text into pictures

In DOS, Windows, or other GUI software titles, text is loaded into text boxes which can be altered in size, so the expansion of text after translation causes relatively few problems with respect to physically fitting the words into the text boxes. Multimedia titles, on the other hand, are high in graphical content and when the text is placed within graphics there is seldom the same flexibility for expanded text. Where the text is simultaneously displayed and spoken, the translator is required to produce translations that will fit into the space in the graphics and in the speech time-slot allocated in the software. If there is a conflict, the text will normally take precedence as that must always fit into the space allowed, whilst the words can be spoken faster or allowed to over-run a little.

Getting sound files right

The mechanics of localisation for multimedia titles raise new issues relating to the sound files. The resources supplied by the publisher must include all the sound files, most of which will be spoken text, and a complete script. This is the base from which the audio localisation must progress.

The script should list every sound file, its name and its content, and needs to be 100% accurate. Publishers need to re-check through the script to ensure that all the files that are used in the program are listed, and that they do actually contain the words from the script. This is inevitably a boring job but a necessary one, as re-recording missing or wrong sound files is expensive and can impact on the release date of the product. In the same way that publishers now realise that text and graphics should be kept as separate resource files to enable localisation, they need to address the problems of mixing background sound effects and atmospheres in the same sound file as the dialogue. The movie industry has always kept music, effects and dialogue separate to enable easy localisation, but this has yet to become the norm for the multimedia software industry.

Casting for voice talent

Publishers and distributors have to get involved in the rituals of casting the voice talent for localised versions. For projects where the sound elements are simple instructions, the voice talent can be 'amateurs' - translators with particularly good voices. Actors become essential as soon as there is a requirement for characterisation and a range of voices. The voice casting process starts with sending the distributor a range of voice talents on CD. If these prove suitable then that closes the casting process and the project can move onto recording. Alternatively, casting may develop into casting sessions, bringing the actors into the studio for further voice tests. Casting at this level adds cost to the project budget, and can spiral out of control as the distributor becomes more and more choosy or indecisive. Children's voices present a further option; whether to use children or adult actors. There are good reasons to justify either choice and we would normally follow the route that the publisher has already taken on the original version.

Technical issues: an overview

The elements of multimedia localisation described in this article are those that essentially need to be addressed by the client. There are, in addition, multiple technical issues in handling the sound recording for multimedia. The simple management of a thousand or more sound files is itself a complex function. Further issues are those of matching atmospheres and background effects, lip-synching and converting the full bandwidth sound-files down to sound formats that will fit onto the CD without losing perceived audio quality. In addition, unlike business software, multimedia CD-ROMs are often bi-platform and we need to ensure that resources will look and perform equally on PC and Mac machines.

However, these are issues that can be resolved internally with our own resources (see next paragraph). If the challenges of handling the cultural variants raised by multimedia products are handled correctly and with sensitivity, the technical issues can be resolved without further reference to the client or distributor, apart from the normal sequence of reviews. When we reach this stage they can continue to concentrate on their core business, while we work on completing the localising of their products.

Investing in studio facilities

In order to be able to meet client demands, SDL has chosen to invest in building multimedia studios to be able to offer a comprehensive 'one-stop' service. It is not a cheap option! Two studios - one fully digital and one analogue/digital - have been constructed to full professional standards at a cost of around £0.5m.

Here, an experienced Director and a team of qualified sound engineers can produce the highest quality multimedia programs using the latest sound editing software.

Simply adding pictures and voices?

As has been described, localising multimedia products is far from simple, and for best results, it needs to be undertaken with professional help.

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David MacLeod
Senior Project Manager
SDL Limited, Butler House
Market Street, Maidenhead
Berkshire, SL6 8AA, UK
Tel: + 44 (0)1628 410 100
Fax: + 44 (0) 1628 410 505
E-mail: Davidm@sdl.co.uk
http://www.sdl.co.uk