In fact, very few translation/localization companies have multilingual audio capabilities integrated into their operations. And those that do generally go “mass market,” offering only major languages, such as French, Spanish and German. But it’s a big world, with many voices, and it is important to demonstrate both technical capability and comprehensive studio talent.

Usually, the best way to do that is by partnering with a non-competing company that offers the audio capability that may be absent. Since more and more translation/localization projects now include an audio component, such a partnership can satisfy clients that their translated copy will be supported by a foreign language production team that has experience in their project category – whether it be an industrial video, a training and education video, a radio/television commercial, a sales promotion program, an employee motivational video, a game, etc.

Required Capabilities for Multilingual Audio Work

The translation/localization company should be able to demonstrate either in-house or contracted access to end-to-end production capabilities employing native speakers. It should also be able to provide the following to its clients:

• Multilingual capabilities
• A pool of native-born talent in both primary and secondary spoken languages
• Voice casting professionals in the client’s field, so that industry-specific references emerge naturally
• Voice-over and lip-synching capabilities
• Tape transcription
• Subtitling
• E-learning and web video

A Language-Rich Region

With more than twenty years of experience in Los Angeles, serving domestic and international organizations in education, entertainment, finance, manufacturing and general business, we are convinced that nowhere else in the world does there exist such a rich pool of native-speaking talent. This is in large measure due to the dominating presence of the motion picture, television and radio industries in the region. Virtually every nation on earth is represented in Southern California, and within their individual communities, each ethnic and/or ethno-lingual group can boast of professionals in many fields, from business to entertainment and engineering to healthcare and science.

Through our experience working with this large talent pool, we have built a “language bank” of literally thousands of voices, along with a stable of directors who are also native language-speakers. We bring these resources into play with regularity. Recently, for example, a crash project from a translation company involved the casting of voices in ten different Asian and European languages – German, French, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai and Indonesian – two scripts in each language, to be delivered in one week.

Words-to-Sound

The project was a 700-word training demo in Flash, instructing purchasers how to operate and how to optimize their usage of a technology product. The translation company delivered the scripts to us as printed copy in both the source (English) and target languages. We were to deliver two Wave files for each language.

After reviewing the script and the client (the translation company) requirements, our first step was to identify the talent (both actors and directors), call them in and then screen them. We selected two voice samples for each language and submitted them to our client, enabling them and their client to decide which of the voices were most appropriate for the subject matter and vocal delivery.

Studio work followed in our own facilities, performed by a team comprised of the selected actor and director, a sound engineer and a JBI Localization coordinator. Most of the recording sessions took about one hour – some more, some less.

Striving for Perfection

One of the critical issues, of course, is to assure the correct accents, pronunciations, tone and rhythm of the dialog. In order to accomplish this, we strive to arrange for a director with the same language background as the actor, usually with an educational, business or training background that enables him or her to spot any details with which the actor may not be familiar. In that manner, the spoken script complies not only with the translated copy, but also with the intent of the original script to communicate precisely both the meanings of words and their connotations.

In the next phase, the sound engineer “cleans” the audio files, i.e., eliminating any extraneous sounds such as breathing or other noises, assuring that the volume is consistent and at the proper level, and that there are no awkward silences.

It is worth mentioning here that, in dealing with English language scripts, we often encounter English words that are imported unchanged to the target language. This is particularly the case with business, training and technical materials. The director serves a secondary role in this regard, assuring that where a word or phrase is imported, it is delivered in the new language with the proper accent, inflection and intonation. Think of such words as football and weekend, both distinctly English, but now part of the international vernacular.

In recording the audio files for the training demos described above, one audio file was required for each script; however, under certain circumstances, more may be necessary. Some projects may require the translation company to divide the script into individual paragraphs – tens, hundreds, even thousands, depending on the size of the project – so that the resulting audio files or loops can be massaged individually for insertion into the final audio-video mix in the target language. Each file or loop will have its own code, which will be the same for both the original and the target languages, a process that facilitates the final mix.

The Deliverable

When the recordings for our translation company client were complete, we moved the Wave files from the studio system to the primary JBI Localization server. From there, they were emailed to the client. Larger files are normally sent via FTP (File Transfer Protocol).

For this project, delivery was the end of the road. We were able to structure, schedule, record and mix the translations that were provided to us and deliver the required audio files back to the translation company well before deadline. Not only was our client able to satisfy its client with quality translation, but it was also able to extend the breadth of its service offerings by engaging our skilled professionals to give life to their words.

In some cases, the process continues a little longer. For example, the company’s client may require additional changes. When these changes are made immediately, only a small amount of additional studio time is required. In some cases, though, changes are requested as much as a year after the initial recording. This causes a scramble to bring in the same talent. Actors particularly tend to be mobile, even returning to their own countries sometimes. It is a problem with the major languages, but can be critical for the less common ones. This is where a large language pool is vital: a match may never be perfect, but the difference can be made virtually indiscernible.

Working with the Audio Studio

Top-flight translation/localization companies have a set of skills that sets them apart. When they combine these with the services available from a high-caliber audio production house, this obviously puts them in a much stronger position to win bids. They can also obtain the help and support they need early in a project, enabling them to prepare translations that are appropriate for the spoken deliverable. This entails style and format, in addition to the words. Translating for a written document, for example, is not the same as translating for one that is to be spoken, and the ultimate script must reflect the differences. The right partner will enable a perfect script for production that can be delivered aloud, naturally, every time.

There are a few small steps that translation/localization companies can also take to expedite delivery and contain costs, thus enhancing their profitability and customer service.

• Most important, they should provide their audio partner with a perfect script. It should be timed out, with clear instructions about time limitations.
• Where there are technical vocabulary and/or pronunciation issues, a pronunciation guide should be provided.
• Enough time should be allowed (a) for the studio to be comprehensive and properly selective in locating the best talent for the project and (b) for the script(s) to be reviewed by both the actor(s) and the director(s) for potential issues and problems.
• Finally, some projects – particularly highly technical ones – give priority to delivery over perfection. The audio partner needs to be aware of this.

The audio studio can work only from the script provided. It cannot and should not make changes, even when the need is glaring. What we may do under such circumstances is to provide two versions: one that is completely faithful to the script, along with a second version that reflects the change(s) recommended by JBI experts, our director and our actor (s). The translation/localization company can then consider both and decide which to use.

In today’s world, translation/localization companies of all sizes have the capability to identify compatible production sources and to develop relationships through which they can reliably offer a full set of audio capabilities to their clients. It is one more way to ensure that clients have access to full-service providers that are truly full-service.

Editor’s Note: Read Subtitling: Changing Standards for New Media?, Middle Earth Poses Challenges to Japanese Subtitling, and Training the Next Generation of Subtitlers.

---

Eliane Barth has resided and conducted business in Europe, the Middle East, Canada and the U.S. She earned her Electronics Engineering degree from the Ecole Polytechnique Feminine and is fluent in French, Spanish and English. She is now President of JBI Localization and can be reached at eliane@jbilocalization.com.