Adapting translated script for timing

Q: Our company lost an enormous amount of time doodling with a recording trying to make it fit into our original timing.  What can be done to avoid the mess?

A:  A translation is often wildly longer than an original.  So, if the script is not adapted, it may be impossible for the voice talent to speak the text within the timing allowed by the original language recording.  During adaptation, the text can be condensed, modified, to be the proper length.  And, even better, to adapt the translation out of the “written word” - to become the “spoken word”.  Adapting to the spoken word is not evident, and most translators create solely “written word” translations, having no clue that “spoken word” exists, or misguidedly believing is slang or street talk.  Written word example:  “I would have been able to go had I not been so exhausted.”  This makes good reading, but a person would speak it like this, “I’d have gone if I weren’t so exhausted.”  Note how the spoken word is about half the length of the written word, and is much more natural for a talent script or subtitling for a voice recording.  Spoken word add great impact to videos, particular in training and in sales videos.  In any case, even adapting the written word to be the same length as an original language script - paragraph by paragraph - will ease the recording process for the foreign talent, and make the entire project go more smoothly.

Studio and Producers Q & A: Part 2

Q:  I have a client who is looking for a cost on translating and recording voiceovers for a project into 10 languages.  I’d love to say “yes” but there are huge sections that have dialogs between people, and lips moving on screen.  Should I accept this job, and if yes, how can I handle it?

A: First, always accept the job!  You can handle it easily if you have the right foreign voiceovers vendor – one that can both adapt the script properly for lip sync, as well as has the talent and experience to record the lip sync voice track with experienced professional talent.  Lastly, that voice track must be perfectly timed so that you can just drop it into your project and mix.  There are only a few companies that are qualified.  One is this year’s International Quality Source, @International Services, mentioned on our home page.  They record lip sync tracks in 70 countries.  There are only 1 maybe 2 other qualified companies to assist with lip sync in your 10 languages.  So, if you outsource the difficult part, the lip sync script adaptation and the foreign voiceovers talent track, then your part of the project is a “piece of cake”, yet your profit margin can often be extremely high, because so few producers are aware how easy it is to handle such projects and don’t bid on them.

Software Q & A: Part 2

Q:  We make IVR systems, and are constantly updating and making more voice recordings.  We’re having trouble receiving consistent volume and sound quality.  Since we play these prompts concatenated, the differences can be heard.  How can we resolve this for future?

A: Excellent point.  There are a couple of things that will help to assure consistent audio quality.  If you have the budget, you may consider contracting a telephony digitizing studio that undertakes complete responsibility to assure consistent audio quality, level and equalization.  Or, if you are using a variety of recording locations, then every time you send an order for a new recording for a foreign voiceovers or voice prompts, send also 2 previous examples wav files plus specifications on microphone compression (e.g. “None”), bit rate, and sampling rate.  One of the other items that makes a difference is the brand of Microphone being used.  It is a good idea when starting a long term IVR project voiceovers and voice prompts that will have many updates, to actually make note of the exact brand and model of microphone being used with that recording so that you can re-request the same microphone model for all recordings.  Many studios have lots of varieties of microphones, and multiple studio rooms, and your request will actually assist them to maintain consistency.  If your system is enterprise scale – like AT&T or similar – you may even want to request the same recording booth specifications for each recording because acoustics also affect the recording.

Q:  I still don’t understand why voice talents are important.  Whether the product works or not is what is important.

A: The old saying, “you get what you pay for”,  truly applies to voice recording of voiceovers for technology.  Because the voice creates an emotional reaction, it is particularly difficult for an engineer to imagine why on earth a voice could have any effect on sales, especially after you have worked for years to make its functionality so brilliant.  But a voice can, indeed, affect the success of your product.  It does not replace functionality – never! –  and a voice played over a bad product will go nowhere, but a fine voice can add significantly to your product’s attractiveness and salability to customers.

Translation Q & A: Part 2

Q: How do we handle the recording when the client’s translation is right but is the “written word” ?

A. Just like other traditional “written word” translators, you may find yourself in a similar circumstance as above, with a script that is quite unnatural to speak.  An excellent way to handle client “written style” script translations for voiceovers may be to request permission to “adapt the script for length”, and use that opportunity to adapt just a bit for more natural spoken words.  The client will not notice the change, but rather be delighted with the results.

Voiceovers Q & A: Part 2

Q: We have tons of audio samples of foreign languages.  But I think maybe my judgment is impaired, because I’m not a native speaker, I can’t even understand what they’re saying, or determine if their performance is what I need.  Some voices sound better to me, but my client wants to participate, and I’m having trouble helping them select their preferred talent.

A: You might want to try a casting tool called the “Director’s Center”.  It is made specifically to assist in casting voiceovers in foreign languages outside of your native language.  Has lots of features to make it easier for your client to form an opinion, as well.  I think there are about 1,500 foreign voice talent recordings on that site, and they specify the info that you need to know.

Q: It’s so much easier to work with talents for foreign language voiceovers who live in the USA, why would I go overseas?  Isn’t it more complicated?  Or expensive?

A: Understand your concern.  Recording voiceovers in the USA is easier, yes.  Better, no.  There are a ton of risks involved with using expatriates – people who live outside of their native country.  So, as you start, consider how you began your own project.  When the client ordered a new multimedia project, do you call Rome to get an American voice talent?  Do you call Paris to get an American narrator?  Never!  It would never occur to you to go outside your native country to get the talent for your voiceovers, because the native country is where the work is.  So, all the good talents are there, in their native countries – all.  Voiceovers by expatriates will never be as good as voiceovers in the native country.  Moreover, expats begin to speak English too well, and give themselves away to their audiences as not living in the native country when they speak English words that pepper recordings like “IBM” or “computer” or “synergy”.  And they begin acquiring English accents in their own native language after being here for about 5 years.

Q:  How can we record in a country where I don’t even speak the language?  A director should be in control, and I feel so out of control with another language.

A:   There are several ways to get what you need. One, is to outsource the recording of foreign language voiceovers to a reputable company.   The other is to be absolutely sure that the talent you choose is perfect for your project.   If you outsource your foreign voiceovers to a reputable company (and there are not many), you can provide the breathtaking quality, without involvement with the talent.  Just be sure you choose a qualified company.  Second,  the Director’s Center is expanding to include Global Directing, enabling you to direct voiceovers anywhere in the world, in English.   So, you will be able to supervise or participate in recording voiceovers anywhere in the world from your office or home.  Even your clients can participate, because the entire experience is via the web.  You don’t even need a telephone.

Studio and Producers Q & A: Part 1

Q:  We’re an audio studio and we’ve had huge time losses in foreign language voice sessions because the scripts are too long or the talents can’t speak the copy well.  The clients bring script checkers, and they keep running back and forth into the talent booth to rewrite copy.  So, when we submit our final invoice, we are constantly having to explain why our studio costs are much higher compared to our estimates.  What is this story?

A: Ahhhh.  Yes this is a painful experience, isn’t it?  There may be a few things at play here.  First, any translation is probably around 10% to 15% longer than the original English.  So, a 30 second commercial becomes a 37 second commercial.  So, is obvious that script translations for voiceovers must be rewritten for the correct timing of the original English.  And it must be rewritten without losing your message or important content.  Secondly, is your voice talent a professional?  This affects the speed at which they can speak in studio.  Then, if is a professional and they are still having trouble speaking the text, is probably because they are trying to speak a translation that is the “written word” as opposed to the “spoken word”.  You can count on one hand the translation companies that know the difference.

Software Q & A: Part 1

Q:  As a developer, we used my own voice during development while we finished the programming.  Now, we’re pricing professional talent.  Why are they so expensive?

A: There are a few reasons why professional talent for voiceovers and voice prompts cost more than an engineer would expect.  First, professional talents are a business, just like your company is a business.  They must perform marketing, accounting, billing and normal customer service.  Plus, learning to record professional voiceovers in a way that helps your product sell better requires years of education and training, and many years of “voiceovers education” classes and working experience.  Rather like a finding a good programmer.  You can find tons of programmers, but some will make your products so much better than others.  It is easy to underestimate the power of sales of a voice.  So, you will find that professionals will have a similar average basic fee.  From that average basic fee, the cost per talent will rise based upon the impact on your sales that the voice will have.  Microsoft and IBM, for example, are very careful which voices they use on their software and on their websites, and pay well, because they know that the voice they choose will actually increase their sales and bring more revenue.  So, if a talent asks for more money than the average cost, you may wish to consider that adding a little bit now may be recouped with increased sales – and more sales – in future.

Recording Styles Q & A: Part 1

Q:  I keep hearing terms like “U.N. style” and “CNN style” and documentary style”.  What is the difference between them?

A: They are similar, which is why the confusion. In the U.N., the CNN, and the Documentary styles, the original English is retained and plays softly in the background, while the sound of the  foreign voiceovers are audible rather like an interpreter.  However, the “U.N. style” means using a simultaneous interpreter to record, not a voice talent.  That interpreter may be interpreting “live”  on the fly, or may have practiced a little before coming to studio.  In either case, an interpreter has a monotonous performance, and should be avoided for multimedia projects whenever possible.  Both the “CNN” and the “Documentary style”, on the other hand, are perfect for multimedia projects, because they use professional talent voiceovers and the “reporter” effect is created through the mixing technique.

Q:  When is a documentary-style approach preferred to full voice replacement?  When do I keep the original English in the background, and when eliminate it entirely?

A: There are a few basics rules to decide which mixing approach to use.  If is a testimonial, the CNN-documentary style is usually better, unless that testimonial is played over b-roll, not actually seeing the person’s face as they speak.  Sometimes, subtitling is even more impressive for a testimonial.    For narration over footage or b-roll of some kind, voice replacement is always better, without exception.  If there is dialog, such as vignettes of people talking together, then lip sync is the best - a second possibility is subtitling or using foreign voiceovers mixed in documentary style, when there is a budget issue, but impact is lost that lip sync does provide in spades.

Q:  What other considerations are worth a thought for international projects?

A: You might consider music localization.  The music that appeals to other cultures is often not our corporation music choices.  For commercials, obviously, music has a monumental impact.  And for corporate sales pieces, again, localizing the music can make a big difference.  One company that provides localized music is @International Services.

Translation Q & A: Part 1

Q:  Is any translation company “okay” for a script translation?

A. Well, “okay” will vary with how effective you want your project to be with your audience.   Even in the original language, the words used in a video script are best when written by a professional script writer, versus a brochure or document writer.  Almost all translation companies have no idea that there is a difference between script translation for voiceovers and a document translation.  Such companies use “written word” translators rather than “spoken word” translators.  Written word would be, for example, “I would have been able to have done that had I had the time.” Where the spoken word would be, “I would’ve done it if I had time.”.  The difference is a natural speech pattern, and words that are much easier to speak.  Try speaking the “written word” version above, and note how unnatural it feels – almost hard to say.  Then try the “spoken word” and see how easy it is to speak.  When a translation company says “Oh, we do a ton of video translations!”, inquire a bit more..  Don’t “lead them”, but try to get from them any details they want to impart.  If they pass off talent scripts for voiceovers as being just like regular translation, and they are proud to say that they shorten the script to be the same length as the English, and that’s basically all they say, then you have stumbled upon a translation company that is unfamiliar with “spoken word” translations.  And if they fail to mention that they do not translate the script so that it coincides with specific actions on the screen, is another sign of lack of understanding of multimedia.

Q:  What about client translations?

A. Good luck!  Is always a bit difficult for a producer or director to find himself working with a client translation.  A client translation both relieves the producer of responsibility, but also puts them in a tricky position if the translation is questionable, too long to be spoken in within the timing, or is downright wrong.   Producers and directors often find themselves in the middle between client’s reviewers and translation companies.  Producers and directors need to expect differences of opinion, even complaints, on any foreign language script.  Be prepared that all will not go smoothly, and don’t get ruffled.  Just know that it’s coming, take your time and decide who is right in your own mind.  If you can get your client to agree that your team can script adaptation for your voiceovers, then your chances of great success increase.  If your estimate includes your intent to “possibly adapt for timing if necessary”, then your talent can make some of the necessary corrections without ruffling the client’s feelings.

Voiceovers Q & A: Part 1

Q:  In Google search, we found so many agents offering foreign voiceovers.  We selected one, and tried a Dutch recording that sounded great, but turned out to be a voice from Belgium.  I guess Amsterdam speaks with a different accent, because we had to re-record for free.  That experience cost us a client we may never get back.

A:  You are right, there is a huge difference between the accents of Netherlands Dutch and Flemish (Belgium) Dutch.  And there are great talents for voiceovers in both accents.   There are many sources of varied quality in international voiceovers from poor to good that show up in internet searches. There are only 2 or 3 voice companies that are good in all languages.  The vast majority of providers have some good, combined with lots of poor talents, even some dreadful talents with monotonous, drone performances.  In general, agents who specialize in English voiceovers find their foreign talents for voiceovers from the internet and have no idea who has an accent or poor performance, because – like you – they have no professionals around the world with whom to consult.  It is as easy for them to be misled for them as for you.  The demos from the talents sound so good that people are roped in. There are a list of criteria at the bottom of the home page of this site that can really help.  For example, full time professional actors for voiceovers inside the target country are your best bet – they are good, and with the right accent, or they wouldn’t have food on the table.  For even more security,  you can select a voiceovers talent that is recommended and recorded by a professional audio studio inside the target country in the biggest metropolitan area (not in a secondary or minor city far from the financial center).  Then, you not only receive professional voiceovers, but professional engineers and even directors involved in the session. So, if the voiceovers provider you choose offers recording directly in the target country – not just in English speaking countries, for example – and they offer tons of full time actors for voiceovers inside the target country not just a couple, then you are well on your way to making a good vendor selection.