Foreign Language Translation & Production
Once the English script is approved and fully locked, I utilize my translation resources to convert the script to the desired language. These are done by native-language translators, but sometimes, there are industry-specific terms that do not translate directly. In these cases, we may utilize the client’s resources to check to make sure these meanings are not misconstrued.
It starts with the script.
Graphics and animation translation is usually done scene per scene for efficiency. I’ll use online translation tools to convert English to the necessary language in real-time inside my animation programs. After 40 years of doing this, I have a “system” that’s fast and accurate.
Post-production and editing are a bit complicated, as most foreign languages’ spoken lengths do not match English. For example, the same English phrase spoken in Spanish takes about 25-30% longer to narrate, due to sentence structure differences. With graphics, it’s easy to extend as necessary. With video, we usually have to find a way to extend scenes. If I’m shooting a project that I know will be translated, I’ll try to allow sufficient extra time to account for this difference.
Spanish is the easiest. It helps that I took several years of Spanish in college, and the pronunciation of the written word usually matches. The most difficult has been Russian - the written characters do not look like anything in the English equivalent, and the spoken words sound nothing like the written word would suggest!
