Video localisation process

Upon receiving the source files from our client, we do double-check that the content type and that the files received are all editable and open properly. We also gather side elements from our client such as video transcripts, video scripts, potential existing SRT files, extracted on-screen text or we simply include these steps under our project scope depending on the client’s requirements. We also analyse all text-based files received against our translation memories to see the final word count.

At this stage we provide our client with a quotation in which we will itemise the services requested. All our quotations are free of charge. This is also the stage where we discuss the costs and timeline associated with the different project steps. Once we are all set and get the go-ahead, we can start the video localisation process.

While our team is organising the material received and making files localisation friendly, we are also lining up the selected resources for the project who could be transcribers, subtitlers, voice talents, linguists and video editors. This is also the moment when our team extracts any on-screen text (meaning the dead text present in images and videos), creates the video transcripts and voice over scripts if not supplied by our client as well as the SRT files for subtitling purposes. We take great care in selecting the right linguists for the material you send through. All our linguists have areas of specialisation and native languages which need to match your project to be considered. It is our job to find the best suitable linguists based on the specifics of the project. Depending on the client’s requirements, our team will now build a glossary to define the key terms, technical words and highly repeated words on which we need to consult our client’s SMEs in order to obtain approval before kicking off the actual translation stage. The glossary is then shared with our linguists which they will rigorously follow to produce localised content fully aligned on the client’s SMEs expectations.

The files to be localised have been prepped for translation in a previous step and are now sent to the relevant linguists that will work on the project. The translation received is then QA’ed by our project team through our internal verification step (adherence to translation memories and project glossary, truncation, punctuation, numeral equivalence, missing works, double space, etc).

Once the translation step is completed and that the output has been verified by our team, we send the files to a revisor or proofreader, a second experienced linguist, who will compare the source text against the target text to make sure the translation is accurate and true to the source text. The proofread translation is then QA’ed by our project team through our internal validation step.

Before making use of the translated content or inserting it back into the source environment, Transladiem always offers clients the chance to review the localised content in a friendly format (a bilingual table with source and target content presented in a word document or via our online review platform) and to add any potential changes they wish to make at this moment. This step exposes our work directly to the client in order to get amendment requests or sign-off on the translation before proceeding to the next steps of the localisation process. This step is highly recommended but remains optional as not all companies have the capacity to run through this. If our stakeholders insert edits into the bilingual tables containing the translations, we will check these changes to make sure there are no typos, grammar errors, double-spaces or any kind or wrong insertions before implementing all amendments.

When UN-style dubbing or lip synching is in scope, our voice talents adhere to the overall project instructions and record the scripts. This is also when post-production activities take place such as mixing music or sound effects into the audio clips. Audio files are cut, named as per our client’s established naming conventions and saved as per the delivery format agreed upon (WAV, MP3, etc). Our project team will then run the compulsory QA checks on the audio clips recorded to verify the adherence to the scripts and that the instructions in terms of tone of voice, specific pronunciations and emphases have been respected.

When the translated contents are signed off (on-screen text and subtitles) and all scripts recorded, our video editors get involved in this localisation process. Our project team share with our video editing team the materials that will be used to localise the video into the target languages (localised SRT files, recorded timed audio clips and translated on-screen texts). The video editors here edit the elements present in the video composition, mix together sounds, effects, music tracks and then render the videos. Our project team must QA the videos before sending them through our post-localisation step.

When the localised videos have been rendered and exported, we ask native testers to go through them in order to flag any potential issue such as missing translation, wrong display, truncated words or functionality issues. Our team creates a bug report in which we screenshot the bugs, explain the issue and how it should be fixed so our video editor can apply the corresponding fixes. Our video editors fix all language-related bugs and our project team check that the final changes reported have been implemented correctly before sending the final videos to the client, which is the first version delivered on which we expect feedback or sign-off from our client.

Your dedicated account manager will deliver the final videos to you via the delivery method agreed upon (email, FTP, secured link) and expect feedback. We can deliver both the open files (editable files such as .PRPROJ or .AEP) and final MP4 or MPEG files.