Video content is an increasingly popular form of media, especially among younger audiences. What makes it so attractive? It engages viewers by telling stories, and it helps them learn easily and effectively. That’s why we need to localize video content. Google Survey 2021 states that more than half of internet users do not speak English, and many prefer watching videos instead of reading text!
Therefore, it is important to plan ahead before creating your multimedia content, including graphics and videos, with translation in mind.
When producing a new course for video content intended for multilingual audiences, it’s important to consider localization from day 0. This will influence how language is used and how text is structured within the various elements of the course. For instance, avoiding slang and idiomatic language make the whole localization process easier and less confusing. Your language partner delivers the project faster, which saves time and money.
You should also think about exactly what needs to be translated and localized—e.g. branding slogans, user experience buttons, images, sources, and references. These details will help your localization agency understand the scope of the job.
Business, Leadership, and Sales Courses require accurate cultural references and localizations because the content is more open to interpretations and needs to be understood by the trainee. Technical Training and Health & Safety Assessments do not need any cultural references or idioms since the content is simple and straightforward!
Text Expansion And Contraction
When dealing with languages that expand, keep in mind how the translation will fit into the final product. You need to make sure your text doesn’t get too long or short. You should also consider how much space your text will take up in the final product.
If it’s mostly text, then, always make sure there is plenty of space for text to grow. In the video content, you may need an extra footage area, so the scenes can expand to accommodate for the longer narration. On-screen animations should be synced very closely to the narration of the narrator. These need to be re-synced for every foreign language version, so that they appear in sync with the footage.
Tweaks to the script can also help expand or shorten the narration in accordance with the footage (e.g., if the footage is too short, cut out unnecessary dialogue). Text contraction isn’t usually a problem unless you want to make your text look cramped or squished. Don’t stress about this issue until after the design phase because you won’t need to pay extra for a multilingual typeface.
The Technical Considerations
The rule of thumb is to supply all content in editable formats. Translations can be incorporated easily, avoiding re-creation of the files from scratch. Issues with text expansion or contraction can be easily tackled when there’s access to editable sources. Graphics and photos can be supplied in editable formats such as Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Flattened PDFs or JPGs can’t be edited which would make translating the texts more difficult.
Interactive content created with tools like Captivate supports the export and import of the text, making the localization process easier. Text captions can be exported in XML format or XLIFF format, which can then be imported into the project.
Prepare Graphics And Other Visuals
White in the UK means elegance and cleanliness but in some Asian countries, it means death and bad luck. So, you should avoid using white when translating an e-learning resource. In English, adjectives come before nouns. But not in Spanish. If you’re translating an eLearning course from English to Spanish, make sure the translations match!
Choosing The Right Language Partner
The best-suited translation company is one that takes care of the entire project from beginning to end. This includes managing expectations from the beginning when requirements are set and prices are agreed upon.
Technology companies that utilize the latest technological advancements are those that will help you get the most for your money in a timely manner. This includes using TM which is expanded over time, ensuring consistency in translation which directly reduces costs while also reducing project turnarounds.
This is especially helpful in ongoing projects since not everyone works on the same project. New language experts can quickly become familiar with the terminology being used in the project. A glossary of specialized terms would help us understand the meaning of our content better.
We need to bear localization in mind when planning our eLearning courses. Above all, language partners should help us reach our global audience without getting lost in translation!
Conclusion
Animation is a diverse, growing media that is prime for localization! Deciding on what to translate and how to adapt the script for a target audience requires careful research, planning, acknowledgment that there’s “no 100% right or wrong” answer, and an understanding of the importance of removing language and cultural barriers.
The main work of translation is to remove language and culture barriers so that target audiences can better understand and appreciate the story! The effort pays off: translated versions of the cartoons mentioned here reach millions of international viewers and increase studio profits exponentially.
