In-studio interpretation is an incredibly rapid voice-over solution, and a great choice when you need large amounts of video content localized for worldwide distribution on a limited budget. But how do you know for sure whether it’ll be the right fit for your project? First, by going to a trusted multimedia localization provider like JBI Studios. And second – by checking out this blog post.

This post will list the four types of video for which in-studio interpretation is a great fit.

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What is in-studio interpretation voice-over?

In-studio interpretation is exactly what it sounds like. A video session is prepared in our professional dubbing studio, and then the video is translated, on-the-spot, by a conference interpreter with expertise in the subject matter. The interpreter is of course recorded by our audio engineer, the audio is tweaked a little for timing, and then it is mixed as the localized voice track, usually as either off-screen narration or UN-style voiceover.

For a full description of the in-studio interpretation process, see our previous post, In-Studio Interpretation: Quick and Cost-Effective Video Translation.

Why is it so attractive for multimedia localization?

Two reasons. First, in-studio interpretation is relatively cost-effective, since it doesn’t require script transcription or translation. How much more cost-effective? For a 150 minute project, in-studio interpretation can be as little as 35% of the cost of traditional translation and voice-over. For large corporate projects going into 20-30 languages, these savings can be quite significant. This last part is key – because the service is billed by the interpretation session, it requires 2-3 hours of source content to be as cost-effective as possible.

Second, it has shorter turn-around times than standard video dubbing, in particular because the script timelines are eliminated. The conference interpreters need time to prepare for the studio session, usually creating a terminology glossary or reviewing an existing one from the client, but this takes much less time than translation. How much shorter are the timelines? They can be as little as 25% of a traditional turn-around.

So when is it a really great voice-over fit?

In general, in-studio interpretation is great for content that’s informational (no marketing or entertainment copy), and which has pauses in it. Let’s look at the four kinds of content that really benefit from this service.

1. Educational videos

It’s especially effective for videos that teach common core school subjects like math, biology, chemistry, history, and most other school and college-level subjects. These videos require conference interpreters with expertise in these fields – fortunately, this is exactly the kind of subjects in which conference interpreters specialize.

Though it can be technical and even difficult, educational content is generally straight-forward – meaning that it seldom requires cultural or artistic interpretation – which is crucial to the success of on-the-spot interpretation. Moreover, these videos often have pauses in the voice audio as tasks are done on-screen, or to allow viewers to process information. These pauses are crucial for fitting languages that expand – for example, for Spanish voiceover – and to give interpreters time to breathe. Finally, these videos usually come in large suites of multiple hours per subject, so that they really take advantage of the cost-effective bulk pricing that in-studio interpretation offers.

2. Webinars and corporate presentations

Like instructional videos, webinars and corporate presentations also benefit from the service because they usually have multiple hours of video content that needs to get to customers or employees worldwide as soon as possible. The content can be technical or complex, even – for example, an employee webinar detailing the features of a new product being rolled out, a compliance session for a large multinational, or an investor recap session. As with educational videos, the conference interpreters must also be experts in the respective fields, be it IT, corporate ethics, finance, or anything else covered.

This kind of content often has side conversations or chatter between presenters, as well as long pauses (for example, as presenters wait for users to sign in), all of which make traditional video localization much less cost-effective overall. With in-studio interpretation, this chatter isn’t budget drain. Finally, the much shorter timelines allow companies to deliver their webinars or presentations to non-English-speaking employees and customers just days after the initial event, or in even less time if the interpreters and studio is pre-booked.

3. Government agency materials

Interpretation is also great for directions for different instructional materials from government agencies, including instructions on how to fill out forms, process claims, access benefits, or even navigate government buildings. Most agencies have large suites of content, often that need to make it to clients quickly, making this option cost-effective. Moreover, there’s a large contingent of conference interpreters who specialize in legal and governmental localization, and who already have experience with local jurisdictions, making them particularly effective in the studio. Localizing this content is required in states (like California) that mandate accessibility for their non-English-speaking residents, making a cost-effective option like in-studio interpretation particularly attractive.

4. Corporate soft skills videos

Multinationals produce a staggering amount of video content that must be localized for their international workforce cost-effectively. This includes first-day orientations at large companies, human resources videos on day-to-day employee details, or even soft skills e-Learning videos. While this content doesn’t require the same degree of specialization as the previous types of video, it’s still important to make sure they’re localized by professional conference interpreters, since employees’ well-being is dependent on it.

Be aware of the limitations

Keep in mind also that while in-studio interpretation will be reliably accurate, it won’t be a full linguistic process. If your video content requires rigorous accuracy for legal or safety compliance – for example, for instructional videos for medical equipment – it is imperative to undergo the full audio and video translation process. Likewise, for example, for content that needs to leverage existing glossary terms, like a software tutorial that heavily references a user interface that’s already been translated – it’s almost impossible for an interpreter to reference all of those strings and keep up with the video. Finally, it limits voice talent choices to interpreters with subject-matter and audio recording expertise.

That said, if your videos fall into one of the four categories listed above, there’s a good chance that they’ll benefit from in-studio interpretation, so make sure to consider it as a localization option – it will bring down your project costs and turn-arounds dramatically.