Video localization has become fundamental considering the trust we have started putting on the videos. These have become part of our lives in different forms. These are in the form of short videos, reels, clips, GIFs, and whatnot. To address a global audience and compete in the global market it has become evident for the businesses to localize their videos according to the demands and business norms of the respective target market to widen their reach and to make their way to to their potential customers. Seeking video localization services that meet your criteria and requirements from a professional translation vendor can surely solve the majority of your problems. However, as a business and creative artist, you need to be mindful of the challenges and difficulties that are part of video localization.
Hence, make sure that you are taking care of the following things before starting the process officially.
Planning and preparation
Planning and preparation in advance can help you with many petty tasks helping to excel better in what you do.
Source video optimization
The process of video localization can be extensive. However, you should be optimizing the video source before localizing it to make the process less hectic. While creating of original video make sure that you create it in a way that makes the process of localization easy, even if you don’t plan to carry out one right away. You should avoid culture-specific references in source videos as this can make localization for another culture tough. Moreover, translation also gets challenging for such content.
Separate visuals and audio
While you analyze your video for localization, extracting the visuals from the audio can make the process faster. You should separate the visuals from your audio this empowers you better for an independent localization.
Subtitle early
The world is connected more than ever and it is imperative that you work on subtitles right from the start while creating videos. This makes the localization process easy and faster. So you can simply pick up your script of subtitles and can translate to as many languages as you want while localizing for the different audiences simultaneously. However, if you do not add subtitles at the start, you’ll have to carry it out from scratch by first translating the video into the source language.
Choosing the right translation partner
You should never overlook the need for professional translation services while executing video localization. There are certain facts and practices that only experienced LSPs understand and can integrate into your visual content for you.
Expertise
Selection of the right translation and localization partner can be an ordeal. However, scanning them for particular factors can help you to make your decision. Look out for a localization partner who has proven experience in video localization. They should have native speakers as well as a profound knowledge and understanding of your target market.
Technology
They should also be able to keep up with the recent advancements in translation tools and technologies rather than having old-school practices. A smart use of technology and translation tools can assist you with your basic work enabling you to focus on more important things while streamlining the translation process for you.
Project management
While making a selection for your localization partner also make sure that the company is good at project management. Video localization is a tough process and if your selected company fails at taking care of the project the way it demands, it can become hectic and hassle for you where you could have to juggle between different tasks. So make sure they have enough team and experience to allocate paving the way to an efficient project management process ensuring timely process and delivery.
Quality assurance
A video localization process has no room for compromised quality. The quality needs to be prioritized in the translation and localization process or else the whole effort gets ruined.
Back-translation
A lot of translation agencies are doing this practice of opting for back translation to scan for discrepancies. Make sure that the video subtitling company that you have chosen also practices this. They should translate the video back into the original language to look out for any inaccuracies and errors.
Cultural review
Translation is though an inseparable part of translation. It is especially important to be careful while localizing the videos. Having a cultural review and ensuring the cultural nuances of the target market can take away a lot of burden from your shoulders making it a cakewalk for you. So, ensure that your localized video does not contain any offensive elements and is appropriate for your new audiences.
Testing
Testing never harms. Final testing and frequent examination can help you maintain the quality and offer top-notch video services. You should be conducting the test to have feedback on the localized videos. Feedback can help you have new experiences and perceptions improving your video product and also maintaining the quality.
Conclusion
Video localization can turn extensive and hectic if you do not start certain preparations in advance. Planning and preparing before the process starts with optimizing of video source, separating visuals and audio, and addition of subtitles since the start can take off the extra layer of complexities for you. Also, make sure that you opt for an experienced translation partner with native speakers. Quality assurance is another important factor to look into for making the process of video localization hassle-free.