Foreign Language Recording Experience in Over 115 Languages

Recording Experience in 115 Languages
1-800 has recorded voice talents in over 115 languages in the last two decades, for documentaries, music videos and commercial broadcast; for corporate identity, training, instructions, and industrial video. We deliver masters in most tape formats and computer files for all major video and DVD authoring systems, including Scenarist, Sonic Solutions, Spruce, Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba, and the Mixed Signals DV-2000 subtitle generator. Thanks to our commitment to quality practices, we've earned the confidence of such clients as A&E, ABC News, CBS, Fox, Fuji Sankei, HBO, Miramax, MSNBC, NBC, and New Line Cinema. Here's how we do it:

Best Practice Before Recording Begins
1. Maintain version control.
2. Production designed with localization in mind.
3. Use native speakers to select voice talent.
4. Use only professional script writers for writing and editing.
5. Provide glossary or reference material to insure consistency and accuracy of terminology.
6. Prepare pronunciation guide with a designated target-language liaison.
7. Client approves timed script before recording.
8. Talent rehearsed before session begins.

Best Practice In Session
1. Professional, trained talent only.
2. Native speakers only, speaking in their own native dialect.
3. Bilingual director present to coach talent and check script against delivery.
4. Client on-site, or listening in.
5. For post production, lay-back and check by native speakers.

Choosing Talent
Talent makes or breaks a translated script. A real artist can get to the heart of the script and bring it to life for his or her audience. They can create a natural and appropriate vocal accompaniment to the production which gives you the interpersonal connection that you need.

Our New York studios offer one of the largest selections of professional multi-lingual talent in North America. Please call us at 1-800-872-6752 to discuss your requirements. We prepare a CD or send .wav files demo so you can select the talent that will give you exactly the delivery you want, by sex, age, presence, and delivery style. Union and non-union artists available, just let us know.

Recording to Match Your Requirement
1-800-Translate offers a complete range of multilingual recording services for most media and formats. Check out info below to find out the technique that is best suited to your requirements.

Narration
If you have editorial latitude, a straight read is the most effective way to tell a story in another language. The talent can record first and then the film/animation is cut to this dialogue track. Alternatively, the voice talent can record to a production video track. Without the rush of English-language timing, natural pace can be maintained for maximum impact. This is often an option for digital media producers. Savings in recording costs are usually outweighed by additional editing expenses.

Read to Fit Narration
Reading in the "UN Style" is the most commonly used method for localizing English-language productions. Source language audio volume is lowered so that lip movements make sense and don't look like a bad dub. The target language is overlaid at a higher volume to insure comprehension.

On-screen voices should be provided by talent of the same sex. The narrator can generally provide the voice of individual speakers on screen, if of the same sex, without confusing the audience. Two or more persons speaking on camera in the same scene generally require more than one talent to avoid listener confusion.

Lip-Sync
Dubs or Lip-Sync is when the script is written to match lip movement. These techniques are vulnerable to the "Hercules effect", are very expensive to produce well, and are usually done only for entertainment programming.

Live Interpretation
Live interpretation is far less accurate and cannot be cued, but is the ideal solution for live feeds from conferences and news.

Voice Prompts
1-800-Translate is one of the world's leaders in provision of international voices and translations for telephony applications and machines.