The advancement in technology and artificial intelligence taking over has increased the expectations of people worldwide. They expect phenomenal videos, films, and marketing ideas. The adverting agencies also look to pitch ideas to the people offering unique and creative content.
Multimedia and video translation is not everyone’s cup of tea and people with a knack for marketing and insight in multimedia can only excel in it. Video translation refers to the process of translating the audio and visual content of a video from one language to another. This is needed for the movies, short videos, and every possible content in the video form. While people can assume it to be a straightforward task, video translation services are a complex and technical process that requires specialized skills and tools.
The translators have to come up with a unique solution to cater to the following challenges of the translation of the video content.
Timecode synchronization
This is the foremost challenge that pops up while working on the translation of the videos. This primary technical challenge of video translation is timecode synchronization. The experts use timecodes to synchronize the audio and video tracks of a video. In video translation, it is essential to maintain the synchronization of the timecodes between the source and target languages. Any mismatch or discrepancy between the timecodes can lead to lip-sync errors, that eventually affect it negatively and quality of the translated video.
Translation memory management
Translation memory is undoubtedly the most useful tool that you can think of when it comes to using machine translation tools. However, the management of the translation memory is quite a task. It is a database of previously translated content that translators use to ensure consistency in the translation process. In the process of video and film translation services, translation memory can be used to store and retrieve translations of repeated phrases, which can save time and reduce costs. However, managing this feature often gets challenging, especially when dealing with large video projects that have multiple translators working on different segments of the video. Inconsistencies and errors in the translation memory can lead to inaccuracies in the translation.
Audio quality
Audio quality is of prime importance when it comes to professional video translation services. This is rather a technical challenge. The quality of the source audio file may differ from the recording equipment used. Other facts also include background noise and the quality of equipment. Poor quality audio can make it difficult for translators to understand the spoken words, leading to errors in the translation. It is essential to use high-quality audio equipment and remove any background noise to ensure the translation is accurate and precise.
Dialect and cultural differences
A simple language often comes with a number of dialects within a single country. The translation of the videos is not a simple process and involves efforts more than converting from one language to another. A single word can be used in different contexts. Likewise, the same word or phrase can have different meanings and connotations in different dialects and cultures. Translators need to be familiar with the cultural nuances and colloquialisms of both the source and target languages. It is also important to ensure that the translated video accurately reflects the intended meaning.
Transcription and translation
Translation has different names and transcreation is one of the. This is also referred to as marketing translation services. Similarly, transcription is a form of translation that deals with transcribing the content that they speak in audio or video files. This starts with the first step in video translation. It is about transcribing the audio content of the video into text. Transcribing requires a skilled transcriptionist who can accurately comprehend and pen down the spoken words with the variation in the nuances in the speech. After the completion of the transcription, the text is then translated into the target language. This process calls for a professional translator who is familiar with the subject matter and can accurately convey the intended meaning of the source text to the target language.
Video editing
The translation is the primary factor. After the translation of the audio and visual content the translated text needs to be edited into the video. This is why it is a challenging part. This includes adding subtitles, dubbing, or voiceover to the video. The subtitles require synchronization with the audio and visual content of the video to ensure that they appear on screen at the right time. The video editor also needs to confirm that the translated subtitles are easy to read and understandable. They should also not obscure any important visual elements of the video.
Quality control
Quality is something that can not be compromised. Taking care of quality control is an essential part of video translation. Once the video has been translated and edited, it should be sent for final review to ensure that the translation is accurate. Maintaining quality in the video and professional marketing translation services gets quite technical. The placement of subtitles, their synchronization with the audio and visual content, and satisfactory video quality all are important and somehow challenging too. Quality control also involves checking for any spelling or grammar errors and ensuring that the video meets the client’s requirements and specifications.
Conclusion
Translation of videos comes with multiple challenges. It is a technical and extensive process. Translators despite proven experience in the field have to deal with these factors. They need to be familiar with the main challenges which may include timecode synchronization, translation memory management, audio quality, dialect and cultural differences, transcription and translation, video editing, and quality control.