St. Louis Regional Chamber and Explore St. Louis foreign language video production

Email the correct answer to carol@aaatranslation.com and you could win a Starbucks gift card.

Each day, we handle many different language related projects and today we want to showcase a cool foreign language video project:

The St. Louis Regional Chamber and Explore St. Louis engaged us to create foreign language voice-overs of this video showcasing St. Louis:

How did we do it?
First, we took the English script and localized it into all the target languages. This was performed by expert in-country translators, making sure the words and phrases are common within that culture.

Because you really don't want this to happen when using Google Translate:

Not only did we translate/localize the script, we also calculated the exact time it will take to fit the new language into the allotted (English) time provided.

Language expansion/contraction - a natural occurrence
Each language has different structures. For example, Japanese could expand by up to 60% and German or Spanish can be longer than English, too. A literal translation of an English voice-over script can be too long to fit in the allotted time, and the script could sound like a horse racing commentary. We wanted to avoid that at any cost.

This is where our consultative approach helps - we can advise you on how to streamline the script. We have in-house editors who can help suggest changes to the script without changing the message, or we can also rewrite the video for each appropriate market.

Do you like my voice?
It's really important to choose a voice that is not only really nice sounding, but also fits the message. So think carefully about the type of voice you need. What language and what kind of accent? Do you want your artist to sound cheerful or formal? Always look for a voice that suits the genre of your video. For example, if you choose to make a video for an advertisement, the voice should sound lively and energetic, not boring or annoying.

For this project, we chose a lively and energetic voice.
By choosing the right voice, you'll engage your target market again and again.

The importance of the right Accent
The artist must speak both languages well, as a poor accent could ruin your credibility in a new market. The problem with the wrong accent is that the listener may be distracted by the speaker's accent, and not listen to the actual message.

We have lots of voice samples to choose from to make sure your video has the right kind of voice.

FYI - Susanne Evens, CEO of AAA Translation, has been a German voice-over artist for over 20 years.

It's all in the Details
At the final stage, you've selected an awesome sounding artist and ready to spread your message to the world.

Clear instructions before the recording session are essential. Any information on pronunciation, brand guidelines, tone and objectives are important. Re-running through these keeps things focused and on brand.