Feedback! Somebody actually read the blog!
Of course, they disagreed with what I had written. Which is good – because you (I, at least) never get anything quite right the first time.
One thing I did not mention is that I charge overtime if I have to stay in the studio longer than the allotted time. So, if the client and the production and the translator have problems they have to pay me extra – just like they have to pay the studio extra too. Time is money.
Now, it is commonplace to reserve 2 hours for a 15 minute video. However, if the script has been done properly I have done a 15 minute video in as little 20 minutes! In all these cases I either wrote the script myself -- or one of Tokyo’s (very few) actually professional writers had done it -- making sure of exact sync between images and text –and getting client approval in advance. If I have written the script myself – or read it carefully in advance – I just don’t need a rehearsal – and I don’t make mistakes. I get it right the first time.
For a professional voice person, as the feedback pointed out, all you need to do is a simple voice check at the beginning, say the first 30 seconds or a bit more , if you want to establish “mood”. If you make a mistake or want to change phrasing or emphasis you just stop and do it again.
This is the way it should be done – in the best of all possible worlds.
My point in my previous post, however, was that Tokyo is not the” best of all possible worlds” for English language PR work. So – inevitably compromises have to be made.
Now, savvy companies recognize that they can save time, trouble and money – while producing a better product by careful scripting, which I call “un-translation” (which I will deal with in another post), good client management, and meticulous preparation in advance of a recording. But this requires a.) a certain skill set b.) an understanding by the client of what is involved in the process.
Also--before I forget – it has been mentioned that white text on black is pretty awful. I agree. And I have changed that.
No comments:
Post a Comment