localization processes applied to media-rich content

Localization processes applied to media-rich content

Fabio Minazzi – Binari Sonori Srl – Italy, [email protected]

Mario De Bortoli – Euro RSCG 4D Digital – UK, [email protected]

Dublin, 25 October 2006

2

Today’s media-rich communication environment

CONVERGENCE

Television

Radio

Mobile telephones

Internet

Print

3

Defining the centre piece of a communication

• Define communication priorities in multidimensional media environment

• Relative importance of each medium

• All media in one device or one webpage

• Prioritizing content and adapting it to the needs of modern media consumption

• Media have a multidimensional character: each one can relate to space, time, culture and functionality

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Proposed model

• The model that we propose can help localize media-rich communication content in the age of media convergence:

• The model is based on: – 5 Multimedia components

– 4 Multimedia constraints

– 3 Production factors

– Definition of “Driving localisation components”

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Media-rich scenes: 5 text-containing components

Media-rich scenes are built with 5 multimedia components which can contain text:

• Audio: the spoken text

• Video: subtitles and the other overlaid graphic text

• Raster graphics: the static text contained in the pictures and screen shots

• Software - on screen text: the text dynamically displayed by the content presentation system, with no functional goal

• Software - interactive elements: the text contained into the elements that are devoted to interacting with the multimedia product, i.e. buttons, menus, dialogues, input fields.

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Media-rich scene - Example

On screen text

Interactive elements

Raster graphics

Video Audio

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Categories of constraints on text

The text in each component is subject to a set of 4 constraints:

• Space constraints

• Time constraints

• Cultural constraints: arise from locale-dependent contents

• Functional constraints: arise from locale-dependent functionalities

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Component production process and constraints (1)

Video

Source Titles/Subtitles

Target Titles/Subtitles

Translation

ConstraintsTime

SpaceCultural

Video PostProduction

Target VideoQA:constraints

OK?

No

Audio

Source script

Target script

Translation

ConstraintsTime

Cultural

Audio PostProduction

Target Audio

Speechrecording

QA:constraints

OK?

No

Graphics

Sourceextracted text

Targetextracted text

Translation

ConstraintsSpace

Cultural

Target Graphics

DTP

QA:constraints

OK?

No

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Component production process and constraints (2)

DynamicOn Screen Text

Source Strings

Target strings

Translation

ConstraintsSpace

Cultural

Target onscreen text

Softwareintegration

QA:constraints

OK?

No

InterfaceElements

Source Strings

Target strings

Translation

TargetInterfaceelements

Softwareintegration

ConstraintsSpace

CulturalFunctional

QA:constraints

OK?

No

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Component-specific vs. cross-component constraints (1)

Video



Translation

Audio

Source script

Target script

Translation


Target Video


Target Audio

Speechrecording

Graphics



Translation

Target Graphics

DTP

DynamicOn Screen

Text

Source Strings

Target strings

Translation

Constraintscomponent-

specific


Softwareintegration

InterfaceElements

Source Strings

Target strings

Translation


SoftwareintegrationQA:

constraintsOK?

Localized product

NOTargetVideo

TargetAudio

TargetGraphics



Product assembly

OK for targetlocale ?

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Component-specific vs. cross-component constraints (2)

Video



Audio

Source script

Target script

Translation


Target Video


Target Audio

Speechrecording

Graphics



Translation

Target Graphics

DTP

DynamicOn Screen

Text

Source Strings

Target strings

Translation

Constraints- component-specific- cross-component


Softwareintegration

InterfaceElements

Source Strings

Target strings

Translation


SoftwareintegrationQA:

constraintsOK?

Product

Translation

Localized product

YESTargetVideo

TargetAudio

TargetGraphics



Productassembly

OK fortarget

locale?

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Constraints influence on Components: 5 x 4 table

Multimedia components Constraint Type

Audio text

Video text

Graphics text

On screen text (software)

Interface elements

(software) Space constraint

Influence

Influence

Influence

Influence

Influence

Time constraint

Influence

Influence

Influence

Influence

Influence Cultural constraint

Influence

Influence

Influence

Influence

Influence Functional constraint

Influence

Influence

Influence

Influence

Influence

STRONG Influence VARIABLE Influence LITTLE Influence

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Production factors

3 additional factors shape the localization process

• cost of each working step in the production line

• time to activate and perform each working step

• amount of content to be processed

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Defining the driving components

Driving localization components

those components that due to their:

• specific or cross-component constraints

• specific cost/time/amount factors

shape the localization process

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Example: online promotional tutorial

5 components build the scenes. Each component has one or more constraints.

On screen text: error message with space constraint

Interface elements: need to fit the available area (space and cultural constraints)

Graphics text: examples text with space and cultural constraints

Audio with time constraint, synchronized with cursor animation

Video: cursor animation, no text, but sets time constrain

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Cross-component Analysis

• The action timing is to be retained at all time, to avoid complex software re-synchronization, different for each language (21 in this example)

• Time is a major constraint, that affects audio

• Audio text depends on examples

• Audio does not depend on error messages

• Audio depends on interface elements

• Audio depends on graphics

• Graphics: large amount of screens to be shot, and edited

• Graphics depends on examples

• Graphics does not depend on the on screen text

• Examples have space constraints

• Interactive elements are drawn from the actual portal; they are already translated

=>Audio and Graphics are the driving components

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Process adopted

Translation is performed in a specific order, to account for Driving Localization Components

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Feature of media-rich contents

• Driving localization components change with each media-rich piece of communication.

• The process therefore changes from project to project.

19

Example: IBM video podcast US website

20

Example: IBM video podcast Germany

21

IBM podcast: titles

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IBM example summary

• Cultural/functional constraints- Localized video needs to be made more easily accessible than original. - Page layout needs to be changed to reduce number of clicks to access:

• Time constraintSpeaker is very fast. Some of the sentences have to be shortened in localised versions of audio

• Space constraintUS version has animated titles embedded in video. Need to cover them with static titles.

• Cross component constraint:Static texts need to be short for display, but also for reading the titles in ‘longer’ languages in the allocated time.

• Cultural/functional constraint– Having to change contact details and titles embedded in the video should be

considered in early production phase as it is not always possible to cover up moving images with static titles without a meaningful loss of video content. It also implies significant post-production costs.

=>Audio and Video are the driving components

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Workflow based on Driving components

Audio and video are the driving components

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Conclusion

• translation of media-rich contents is multidimensional

• text is no longer privileged starting point for the localisation process

• priorities are determined by driving components

• a systematic approach can rise to the challenges posed by multiple constraints on text translation

• the model is highly beneficial for global communicators (streamlined process and brand/message consistency)

• the model proves useful for both the internationalisation and the localisation phases

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Questions

?

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Contacts

•Fabio Minazzi

•[email protected]

•+39 02 6186 6320

•Mario De Bortoli

•[email protected]

•+44 (0)20 7017 1332

localization processes applied to media-rich content

Documents

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categories of constraints

mediumall media

static text

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