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If you wish to penetrate the foreign marketplace, producing a foreign language version of your video program is essential. Even if your company isn’t trying to market outside the US, you may have employees that don’t speak English well enough to fully understand safety, human resources, or training issues.

Regardless of the reason for producing a foreign language video, dubbing can often prove to be an extremely complicated task. There are many factors that you should be aware of in order to deliver a quality product, and even sometimes just to avoid plain disaster.

Here are some questions that will help you select the right company to assist you with your video translation needs:

• Who is your target audience?
  You wouldn’t use an Australian voice to market your product in the US, would you? For the same reason, you wouldn’t want to use a Canadian voice for a show in Paris or a person from Portugal to market in Brazil. If you’re not careful about selecting the right dialect or the right voice, your result may not be success after all. An experienced translation company will already be aware of these issues and will produce a video that will not offend your audience.
• Will the video be used with any other material?
  Many video programs incorporate supplemental material such as manuals, software, or audiotapes. It’s imperative that the translation for one part of the program be consistent with another. Ask the translation company how they handle this issue. Does one person translate the entire program or is it split up among several translators? Do they create and use glossaries? Is there a quality control check for consistency between different parts of the program? Be sure the translation company you use has a proven track record by asking for references.
• Do you have resources to check the translation?
  Don’t wait for the script to be recorded to have it approved! The most effective method of assuring the accuracy and appropriateness of a foreign language video is by having someone at your company review the translated script. The more input you receive from your foreign office, the better your end product will be. Style, terminology, and cultural issues should be addressed well before you start the production process to avoid costly delays and revisions. The simple solution is to request a translated script before recording.
• Is the translation company prepared to produce foreign videos? Most importantly, you want a translation company that has done this type of work before. Does someone who speaks the language fluently supervise the recording sessions? Does the audio/video editor have a working knowledge of the language? Is the studio equipped for dubbing? Will they provide foreign language voice samples? Do they check the script against the video before translating it? Do they use professional, native speakers? If the answer to any of these questions is “no”, keep looking! You’re better off taking the time to find the right company to produce your foreign language video rather then needlessly spending time and money with one that’s not.

There are many steps in choosing the right company to produce your foreign language video program. These are just a few of the things to think about when searching for one. Remember, you want to find someone that will help you achieve your ultimate goal: Effective communication in the language your customers speak!