A customer from the medical industry contacted us looking for a professional agency to translate medical instructional videos and to handle the complex post-production of the video. The assignment included translation by ear from English, Polish proofreading and then blending the subtitles and voiceover in Polish into the video. Sounds like quite a challenge!
We did the translation first, selecting the translator appropriately for the subject matter of the text. At Skrivanek we have extensive experience in general medical and pharmaceutical fields. We translate with precision all the information intended for both patients and doctors, including drug descriptions as well as the documentation relating to medical equipment, such as instruction manuals and device descriptions. The video shows the procedure for preparing and administering the drug for injection. Following the translation, the Polish text was proofread.
The next step was to prepare the subtitles. This task involves converting speech from the audio material into written text and then adding time stamps, i.e. the exact times that they display on the screen. Although such files are colloquially referred to as ‘video subtitles’, in the practical terms it is a time-synchronised transcription of the recording. We write more about this on our page about videos. Be sure to have a look! The subtitles with time codes look like this:
Next, we tackled the most important stage of the project, namely the professional recording of the voiceover in Polish and the integration of the new soundtrack into the video. It is very important to establish all the details of the recording, right at the outset. What aspects are worth considering beforehand? These include whether a male or female voice be added to the video. Should the voiceover be recorded as a dubbing or voice-over? Planning these kinds of fine details is the key to success!
At Skrivanek we offer two soundtrack recording options to choose from: dubbing or voice-over. What are the differences? Dubbing is the process of recording voices in another language, giving the characters on screen a new life! Native speakers of the language in question literally impersonate the characters in the video, creating harmony between sound and image. Voice-over involves recording an additional soundtrack, so that it preserves the authenticity of the original speech, while adding a new dimension as the audience hears the content in their native language. In the end, our project created a video with a completely new soundtrack in Polish, which was intended to serve as an instructional video for medical personnel.
Do you need video translation into multiple languages? Write to us and ask! We are happy to offer you advice on the best solutions, all tailored to your needs. We can provide you with a free individual quote for video translation!
