Preparing a title for a global release is complex. Many components must be in place prior to starting a deliberate and complicated process. You’ll need a final cut, an accurate final script, trailers, posters, targeted markets, a release schedule, and an understanding of how cultural, regulatory, and political factors impact age ratings. These are critical components to the process, and missing even one of them can threaten the success of the entire localization project.
This blog is not intended to be a step-by-step guide. Rather, it is an overview of the process. Suppose you’re new to releasing content internationally. In that case, we encourage you to avoid trying to do it on your own and reach out to experts, such as members of the Entertainment Globalization Association (EGA), who can offer insight and guidance.
Step One: An Accurate Final Script
The first key step in localizing and culturalizing a title is having a copy of the script that reflects the actual spoken dialogue. The script must match the exact words spoken by all characters in every scene and every frame. It must be pristine with no errors, no substitutes, and nothing missing. Only with this script can a high-quality localization process begin.
Step Two: Market Selection
The next key step is figuring out where you want to release your title. Language alone isn’t an indicator of social, linguistic, or political sameness, and it would be a mistake to presume otherwise. It’s common to prioritize countries where the native language is identical or similar to the native language of the title. Still, language differences may require translation or have cultural concerns that necessitate a scene to be blurred, edited, reshot, or deleted. When choosing markets, it is essential to work with experts who can help you identify where the best opportunities exist and which barriers to entry you may encounter. With this information, you can prioritize your localization efforts and resources to choose where to start.
Step Three: Detailed Script Analysis
The third key step is analyzing the script from a cultural, linguistic, and regulatory perspective. Why? Because in most markets, you will need an age-rating before exhibiting your title. What’s an “age-rating”? An age-rating is an indicator used to inform consumers about the type of content shown and the age at which someone watching the title can safely comprehend and appreciate it. Film and television ratings differ significantly. We have written about these differences in a previous blog post.
For example, in the US, film age ratings are G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17. For TV, the ratings are TV-Y, TV-Y7, TV-YZ-FV, TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14, and TV-MA. Worldwide, there are many factors to consider, and the criteria for one country or platform versus another can have a significant audience and revenue impact. We have written before how scenes or characters that are perfectly acceptable in the US may result in a film being censored in India or banned in the Middle East. A detailed script analysis includes not just the words spoken but the context, the meaning of a scene in the native country, sound, visuals, and more. Utilizing SpherexRatings™ and SpherexGreenlight™ can identify all potential issues in a title for over 200+ countries and territories worldwide. The output is a detailed roadmap localization companies can use to know where to focus efforts to ensure a title meets cultural and regulatory standards while reducing regulatory risk.
Step Four: Localization
Generally speaking, “localization” is the process of preparing subtitles and audio dubs for a title in a particular language. It has evolved dramatically from silent movie intertitles and is much more than simply translating the final script into another language.
Localization today includes processes to convert the final script to standard subtitles, mapping dialect, regional and cultural differences reflected in the final product, and preparing audio dubs with the subtitles as the source. This process is challenging and imperative because subtitles must correspond with the action, and audio dubs must match, as closely as possible, the lip movements of the actors onscreen. This can entail changing the script or dialogue in ways that potentially impact the audience's experience and understanding of the story. Knowing in advance where issues may arise can shorten this process and reduce costs on the front end and eliminate risks on the back end.
Step Five: Review
The final key step is a full review of the finished product to ensure the translated story is as close to the original as possible. There are many examples of localized titles audiences believe tell a very different story than the original. Criticisms include missing context, mistranslating dialogue, excluding cultural references, and overlooking nuances that adversely impact audience understanding and satisfaction. Ensuring you avoid these missteps before release means engaging content for the audience and a higher return on investment for you.
These five steps are an overview of elements to consider when adapting a title for global distribution. In today’s competitive content marketplace, proper title preparation can mean the difference between profitability and loss. Spherexratings™ and Spherexgreenlight™ services and tools provide significant and beneficial insights that streamline this process by assisting content companies in identifying favorable markets, achieving appropriate age-ratings, and mapping cultural and regulatory issues before starting the localization process. Contact Spherex to learn how you can use these tools to your competitive advantage.
