As the events sector is among the industries most affected by Covid-related restrictions, voice-over interpretations have become a staple in my repertoire of translation services. It is best described as a mixture between the typical on-site live interpreting setup and the documentary-style recitation of a written, previously translated text.
Voice-over interpretations are a good fit for:
• Online courses and webinars
• Tutorials
• Recordings of events
German Voice-Over for Tutorials
Scenario A: The customer has created a 30-minute video which explains the functions of a new product. They ask me to create a German audio version so the tutorial can be made available to the company’s sales force in Germany and Austria. Because time is at the essence – the German voice-over is supposed to be ready within a few days of the original video being finished – the client asks for a spontaneous yet comprehensive German interpretation. I record the German voice-over using my editing software and professional microphone. The customer’s videographer cuts the German audio files and pastes them onto the video.
German Voice-Over for Online Courses
Scenario B: The customer has created an online course in English and wants to make it available to a German-speaking audience. I create a German voice-over interpretation for the course which consists of ten 20-minute units. The deadline is not quite as close in this case, however, the customer wants to avoid the long process of transcribing and translating. A spontaneous German interpretation is more suitable in this case as it comes closer to the conversational style of the original course videos.
In both cases, extensive preparation is part of the process. In a regular simultaneous interpretation setting, the sections one person can translate are 20 to 30 minutes long. With voice-over translation, I only do 5 to 10 minutes at a time because I listen to each section before interpreting, taking notes and researching key terms. This way, I can make sure that my voice-over interpretation is complete and there are no unnatural pauses or misunderstandings. Any slips can easily be edited out later.
Why Voice-Over Translation
This type of voice-over translation comes with several advantages. First of all, a fast turnaround is possible with voice-over interpretation, making it a time- and cost-effective process. It is also a good solution for videos and recordings in which people speak freely. A well-prepared yet spontaneous interpretation is what comes closest to the free speech of the original. At the same time, customers can rely on receiving a complete and accurate interpretation from English into German.