How and why is video content localised?
Today, more video content is being produced than ever before. Enterprises of all shapes and sizes have embraced this trend, creating videos for purposes ranging from ‘explainer’ videos for products and systems, to presentation films, showcase videos for new products, and information and training materials for sales teams. For businesses which operate on an international scale, it is essential to produce localised versions of these videos, with text, graphics, speech and domains which are tailored to each target market.
To date, there has not been a solution which has allowed individual users or service providers such as translation agencies to localise videos ‘on demand’ in a largely automated process, without expert knowledge or dedicated software.
To address this imperative, MoovIT has developed Title Tool, a web-based software solution for the adaptation of video content. The Cologne-based IT specialists showcased this new technology at the tekom and tcworld parallel conferences in Stuttgart, Germany.
By allowing users across the globe to leverage centrally produced content which is localised for each country, Title Tool saves both costs and resources. The solution simplifies communication processes and increases the flexibility with which video content can be utilised in multiple countries and regions. Title Tool is scalable and can be expanded as requirements evolve (e.g. number of languages).
The ability to regionalise video content will appeal to organisations and their service providers who wish to brand video content within their structures for sales partners, or to reflect the specific needs of individual regions.
Title Tool: software-as-a-service
Title Tool consists of hardware and software components, and is marketed by MoovIT as a software-as-a-service offering. A central storage system sits at the core of this solution. As Wolfgang Felix, Managing Director at MoovIT explains: “These are scalable, high-performance machines which we host in a data centre.”
All video processing takes place here, ensuring that the localisation process runs rapidly and smoothly without needing any specific software to be installed on the user’s computer. To access the full functionality of Title Tool, a standard web browser is all that is required.
The Title Tool workflow
Once a master video has been uploaded to the Title Tool system, Title Tool reads the data and makes the text layers editable. Next, the user enters a translation of the original text into a web-based interface, while the software works in the background to process the new input and update the video accordingly. Images and graphics can be edited and exchanged in the same way. If required, Title Tool even allows users to add customised title and closing sequences to the videos.
Audio tracks and voiceover recordings can also be updated with similar simplicity.
Once the administrator has approved the edits, a localised version of the video is rendered in the customer’s desired resolution and format – without requiring any further input from the user. As soon as rendering is complete, the video is ready for use.
Title Tool also includes organisational and administrative structures which help users to keep a clear overview while facilitating the coordination of work processes. This includes rights management for admins, translators or other staff members, for example.
The MoovIT system is able to provide videos in suitable formats for distribution across multiple platforms, such as for web and mobile devices. If needed, content can also be prepared for CMS or social media channels. Users also have the option to simply download rendered video clips directly from Title Tool.
Video personalisation with Title Tool
The core objective of any vendor is to address its customers in a targeted, personal way. Personalised videos can elevate e-mail campaigns to the next level, while viral social media campaigns become all the more compelling if the text, graphics and animated elements address the customer individually. Whether the size of the target audience is 100, 1,000 or 100,000 customers, Title Tool enables each registered contact to receive personalised video content at the touch of a button. This ‘personal touch’ could make a real difference – for example, when welcoming a new customer or tailoring bonus programmes to individual customers.