SHEFFIELD / LOS ANGELES, December 16 2021 – ZOO Digital, a leading provider of media globalization services, has launched an industry-first online academic course in dubbing script adaptation. Part of its ZOO Academy initiative, the course has been co-developed by ZOO and the University of Sheffield and incorporates contributions from a global team of experienced script adapters representing over 20 dubbing languages. It covers the creative and technical skillsets and practical experience needed to become an industry-ready script adapter.
High-quality dubbing script adaptation is crucial to the success of globalized content. The role of the adapter goes far beyond translating a script from one language to another; the story must be retold in a way that is natural and authentic, conveys the original intent, while skillfully matching the dubbed dialogue to the mouth movements of the original on-screen actors, in order to achieve a seamless lip sync.
The university-led professional development course aims to enhance the skills of existing media translators and script adapters and develop a new highly-skilled resource of industry-ready professionals equipped to work on premium media and entertainment content. The practical course, due to commence early 2022, will be taught using ZOO’s cloud-based scripting and dubbing platforms, and features real world exercises and case studies consisting of TV and film content provided by leading content creators, Magnolia Pictures and Chicken Soup for the Soul.
ZOO Digital CEO, Stuart Green, commented: “As a leading LSP we have a responsibility to cultivate the talent pool of the future, and ensure that as an industry we can continue to deliver high quality media localization at scale for years to come. The training course, taught by leading academic specialists in media translation at the University of Sheffield, aims to develop a new generation of professional, modern dubbing script adapters to retell the world’s greatest stories for new audiences.”
Professor Dominic Broomfield-McHugh, from the University of Sheffield said “Alongside ZOO, our researchers from the School of Languages and Cultures have created a modern professional development course that will equip script adapters with the creative and technical skills to entertain audiences around the world. We’ll be providing new generations of translators, language students and academics with the tools they need to successfully contribute to the global media industry. We believe this collaborative university-industry approach is essential to the success of such training and we’re delighted to have been able to forge this partnership with ZOO.”
Gabe Monterrubio, VP, Digital Media Production at Magnolia Pictures said “Magnolia Pictures is pleased to lend its support to this important industry initiative. With the increased demand for more content across multiple languages and territories, we are encouraged by the program ZOO has developed to inspire and educate the dubbing and adaptation talent of the future. We look forward to their potential collaboration on our own upcoming localization projects.”
Those translators and adapters interested in attending the multi-language course when it commences in 2022, should register their interest at zoodigital.com/about/zoo-academy/adapter-training
About ZOO Digital
ZOO Digital’s mission is to make life easier for the people who entertain the world.
It supports major Hollywood studios and streaming services to globalize their content and reach audiences everywhere, by providing world-leading, technology-enabled localization and media services. Clients include major Hollywood studios and streaming services, like Disney, Netflix, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Facebook, Sony, and HBO, among others.
ZOO offers the end-to-end services needed to securely create digital distribution packages in all languages and for all distribution platforms; services include dubbing, subtitling and captioning, audio description, metadata localization, artwork localization and media processing. Alongside this, ZOO also provides its clients with management platforms and strategic solutions to support their own internal globalization operations. For more information, visit www.zoodigital.com.
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