M+E Daily

ZOO Academy Opens Enrolment to Its Adapting Dialogue for Dubbing Professional Development Course

ZOO Academy, the not-for-profit media localisation training initiative from ZOO Digital, has opened enrolment to its professional development course for dubbing script adapters. Co-created with leading academics at the University of Sheffield, UK, the Adapting Dialogue for Dubbing course will commence with its first student cohort from July 2022.

The multi-language course will teach professional translators and adapters the creative skills needed to localise dubbing scripts for all genres of film and TV content. Using the real-world technologies currently used to dub Hollywood content, students will also develop the technical skills required to be a successful script adapter.

The online teaching programme has been developed over the last 12 months alongside experts from the global dubbing industry and refined during pilot courses with over 100 participants from around the world. Students undertake three weeks of independent study followed by eight hours of online, interactive teaching. The course benefits from the latest education technology, video tutorials from leading dubbing adapters and peer-to-peer discussion and support. From July, classes will be held every six weeks with cohorts of 25 students; the aim is to produce around 200 new script adapters each year.

On completion of the training, learners will receive certification to evidence their learning. They will also be invited to further develop their skills in the ZOO Academy Sandbox, an all-new digital learning environment to be launched soon, which will enable learners to continue to hone their creative and technical skills and gain hands-on experience using examples of real-world entertainment content.

ZOO Academy’s Head of Education, Ambrish Acharya, said: “We are delighted to welcome the first students to our Adapting Dialogue for Dubbing course. With the team at University of Sheffield, we have created a teaching programme that is relevant for today’s industry. Not only will it equip learners with the professional skills needed to become successful members of the dubbing community but will also open up new work opportunities for them.”

Stuart Green, CEO at ZOO Digital commented: “By actively re-skilling translators and adapters via this course, ZOO Academy is ensuring the dubbing industry has an ongoing supply of talented adaptation resources. As a leading LSP, it is our responsibility to develop the talent pool of the future, equipped with the skills to deliver modern, culturally relevant script adaptations for the diverse content that is now enjoyed across the world.”

Nicole Baumgarten, Director of Translation and Intercultural Communication Studies at University of Sheffield added: “This kind of Industry-University collaboration is an essential and exciting space for the now and the future of global media production and distribution. We are thrilled to launch this course for all translators, subtitlers, and dialogue writers who want to become part of a new generation of skilled script adapters that makes entertainment truly global.”