M+E Connections

MESA’s Winter M+E Journal Goes Live

The winter edition of the “M&E Journal,” published by MESA and geared toward senior media and entertainment executives who oversee their companies’ digital futures, is now available online.

The 134-page publication features insights from more than two dozen MESA members, from AppTek to XL8, with the issue’s main focus centred on the challenges and opportunities facing the localisation end of the media and entertainment business.

Along with the cover section — “Giving Voice to Chaos” — the issue offers industry insights for several crucial industry areas, including “Workflows and the Cloud,” “Smart Content,” and “Security Solutions.” Additionally, the “M&E Journal” also features columns from MESA’s executive leadership.

Here’s a quick look at what’s included in the “Giving Voice to Chaos” section:

• “Optimise Localisation by Introducing Machine Translation During Production” by XL8’s Janice Pearson. There are not enough linguistic professionals to keep up with the insatiable demand for localised content. By introducing AI-powered machine translation earlier during production and post-production, media companies benefit from economies of scale, a seamless post-edit process, and better creative outcomes.

• “Video Localisation Tools: The Online Era” by OOONA’s Alex Yoffe. Never have we seen such an abundance of tools for video localisation. The Nimdzi Technology Atlas lists hundreds of localisation tools in the market, including well over one hundred for audiovisual translation and transcription alone. How far has the technology come at the dawn of the third decade of the 21st century and where is it heading?

• “Embracing the New: The Rise of Local Language Content” by VSI’s Dr. Lindsay Bywood. What do you mean, it’s not in English?! Local language con- tent is currently popular with audiences and seems to be here to stay. What historical, social, and commercial factors have led to this sea change in commissioning and viewing habits, and what are the implications for globalisation vendors? This article looks at the rise of non-English source language content, and the importance of the viewer experience when it comes to the localised versions.

• “Identifying International Data Privacy Risks in Localisation Operations” by Mediartis’ Nicole Quilfen and Convergent Risks’ Stephanie Iyayi. Localisation workflows include processing high volumes of freelancer personal data (translators, adaptors, subtitlers, etc.) by the supply chain. Data is shared, without monitoring, by all stakeholders. Industry best practices haven’t integrated data protection particularities of localisation workflows. Service providers and their clients need global understanding to mitigate risks.

• “Imperatives of Inclusion and Diversity in Media Localisation” by Vubiquity’s Matteo Natale and Gustavo Marzolla. Making media content accessible and resonant to global audiences requires a multidimensional approach to inclusion & diversity. We propose a framework for exploring industry practices for accessibility and localisation that centres the experiences and viewpoints of underrepresented groups and a diverse range of communities whose stories are reaching wider audiences.

• “Simplifying the Search for an Accessibility Partner” by Take 1’s Louise Tapia. Though there are many components that make up good captioning, transcription, subtitling, and audio description, securing professional accessibility services doesn’t need to be complicated.

• “How Far Has Synthetic Speech Come?” by AppTek GmbH’s Volker Steinbiss. Speech synthesis, a technology that started as assistive to the blind, has entered our lives for good. As deep learning-based synthetic voices approach the naturalness of the human voice, new opportunities for the implementation of the technology are appearing.

• “How COVID-19 Changed the Language Localisation Industry Worldwide” by The Kitchen’s Deeny Kaplan. Out of COVID-19 came a boon for the localisation industry, with new technologies, new health and safety protocols, and a mountain of work for those who were ready for it. The only question is whether we’ll ever go back to the way things were before.
Not likely.

Beginning Monday, Jan. 9, look for stories from the spring edition of the “M+E Journal” every week in the “M+E Daily” newsletter.