March 29, 2024

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[MUSAI] Launches the Script Adaptation Team, “One Step Closer to the Ideal Voice-Over Users Want”

2021-01-08

 

The new year, 2021, has just arrived. Along with the new year’s start, big and small changes have been seen here at Musai Studio. Among them, we would like to highlight the launch of the “Script Adaptation Team.”

[Image 1] Script Adaptation team having the first meeting of the year (Source: Musai Studio)

 

In fact, the script adaptation has been considered the most important process in all the projects handled in Musai Studio. Because there is a clear difference between written and spoken language, the quality of the localization cannot be guaranteed without recognition of this difference no matter how splendid the translated script is. Therefore, here at Musai, the script translated via general translation process (TEP) does not go to the recording room immediately. Instead, the adaptation process such as adjusting the script length or converting it into more of a colloquial language is always being carried out. Many of you might have read about this from our blog since it has been mentioned as an important topic several times already!

 

All about ‘Script Adaptation’ for Game Dubbing

http://blog.musaistudio.com/musai-insight-all-about-script-adaptation-for-game-dubbing

How Different is the Translation for Subtitling and Dubbing? – The Importance of Script Adaptation

http://blog.musaistudio.com/musai-how-different-is-the-translation-for-subtitling-and-dubbing-the-importance-of-script-adaptation

[Image 2] Artistic director and linguist discussing the script together during the recording session (Source: Musai Studio)

As for game voice-over, it is more difficult to accurately analyze the situation of the script during the recording session compared to other genres. For example, when recording for animation or films, the voice-over process is done over an already completed work. Therefore, even when the script is a bit awkward, it can be fixed flexibly during the recording session, by adjusting the script’s length according to the mouth movement on the video or understanding the relationship between the characters and acting correspondingly. However, games are often localized at the same time as the games are being developed (or before completion), so it is hard for the voice actors to analyze the situation of the script. That’s why artistic director and linguist’s guide become so important.

 

Additionally, when script adaptation experts are present during the recording session, new ‘palatable’ lines can be ‘created,’ rather than recording lackluster ‘translated’ lines, by counting the situation, gestures, and relationship between characters. The representative example is <Cyberpunk 2077>, released in last December. Thanks to the script adaptation process, much more realistic and ‘insulting,’ so to say, curses could be created rather than simply using ‘primitive’ words like ‘f**k,’ or ‘asshole,’ etc.

[Image 3] Characters calling all different kinds of names, instead of using typical swear words in <Cyberpunk 2077>, after the script adaptation process (Source: <Cyberpunk 2077> game-play screenshot)

 

Jaewoon Yu, Script Director at Musai explained the background of launching the team is to ‘get a step closer to the ideal voice-over that users want,’ and added the long-term goal which is to “lower the resistance the users feel towards voice-over.’

[Image 4] Script Director Jaewoon Yu, “it is our goal to lower the resistance users feel towards voice-over” (Source: Musai Studio)

 

The organization of the script adaptation team is Musai’s new attempt to keep and persist high quality. This is our conclusion derived after contemplating and seeking to achieve higher product quality in this unchanging localization world of a tight schedule, limited manpower and budget. With the help of the script adaptation team and its expertise, we fully expect to raise the localization quality to a higher level.

 

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