Japanese ADR Production
Glovision was one of the founders of Japan's ADR production industry. Our Japanese-language versions of US and European television programming and feature films have set the standard for localized foreign entertainment for four decades. Naturally, when viewers see Sean Connery or Gwyneth Paltrow speaking fluent Japanese, they know they're not hearing the original actors. That's why it's vitally important to ensure that our Japanese versions don't sound like "dubs." If the audience can relax, forget they are seeing a dubbed production, and focus on the nuances of story and character, we know we've done our job.
Japanese Subtitle Production
Foreign language subtitling production has benefited from computer-based automation tools that cut the amount of time required to translate and insert subtitles. But quality subtitles are not the product of advanced hardware. Subtitles must convey the core essence of spoken dialog, while allowing audiences ample time to attend to nuances of characterization and portrayal. To achieve this difficult goal requires superior translations with syntax that can be quickly scanned. It's also critical that subtitles pace the timing of on-screen action in a natural manner. Fonts and subtitle placement must be optimized for each program, and sometimes scene by scene. Our goal is to enable audiences to scan the subtitles at a near-subliminal level, "forget" they are reading, and experience the program as its creators intended.
DVD Production
The DVD is a symbol of the Digital Age, and Glovision is a major producer of ancillary content for Japanese DVD releases. Unlike the traditional videotape format, the perceived value of DVDs lies not only in their ability to present the main feature, but to incorporate a rich variety of related visuals and content. By leveraging our decades of voiceover and subtitling expertise, Glovision helps DVD distribution and marketing specialists create content specifically for Japanese viewers. And with our accumulated experience in menu and chapter production, we help DVD distributors realize their marketing strategies with distinctive presentations.
Japanese-Version Documentary Production
Documentaries cover a wide range of genres, from politics and business to the arts, society, history, science, nature, sports and amusement. And each work is not the mere relating of facts, but reflects the director's unique vision. The localization of documentaries must therefore convey effectively the impact and credibility of the original. For example, if a five-hour documentary must be edited to fit a one-hour broadcast slot, the overall presentation must be carefully revised. Nonetheless, the result must convey the facts, be interesting and persuasive, and most importantly, be credible and easy to comprehend. Glovision is proud to have had a hand in the localization of thousands of documentaries, including NHK's superlative foreign documentary programs, which set the global standard. Glovision gives new life to documentaries from around the world in their Japanese versions, communicating the pulse of today's world.
