Exclusives

Every major studio (and more than one independent) looks to London-based ZOO Digital for subtitling, captioning and localization services. And what makes the company stand apart from those offering similar services is how it goes about it.

ZOO uses a mix of cloud computing, media production services and worldwide talent (across key territories in Europe, Asia and the Americas) to help media, entertainment and publishing clients find simpler, smarter and faster ways to distribute content around the world. For ZOO, it’s not just about solving problems: it’s using technology to work smarter.

Dr. Stuart Green, CEO of ZOO Digital, spoke with the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA) about the importance of the cloud to the company’s business model, the challenges clients face today when it comes to subtitling and dubbing for worldwide audiences, and what companies can expect from ZOO’s latest offerings.

MESA: How did ZOO Digital come about, what gap{s) in the media and entertainment space has the company sought to fill?

Green: ZOO Digital was established in 2001 to develop entertainment software and became a pioneer of technology for authoring interactive content on DVD, working with leading Hollywood studios. We have a long tradition of developing technology not only to make our own lives easier, but to pass on productivity and efficiency benefits to our clients, for which we see a growing demand as the industry adapts to the evolving consumer landscape.

MESA: What makes ZOO Digital’s localization, media production and distribution services unique in the M&E space?

Green: Our point of difference in the M&E space is ZOOcloud, developed by ZOO’s dedicated research and development team. Our revolutionary cloud-based approach means that content is subtitled in any language and delivered to all the major online platforms such Netflix, Amazon and iTunes with reduced time to market, higher quality and lower costs. It’s a highly agile model that enables our clients to respond to market trends, scales easily with business growth and capitalizes on new routes to market.

MESA: What are the major challenges facing content owners when it comes to subtitling today, and how does ZOO Digital’s services stand out?

Green: The industry’s been crying out for technology that offers a better way to handle postproduction. ZOO Digital’s cloud-based infrastructure makes us really well placed to respond to the challenges of global digital distribution. To scale up operations, many traditional vendors rely on extending their physical presence in different territories. It’s a massively costly exercise in terms of investment and each territory has its own delivery methods, which makes for multiple highly complicated workflows.

At ZOO, it’s the complete opposite. Yes we have talented translators in multiple territories, but there are no extra offices so we have a fraction of the overheads. With ZOOcloud we can all work together, review work and securely store and repackage titles all in one place. With one workflow and one connected way of working, it makes localization and digital distribution faster and more cost-effective while maintaining Hollywood-approved quality across the board.

MESA: As for dubbing, what are content owners facing when it comes to translating content into multiple languages, especially considering today’s “want it now” digital world?

Dubbing adds a layer of complexity to the production process as individual voice actors need to be cast and recorded for each territory in addition to getting scripts translated. Casting, reviewing scripts and approving the final audio all requires time and collaboration of multiple parties. This is particularly challenging when releasing in multiple territories in quick succession, with the trend for day-and-date release further complicating matters.

This is where our cloud-based approach has a host of advantages for managing production. ZOOcloud provides a secure online space where directors, producers and global teams can work together, cast voice talent and review scripts, video and audio. A customized central dashboard for managing projects for each territory, organizing media files and tracking progress and proactively advancing the workflow means that teams can be so much more efficient than the traditional approach of email and spreadsheets.

MESA: What are some of ZOO Digital’s favorite use case examples, where media and entertainment companies made especially good use of the company’s services?

Green: Now there’s a story or two in the making. However, we’re under non-disclosure with many of our clients, so our lips are sealed, but put it this way: we’ve got the big six Hollywood studios on board and the BBC as well among key independent producers.

MESA: What’s next for ZOO Digital, what advances and offerings can we expect from the company in the coming months and years?

Green: We’ve just launched three innovations to an incredible reception at NAB 2016:

• Enriched metadata service: content discoverability is the buzzword in the online entertainment industry right now. Our service transforms the way metadata is prepared to offer audiences a rich and dynamic way to search TV and movie content and make it more discoverable by search engines.

• ZOOscreen: the industry’s first super-secure digital screener for home TV streaming brings the big screen experience in HD to the homes of Academy members. Last year’s record year for piracy with Academy screeners makes the launch of our service a big deal.

• ZOOvault: this offers customers an ultra-secure way to store TV and movie content and order digital distribution deliveries in new languages and formats in a few clicks.

Now we’re one of the few providers comprehensively equipped to offer a complete service for every element of digital distribution and localization. For the next few months we’ll be focusing on making sure our customers know that whatever their global content strategy, we’ve got them covered, in all languages, all platforms, end-to-end.

And longer term, as a technology company we’re constantly innovating to help our clients become more efficient, reduce their costs and tackle new industry challenges. You could say we’re hardwired to innovate, so watch this space.