Connections

BURBANK, Calif. — On the eve of its 25th anniversary, localization services provider BTI Studios couldn’t have picked a better location to open its 25th facility.

Located directly across from Warner Bros., down the road from Disney, and just over the Los Angeles River from Universal, the strategic location is yet another sign that the dubbing, subtitling, multimedia localization and content access services firm is keeping up with the demands of an increasingly direct-to-consumer (D2C) industry, according to Chris Carey, chief revenue officer and managing director of the Americas for BTI.

“We’ve got tons of growth plans to bring a global scale to what is usually considered a small, cottage industry,” said Carey, who joined BTI in March, after nearly seven years with Verizon Digital Media Services.

Carey’s also been the EVP of worldwide technical operations for Paramount Pictures, CMO and CTO for Technicolor, and SVP of new technology for Disney’s Buena Vista Home Entertainment, and it’s that combination of studio and vendor experience that caused BTI bring him on board, specifically to address today’s D2C content reality.

“We’re helping content companies unlock opportunities to reach consumers globally, and they’re doing it without going to a pay TV middleman,” he said. “Digital has democratized content.

BTI’s latest studio has a crew of more than 50 — with more being hired — offering services that include a theatrical-level recording stage, both 5.1 and 7.1 Dolby Atmos mixing studios, and a multimedia room, all capable of dubbing and subtitling content in nearly 50 languages.

Carey said the breadth of content needed translation services is breathtaking, with huge demand coming from all corners of the world. Korean dramas, Chinese epics, Indian romances, you name it.

“We can tailor our workflows to whatever is needed,” he said. “Oslo to Warsaw, Rome to Jakarta, our facilities are everywhere” handling hundreds of thousands of hours of subtitling, dubbing and video description each year.

Additionally, BTI was an early advocate of the Trusted Partner Network (TPN), a joint venture between the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Content Delivery & Security Association (CDSA), providing security assessments of vendors around the world. Carey said most of the company’s facilities have been assessed, allowing content owners to rest easy knowing their intellectual property is secure.

“We take security very seriously,” he said.

For more information about BTI Studios’ new Burbank facility, contact Carlo DeCianti at [email protected], or 818-450-3742.