Launched in 2015, Hum TV has established itself as one of Pakistan's most prestigious networks, offering quality entertainment and exceptional dramas for viewers across the globe. As the country's premier entertainment channel, it focuses on tailoring content for international consumption by utilizing localization solutions.
Parizaad is among the series aired on Hum TV, captivating not only domestic audiences but also viewers from various countries. Based on the novel of the same name by Hashim Nadeem, who also pens the scripts for the series, Parizaad tells the story of a protagonist named Parizaad, who grows up in an underprivileged family. He faces constant ridicule for his dark skin and struggles to find love due to societal judgments based on his appearance and financial status. With its engaging storyline, compelling plot, and remarkable performances, Parizaad has achieved significant success.
The original language of the footage is Urdu, and HUM TV's initial focus was to make the series accessible to Arabic-speaking audiences. Depending on its global success, the network plans to continue localizing it for other languages.
Elsewhere, we discussed how TV broadcasters are embracing digitalization to stay relevant in a competitive media landscape, while video streaming platforms are capturing the majority of global audiences. We also examined the limitations and opportunities presented by traditional TV and YouTube, questioning whether YouTube has replaced TV as the primary source of primetime entertainment, sparking conversations about the potential demise of television.
To exemplify the potential of reaching wider audiences, we introduced two TV dramas, one from Pakistan and another from Turkey, both subtitled into multiple languages. We suggested that TV broadcasters who invest in subtitling or dubbing their content in different languages can strengthen their digital presence and expand their audience base.
Credit: YouTube
Forward-thinking TV broadcaster HUM TV embraced this approach by formulating a localization strategy for their popular series, Parizaad, starting with dubbing the episodes from Urdu into Arabic. Shortly after the series concluded its broadcast on TV, we provided HUM TV with a demo to showcase the dubbing capabilities of Ollang.
Impressed by Ollang's expertise, HUM TV recognized us as the ideal partner to create a global success story for Parizaad. They placed orders for our hybrid dubbing service, blending the power of AI systems and expertise of studio dubbing from Ollang’s roster. This innovative solution provides dual-sided benefits to both production houses and consumers.
As we said above, Parizaad holds immense importance and popularity in Pakistan. So, the client looked for outstanding quality in the dubbing work, and undoubtedly, aims for an exemplary result. We left no stone unturned when it came to choosing the perfect studio and dubbing artists for this project. Working closely with the Client, we requested voice casting and samples from the studio, presenting a range of options for the main characters. With the Client's confirmation in hand, we embarked on the dubbing process.
The Client's invaluable input on character development throughout the series posed an exciting challenge. For example, we ensured that the artist voicing the character of Parizaad was attentive to the character's evolution with age, effectively reflecting these changes in their voice and intonation. The result was a truly immersive and captivating Arabic dubbing of Parizaad, a testament to our dedication and commitment to delivering excellence.
Content Genre: TV Series
Volume: 29 episodes, with 37 minutes-long each
Language pairs: From English to Arabic
Solution: Hybrid Dubbing (a combination of AI localization and studio dubbing)
Distribution: Hum Arabia on YouTube
In summary, the dubbing project for Parizaad demanded meticulous selection of the studio and dubbing artists along with the effective use of AI. With the Client's approval obtained beforehand, and incorporating their detailed character development notes, we enhanced our standard process to meet their expectations and deliver an exceptional Arabic dubbing experience.
Just like in many other fields, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made significant advancements in the realm of localization. While there are limitations in dubbing certain audiovisual content genres like comedy, TV dramas, and movies, AI has demonstrated remarkable success in dubbing other genres, such as documentaries with single or few narrators, e-learning content, and content creator videos. In addition to AI-generated synthetic voices, voice cloning offers a scalable, cost-effective, and fast dubbing process, presenting another viable option for leveraging technology-based solutions.
At Ollang, we provide a comprehensive range of localization solutions, including AI-powered closed-captioning, subtitling, AI dubbing, and more recently hybrid dubbing. We conduct meticulous assessments of our clients' needs and expectations, exploring both AI and traditional approaches. By presenting demos and collaborating closely with our clients, we finalize the most suitable path to follow. When AI dubbing can deliver high-quality and emotionally impactful results that closely mirror the original audio, we recommend embracing this transformative technology, as it offers a 4X reduction in cost and 5X acceleration in project delivery compared to traditional studio dubbing. Our ultimate objective in every project is to provide scalable, seamless, and effective solutions without compromising quality. This is achieved through our Human-in-the-Loop approach, which combines AI automation with human intelligence.
We firmly believe that "Your content is as good as it's understood." Allow us to demonstrate this by making your content accessible to global audiences. Experience the power of Ollang's Augmented Intelligence and embark on your localization journey with Olabs, our state-of-the-art localization project management tool.
