In several Languages, #FallingPlates has been viewed over 22 million times in 236 nations
My name is Howard Crutsinger. I work with Cru / Campus Crusade for Christ on The Jesus Film's Digital Team. I am the Executive Producer of #FallingPlates and the director of the http://FallingPlates.com/ strategy.
I have been praying for a few years that someone would offer to help by becoming the "language champion" for each major language. Many digital leaders around the world have used their dubbed version of #FallingPlates during outreaches resulting in incredible spiritual conversations. We already have 42 different dubbed languages and 26 launched localized web campaigns.
Thank you for offering to Help Get #FallingPlates into a new language!
We filmed #FallingPlates as a ministry tool to make it easy to share the gospel in any language.
We also created new technologies to make it easy to provide follow-up content to anyone, in any language.
The goal of #FallingPlates is not just to "share the gospel", but more importantly, to help viewers take their next step in their spiritual journey while directing them strategically into discipleship.
6 Steps
- Translate script (subtitles, closed captions)
- Record voice dubbing
- Howard creates new video
- Translate website
- Launch campaign
- Add new language to Jesus Film App
1) TRANSLATE SCRIPT
Go to the Google Spreadsheet link Howard Crutsinger created for your language. (If you do not have the link, send him an email at FallingPlatesVideo@gmail.com with the name of your language)
287 word English script (estimated time to translate: 90 minutes)
- In Column "D" your language should already have a "Machine Translation" of the script from English into your language. Modify the translation in column "D" with a more accurate translation by clicking in the cell and type over any text that Google did not translate accurately. Please also translate the text in rows 319 to 352 which will be used for some of the text on the website (button labels, field descriptions, navigation text).
- Your new textual translation will also become the written script for a voice actor to record #FallingPlates into the spoken word of your language. Do you have someone (a male voice actor who will be the voice of Jesus) who I can coach with instructions on how to record his voice into the new language? (Howard can send you instructions.)
- When finished, email Howard at FallingPlatesVideo@gmail.com to tell me it is finished. Howard will add your new subtitles to #FallingPlates in YouTube
2) Record voice dubbing
The objective is to have you create a new language voice dubbing. As professional as possible, you will create audio file with only your voice. You will not need to worry about the background music or sound effects.
You are the only voice that will be heard in the video. You are the narrator. You are the voice of Jesus.
The audience includes students and adults. Most will be watching on YouTube on a mobile device. You are speaking mainly to people who do not know much about God, Jesus, or Christianity.
But when you are speaking, speak as if you are speaking to an individual, to an 18 year old boy. Speak as if you are looking directly into his eyes, down to his soul. Pretend this boy has emotional scars because he is upset at God, and dissatisfied with church. He misunderstands Christianity, believing it is just a bunch of rules that take joy away from life. You are speaking to him in a way that causes him to consider what it would be like to truly follow this loving Jesus.
When people hear your voice, they need to hear a voice of love and deep compassion. I want them to feel loved, as if Jesus is smiling at them. During the video, Jesus' voice sounds like he could have a tear in his eye. Usually, when I let others listen to #FallingPlates dubbed into another language, people often say it sounds as if the voice actor is just reading the translated script, instead of speaking with genuine emotion.
I am neither looking for a powerful voice, nor one that is authoritative, nor angry. The goal is not to show God's power, but to display that God is approachable and understanding. Your emotion and fluctuation should sound similar to the English voice.
When you record your voice track, watch the original YouTube video while it displays your language's closed captions. Wear headphones so you can hear the English voice while you record yourself speaking into your microphone the new language at the same speed as they are displayed in the YouTube closed captions. Make sure that the sound in your headphones is not very loud because the microphone will record every background sound, even from your earphones. Prevent all distracting, unnatural background noises (clicking of computer mouse, conversations in next room, etc).
3) Howard Creates A New Video
After Howard receives the new voice recording, he will create a new video mixing the new voice, sound effects and background music. He also edits the video text typed on the screen during the video to localize it even further.
Within the video there are 7 spots where TRANSLATED text appears:
- @ start of video on TITLE screen
- @1:17 HAPPINESS -> will display the translated word
- @1:20 SEX -> will display the translated word
- @1:43 ACCEPTANCE -> will display the translated word
- @1:46 INTIMACY -> will display the translated word
- @1:48 LOVE -> will display the translated word
- @ end of video CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION -> will display the translated words
4) Translate website (estimated time to translate: 30 minutes)
Howard will need to send the website translator a separate email "invitation." The translator interface has six tabs, each with a brief amount of text to translate, edit, or verify. Please look at all six tabs at the top:
- Basic
- Engagement Player [you can SKIP this tab. I will edit it, if necessary]
- Share
- Community
- Growthspace
- Survey
5) Launch Campaign
Follow-Up Landing Page For Your New Language
The URL for your new campaign will probably be: http://FallingPlates.com/[YourLanguageCode] For example: http://FallingPlates.com/FR (for French) or http://FallingPlates.com/RU (for Russian)