HBV Studios - specialists in multilingual services for the digital media sector - have expanded their Dublin-based operations with a newly launched website and audio-video production portfolio which now covers over 35 languages.
Founded in 2008 by managing director Hugh Barford, HBV has evolved from a small audio-video production facility on South William Street. Dublin, into one which caters for the digital media needs of several major multinational companies.
Mr Barford spoke to IFTN this week about HBV’s expansion into the digital media sector and plans for the future, as the demand for voice-over services for international markets continues to rise.
‘We aim to provide a full service so clients can come to us as a one-stop shop for their multilingual audio-visual needs,’ he said. ‘This may consist of multilingual audio voice-over production, video editing services or translation. One of our most significant recent developments is that we have been validated by Enterprise Ireland, which is a big step forward for us.’
Mr Barford explained that one of HBV Studios’ core markets is the localisation industry which involves taking a product - usually first produced in English - and then converting it into other languages for different markets around the world.
‘We also have a network of specialist partners through whom we can supply video content, in terms of content creation and video shooting,’ he added.
The crossover with the film and TV industry, Mr Barford highlighted, lies in the areas of digital marketing and digital media.
‘Our target markets are the localisation industry - which focusses on on-line media-rich education and training material - and the digital advertising and e-learning markets.’
Languages covered include all European languages; Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, Lithuanian, Latvian); Asian languages (Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Taiwanese Chinese, Hindi); and South American languages (Latin American Spanish & Brazilian Portuguese) to name but a few.
‘By extension any company wishing to produce material in a foreign language and market abroad, and who wants to have content which is useable in those target locations, is a company we can potentially help to produce that material,’ Mr Barford said. ‘For example, YouTube-style advertising is becoming increasingly popular as a way of reaching target audiences – dubbing a short advertising video into another language doesn’t have to cost the earth.’
HBV Studios currently employs four full-time staff but also draws upon a large number of contractors, over 100, to accommodate an increased workload when required.
‘We have a network of partner studios around the world who give us extra capacity and added language coverage for post-production and editing tasks, so we can handle volume. But we are also of a size that can be very attentive to clients’ individual needs. We’re not a big machine but we can ramp up the handling volume if necessary.’
A former English teacher, Mr Barford is a voice-over professional whose broadcast credits include TV commercials for Standard Chartered Bank and voicing documentaries for the BBC. He and his team of audio directors take responsibility for the creative content of the audio HBV produces.
Each member of the core staff at HBV Studios has at least 10 years’ experience in the audio production business - including Studio Manager Conor Mac Evilly, Production Manager Sarah O’Malley, Senior Engineer Alan Smith, and Commercial Director Patrick Dunne.
As their portfolio grows, what lies ahead for HBV Studios in the short term?
‘Currently we work with three or four big clients, and their end clients are huge blue-chip global companies,’ Mr. Barford replied. ‘However we are bound by non-disclosure agreements not to reveal them. They are in the automotive, pharmaceutical, life sciences, legal & financial industries.’
‘We are pursuing a vigorous sales and business development campaign from 2013-14, both with Irish companies and globally. Most of our sales are export sales currently. But we try and get as much of our production work done in Dublin as possible. If our client base expands I can see us taking on more staff in the future, particularly sound engineers and video editors.’
Further information on the multilingual and digital services offered by HBV Studios can be found on their website at: hbvstudios.com
