Yesterday I'm cutting a sequence involving a number of soundbites with kids who are speaking French.
They're part of a team of teenagers who run the business end of a non-profit organization that recycles used soaps from hotels, processes them, reshapes them, and gives them to humanitarian organizations.
The kids are asked two questions: "what do you like about the work you do?" and "what do you want to do next?"
You see, their experience is leading them toward business degrees... so this a very important experience in their lives.
Now, the way I cut foreign language sequences is to allow a sentence or two of an answer out in the open and then duck it under the translation. In this case, the translation's coming from the woman who directs the program. She's standing off-camera, next to the host who's also off camera.
Easy.
We’re looking at the students the whole time.
During the interview, the first student answers the first question once it's translated for them, then the camera pans over to the second student who gives their answer, and then the director tells us what they each just said. In the final sequence, you hear the first sentence of the first answer that then ducks under the translation, cut to the first sentence of the second answer that then ducks under the translation and then finishes out in the open again once the translation ends.
Perfect.
I'm actually planning on doing the same thing with the second question... but yeah. I think the best way to put it is that my reaction to the second question is very different from the first.
The first question's very much straightforward, all business. Just the facts.
The second one, though... and remember, this is teenagers basically answering the question What do you wanna do with your life?
For anyone, that's a tough question because it's so epic. For teens, especially so.
So right off the bat you hear the host's question, then the translation, and then that look of discomfort that would play across any teen's face from any country.
The host tries to take some of the pressure off, lightening the mood some... which is fun. Plus, you get what's happening here. Especially if you're a parent or a teacher.
The second student answers the question first, followed immediately with translation. Then the camera pans back to the first student who still seems kind of flummoxed, but proceeds with an answer that's followed immediately with translation.
Okay so four pieces: soundbite, translation, soundbite, translation.
None of the pieces are super long... and what I realize I love the most is that, while the kids are giving their answers in French, if you don't understand French, which I largely don't, you're left to interpret each student's tone of voice. Mostly, though, you're reading their body language which, let's face it, these are teens answering the question What do you wanna do with your life?
So yeah. There's plenty of body language whether that body language is animated by certainty or uncertainty.
Anyway.
I love how the exchange prompted by that second question turned out. It's a very human moment. A young human moment. It's authentic. It's engaging. And...
It doesn't take a ton of time. It doesn't overstay it welcome.
That's my vote, anyway. I'm gonna leave it as is in this rough cut and see how the producer reacts.
Fingers...
Crossed.