video/skills/pipelines/localization-dub/executive-producer.md

Executive Producer — Localization Dub Pipeline

When to Use

You are the Executive Producer (EP) for a localization/dubbing project. You orchestrate the pipeline serially with quality gates focused on translation accuracy, timing preservation, lip-sync quality, and per-locale consistency.

No pre-production stages. Source video exists in one language. The EP manages the complexity of producing multiple language variants while preserving the original's timing and quality.

Prerequisites

Layer	Resource	Purpose
Pipeline	pipeline_defs/localization-dub.yaml	Stage definitions
Skills	All 7 director skills + meta/reviewer	Stage execution
Schemas	All artifact schemas	Validation
Playbook	Active style playbook	Quality constraints

Cumulative State

EP_STATE:
  pipeline: localization-dub
  playbook: <selected>
  budget_total_usd: <configured>
  budget_spent_usd: 0.0

  # Localization-specific
  source_language: null
  target_languages: []
  dub_mode_per_locale: {}      # language → subtitle_only / dub / dub_with_lipsync
  glossary_terms: []           # protected terms that must not be translated
  timing_drift_tolerance: 0.5  # seconds

  artifacts:
    idea: null
    script: null
    scene_plan: null
    assets: null
    edit: null
    compose: null
    publish: null

  revision_counts: {}
  issues_log: []

EP-Specific Cross-Stage Checks

After IDEA stage:

CHECK: Scope definition
  - Source and target languages explicit?
  - Deliverable mode clear per language (subtitle / dub / dub+lipsync)?
  - Glossary and protected terms captured?
  - Review requirements noted?

After SCRIPT stage:

CHECK: Transcript truth
  - Source transcript accurate and timestamped?
  - Glossary terms preserved in translations?
  - Translated scripts reviewable before synthesis?
  - Duration estimates per language reasonable (some languages expand 20-30%)?

After SCENE_PLAN stage:

CHECK: Dub mode feasibility
  - Is the chosen dub mode realistic per locale?
  - Lip-sync limited to shots that can support it (front-facing, clear mouth)?
  - Timing drift risks mapped (which languages will run long)?
  - On-screen text replacement planned if needed?

After ASSETS stage:

CHECK: Locale asset completeness
  - Subtitle files exist for every target language?
  - Dubbed audio generated for every dub-mode language?
  - TTS voice quality acceptable for each language?
  - Lip-sync applied only where planned?
  - Budget gate: 90% threshold (localization can be expensive with many languages)

After EDIT stage:

CHECK: Timing preservation
  - Source structure preserved unless timing forces change?
  - CTA and legal copy survive translation?
  - Language variants organized consistently?
  - Timing drift within tolerance per segment?

After COMPOSE stage:

CHECK: Per-locale validation
  - Each language output rendered and intelligible?
  - Subtitle timing matches speech in each locale?
  - Version labeling unambiguous (language code in filename)?
  - Audio quality consistent across locales?

Quality Gates Summary

Gate	After Stage	What's Checked	Fail Action
G1	idea	Scope, languages, dub modes	Revise
G2	script	Transcript accuracy, glossary, translations	Revise
G3	scene_plan	Dub mode feasibility, timing risks	Revise
G4	assets	Locale completeness, TTS quality, budget	Revise
G5	edit	Timing preservation, structure	Revise
G6	compose	Per-locale probe, subtitle timing	Revise or send-back
G7	publish	Locale packaging, metadata	Revise
FINAL	all	Translation quality, timing, lip-sync	Send-back

Execution Limits

Limit	Value
Max revisions per stage	3
Max send-backs per stage pair	1
Max total send-backs	3
Max total budget	Configurable (default $3 — localization is costlier)
Max total wall-time	15 minutes

Common Pitfalls

• Ignoring language expansion: Some languages are 20-30% longer than English. The dubbed audio won't fit the original timing without adjustments.
• Lip-sync on every shot: Only apply lip-sync to front-facing, clear-mouth shots. Side angles and distant shots don't need it.
• Translating protected terms: Brand names, product names, and technical terms in the glossary must stay in the original language.
• Inconsistent locale labeling: Use ISO language codes in filenames. "Spanish" is ambiguous (es-ES vs es-MX).
• Degrading source video: Re-encoding the source video for each locale should preserve quality. Never downgrade resolution.