video/skills/pipelines/localization-dub/scene-director.md

Scene Director - Localization Dub Pipeline

When To Use

Plan how each localized deliverable will handle timing, visible speech, subtitles, and on-screen text. This is where the pipeline decides whether to preserve the original cut, cover mouth-visible sections, or attempt lip sync.

Reference Inputs

• docs/localization-dubbing-best-practices.md
• skills/creative/video-editing.md

Process

1. Choose The Dub Mode Per Deliverable

Use one of:

• subtitle_only
• dub_audio_only
• lip_synced
• hybrid_covered

hybrid_covered means using B-roll, graphics, or text coverage during sections where visible mouth mismatch would be distracting.

2. Map Timing Risk

Identify scenes likely to drift because of:

• fast speech,
• dense legal copy,
• multiple speakers,
• fast cuts,
• visible close-up mouths.

3. Note On-Screen Language Dependencies

Record scenes that contain:

• UI text,
• lower thirds,
• title cards,
• baked-in subtitles,
• charts or labels that may need replacement or coverage.

4. Use Metadata For Variant Planning

Recommended metadata keys:

• dub_mode_map
• timing_risk_map
• on_screen_text_replacement_map
• language_variant_notes

5. Quality Gate

• every deliverable has a defined localization treatment,
• timing risks are mapped,
• lip-sync usage is selective,
• text replacement needs are not hidden.

Common Pitfalls

• Assuming dubbed audio will fit the source timing exactly.
• Choosing lip sync for every shot instead of only the shots that justify it.
• Forgetting about baked-in text until compose time.