Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

How Take 1 helps broadcasters and streaming services meet the demand for subtitled and localised content

02/12/2021

TVBEurope talks to Take 1 CEO Louise Tapia about the companys work providing subtitle and localisation services to broadcasters and streaming services, as well as how it supports production companies in the creation and delivery of their content

By Jenny Priestley

Published: December 2, 2021 Updated: December 7, 2021

TVBEurope talks to Take 1 CEO Louise Tapia about the company's work providing subtitle and localisation services to broadcasters and streaming services, as well as how it supports production companies in the creation and delivery of their content

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>

A recent study by captioning charity Stagetext found that 80 per cent of 18 to 25 year olds in the UK use subtitles some or all of the time. Whether that's because subtitles help viewers understand dialogue more effectively, or they help audiences concentrate on the TV show or film they're watching, it seems subtitles are an important part of content from both broadcasters and streaming services.

Launched in 1998 by Dom Bourne, Take 1 is best known for providing transcription and translation services to media and entertainment companies including Discovery Inc, ITV Studios, BBC Studios, National Geographic Channel, A&E Networks and Peacock.

In the company's early days, video was shot on tape and the only way to log or view footage after the shoot was to either book expensive playback machines by the hour or transfer footage to VHS with burnt-in-time-code.

Take 1 offered an alternative - and more effective way for production companies to prepare for edit. Instead of spending hours viewing VHS dubs of their shoot footage, producers sent these tapes to Take 1 where Bourne and his team would transcribe the time codes, dialogue and action onto paper. These transcriptions were then posted or biked back to Soho and used to prepare paper edits.

Fast-forward to the present day, Take 1 continues to provide transcription, access and localisation services to the international media and entertainment industry under the leadership of CEO, Louise Tapia. With offices in the UK and US and a global workforce, the company leverages digital technology and data-driven workflows to provide high quality, artisan services at scale.

We support production companies in the production and delivery of their content; we help broadcasters, networks and streaming platforms ensure that their content is accessible to all audiences, and we help content distributors create global content for any platform, Tapia tells TVBEurope.

Take 1 transcribes and translates shoot rushes for production teams, journalists and documentary-makers so that they can prepare storylines, find soundbites and cut down the time spent wrangling high volumes of content and multilingual stories in the edit suite. We also create as broadcast' or post production scripts which include a timecoded transcription of all dialogue, captions, credits, music cues and other information based on each project's specific requirements. We provide these to production companies at either picture-lock or final edit stages for deliverable compliance and to networks to facilitate localisation.

Louise Tapia The company's access services include video captions and audio descriptions to make content accessible to hard of hearing or visually impaired audiences. Our clients in this space include production companies, vendor partners and broadcasters, networks and streaming platforms, adds Tapia. Finally, we provide high-quality translations, subtitles, dubbing services and foreign language audio descriptions as part of our localisation services to help content producers, distributors, networks and streaming platforms reach international audiences with global content.

Take 1's workflows combine the company's multi-skilled teams alongside AI integrated technologies - some of which have been developed in-house while others are recognised and utilised across the industry.

Our proprietary metadata harvesting platform, Liberty, is integral to our data-driven approach it supports the production of XML-based post production scripts, TTML timed text for captioning, and the re-purposing of this data into the various documents, files and reports needed throughout the global content production workflow, explains Tapia.

The Take 1 cloud provides a secure-by-design web-based interface for our clients to transfer video assets to Take 1, add comments or instructions for specific projects or media files, monitor the status of work in progress and retrieve completed outputs.

The team also employs some third-party tools, including Xytech's MediaPulse to co-ordinate high volumes of content across the organisation, and products from Ooona and Starfish Technologies to support its access services. Using VoiceQ and ProTools, we can bring voice artists from home setups and partner studios anywhere in the world into one recording session for dubbing or audio description projects, she adds. These industry tools are componentised so that we can easily swap out technologies to always ensure we're using best of breed, accommodate changing requirements and work according to our customers' preferences.

Back in September, Take 1 announced plans to expand its localisation and access services departments. Recent mergers in the sector have created a gap in the market for boutique service providers with an artisan approach and an already substantial appetite for international programming was amplified in 2020 when Covid-19 restrictions reduced new content production, Tapia explains. Localisation and access service workflows are also becoming increasingly data-driven, an approach pioneered by Take 1 and underpinned by the transcription data that the company provides.

The expansion has so far included t
LINK: https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/how-take-1-helps-broadcaster...
See more stories from tvb

Most recent headlines

24/12/2025

Carr Lays Out FCCs 'Key Wins in 2025'

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

24/12/2025

CES: Cineverse Unveils New Features for Cinesearch

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

24/12/2025

IES, AES Promote Graham Kirk, Brienne Willcock

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

24/12/2025

Ad Tech and CTV Experts Forecast 2026's Biggest Trends

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

24/12/2025

December 23, 2025

Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...

23/12/2025

How guilas Cibaeas Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Global Audience

How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...

23/12/2025

CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language Support

CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...

23/12/2025

Analysis: As Sports Media Values Trend Negative, Scarcity and Quality Are King

Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08 Print ...

23/12/2025

ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of Dunk the Halls'

ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...

23/12/2025

End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!

End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today! By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm ...

23/12/2025

Find Your Perfect Holiday Romance Listen With These Swoon-Worthy Audiobooks

The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...

23/12/2025

L3Harris Receives Letter of Intent from Kratos Defense for Production of Large Hypersonic Solid Rocket Motors

A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...

23/12/2025

FCC Bans All New Foreign-Made Drones

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

23/12/2025

Gray Media Renews Its NBC Affiliation Agreements

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

23/12/2025

Lightware to showcase breakthrough Google Meet and TPN MM...

Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...

23/12/2025

Nielsen, Roku Expand Measurement Partnership

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

23/12/2025

PwC: Streaming Market Shifting to 'Scale and Sustainability'

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

23/12/2025

Inside the Gray Innovation Lab

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

23/12/2025

ESPN Renews Deal for Heisman Trophy Coverage

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

23/12/2025

Gray Media to Acquire WBBJ from Bahakel Communications

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

23/12/2025

Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale

Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...

23/12/2025

Boost Performance with a System Effectiveness Review

Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...

23/12/2025

VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to Advance Next-Generation Connectivity and Digital Infrastructure

23 Dec 2025 VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...

23/12/2025

How Steamy Can It Get? Single's Inferno' Season 5 Premieres January 20, Previews All-Out Flirting War in Sizzling Teaser

Back to All News How Steamy Can It Get? Single's Inferno' Season 5 Pre...

23/12/2025

33 Million Global Viewers on Netflix Watched Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua's Epic Six-Round Battle

Back to All News 33 Million Global Viewers on Netflix Watched Jake Paul vs. Ant...

23/12/2025

December 22, 2025

New technique lights up where drugs go in the body, cell by cell Scripps Research scientists developed a technique that maps drug binding in individual cells th...

22/12/2025

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Presidio's Neerav Shah on the Role of Its Captivate and Resonate Platforms in Sports Production

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Presidio's Neerav Shah on the Role of Its Captiva...

22/12/2025

Hitting the Bullseye: Sky Sports Readies Itself for the Biggest PDC World Darts Championship to Hit Ally Pally Yet

Hitting the bullseye: Sky Sports readies itself for the biggest PDC World Darts ...

22/12/2025

Unique Skillset: Bringing New Directors to the World of Darts at The Worlds with Sky Sports

Unique skillset: Bringing new directors to the world of darts at The Worlds with...

22/12/2025

Gravity Media Prepares for a Flight of Fancy With the PDC World Darts Championship 2025 for Sky Sports

Gravity Media prepares for a flight of fancy with the PDC World Darts Championsh...

22/12/2025

One Hundred and Eighty: Gravity Media on Hitting the Production Bullseye at the World Darts Championship 2025

One hundred and eighty: Gravity Media on hitting the production bullseye at the ...

22/12/2025

The Famous Group's Jon Slusser on Fascinating Fans Through Immersive Content Experiences

The Famous Group's Jon Slusser on Fascinating Fans Through Immersive Content...

22/12/2025

ESPN's Meg Aronowitz on Continuing High-Quality Broadcasts of Collegiate Sports, Expanding Growth of Internal Production Team

ESPN's Meg Aronowitz on Continuing High-Quality Broadcasts of Collegiate Spo...

22/12/2025

ESPN Takes Data-Driven Storytelling to New Heights with MNF Playbook with Next Gen Stats' NFL Altcasts

ESPN Takes Data-Driven Storytelling to New Heights with MNF Playbook with Next ...

22/12/2025

A Decade of Giving: Fest & Flauschig' Christmas Circus Celebrates Record Turnout and Generosity

For a decade, popular German podcast Fest & Flauschig has hosted an annual Chris...

22/12/2025

Paramount and Netflix Boast Double-Digit Gains in Nielsen's November Media Distributor Gauge

Paramount Scores Largest Share Increase Among Distributors as Paramount and CBS...

22/12/2025

Nielsen and Roku Expand Strategic Measurement Partnership

New multi-year deal integrates Roku's data to fuel Nielsen's measurement suite Roku gains access to Nielsen's streaming ratings, showing The Roku C...

22/12/2025

Allen Media Group to Deploy Infillion TrueX for Streaming Services

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard...

22/12/2025

Berklee Wrapped 2025: Our Top News and Stories

Berklee Wrapped 2025: Our Top News and Stories A look back at a year highlighted by faculty milestones, major film and television projects, Bob Dylan's ho...

22/12/2025

Marine Biological Laboratory Explores Human Memory With AI and Virtual Reality

The works of Plato state that when humans have an experience, some level of change occurs in their brain, which is powered by memory - specifically long-term me...

22/12/2025

Space42 and LatConnect 60 Expand Access to Advanced Geospatial Intelligence

Partnership integrates complementary satellite data and AI analytics to enhance security, infrastructure, and environmental monitoring solutions for global cust...

22/12/2025

Simplify Playlist Management with Workflows in WO Automation for Radio

Workflows allow you to create a sequence of planned events which may be added to your template(s) or inserted directly into your sequential or background playli...

22/12/2025

Sky extends PGA TOUR partnership until 2029, as Sky Sports remains the unrivalled home for golf fans in the UK and Ireland

Monday 22 December 2025 Sky extends PGA TOUR partnership until 2029, as Sky Spo...

22/12/2025

Global Anime Hits and New Releases Take Center Stage at Jump Festa 2026

Back to All News Global Anime Hits and New Releases Take Center Stage at Jump Festa 2026 Entertainment 22 December 2025 GlobalJapan Link copied to clipboar...

22/12/2025

Christmas with Oliver Callan on RT

Siobh n McSweeney, Rory McIlroy, Elon Musk, Catherine Connolly, Jim Gavin, Ivan Yates and Traitor Paudie Moloney lead new characters for Callan Kicks the Year 2...

22/12/2025

Monaghan's McKenna family crowned Ireland's Fittest Family 2025

Winner announced in the picturesque surroundings of Wicklow's Avondale Tower and Treetop Walk Andrew Trimble wins the show in his first series as coach Th...

22/12/2025

RT lyric fm Choirs for Christmas 2025 Winners Announced

The 2025 winners have been announced today, Sunday 21 December, for Ireland's largest choral competition Choirs for Christmas hosted by RT lyric fm. Ove...

21/12/2025

Legoshi and Haru's Story Reaches Its Finale: BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Premieres March 2026, Main Trailer Out Now

Back to All News Legoshi and Haru's Story Reaches Its Finale: BEASTARS Fin...