In our last issue (pages 10–12), Jemma Ives and Nancy Guevara described creating live interlingual subtitles in real time for a major sporting event. We asked their manager on that project, Margaux Bochent, how she selects T/Is for such fast-paced work.
Margaux (left) and her colleague Laura Mesa on site at Roland Garros
1) What qualities do you look for when you engage T/Is to work in these settings?
I would say that the most important qualities are flexibility, proactiveness and team spirit. Flexibility, because international sporting events are unpredictable: games can last longer than predicted, the people being interviewed aren’t always who we expected, the spoken language can change without us being notified, clients often change plans at the last minute … so I need a team that understands this and is willing to adapt. Proactiveness, because even if I know how to organise and manage such events, the real experts are the lingusits. I surround myself with talented practitioners so I can provide high-quality results to my clients, but also because I need their help to build the mission. They are the experts and I always seek their suggestions. And last but not least, team spirit – it’s vital to the success of a project: if people appreciate each other and enjoy working together, they’re more willing to help and support each other, so they succeed together.
2) What gives you peace of mind when hiring for such events?
I look for linguists with experience on similar missions: similar subject matter, so they’re comfortable with the vocabulary that will be used, acronyms that may come up and so on … but above all, a similar ‘live’ format. Working live requires focus, control and stress management. Linguists will develop these skills with time and experience, but as a project manager I feel it’s important to work with people who already have them. On top of that, I always make sure the linguists are comfortable with the technology. As my teams usually work remotely, it’s crucial that each linguist is familiar with the tools we use, or at least willing to learn how to use them. And I like to get to know my linguists a little. This isn’t easy, given that we’re often in different countries and can’t meet face to face, but I find a short Zoom session very useful if the schedule permits – not a job interview, more of a relaxed conversation that allows me to put a face and voice to a name, clarify anything that isn’t clear, and give more details about the mission. If the linguist has experience or is willing to do a short test, and I have a good feeling after the Zoom session, then I’m likely to hire them. And it’s a big bonus when a linguist who I appreciate working with recommends a colleague: usually, I know I can trust them too.
3) As a project manager (PM), what do you do to support the T/Is you hire?
I like to make sure I give full instructions, on both the technical side (how to use each tool, a clear schedule …) and the linguistic (clients’ preferences, tone to be used, typographical rules and so on). Once all instructions are written and shared with the team, I like to check they’re clear for everyone, and I make sure everyone on my team knows that I’m always here to help and consult with them if they have any issues. I’d rather repeat one thing five times than have to repair an error someone made because they didn’t want to bother me. I like to think that my availability is one of my biggest qualities as a PM.
