From Script to Action: The Challenges of Making a Bilingual Training Tool

The key challenges in creating this video, once the script had been written and vetted for colloquial Spanish and English, was finding bilingual actors and crew who could collaborate effectively to make the concept work. We cast a wide net for actors and were able to locate believable talent for the parts. There was an additional challenge of finding a good shooting location since we were going to have to strip paint off the house, etc. In addition, there was the need to make sure that the technical aspects of the protective gear; correct and incorrect work practices were realistic while dealing with some quick decision making. For this we relied heavily on the personnel from the California Department of Public Health. Creating a believable safe painting environment also required consultation throughout the project. Among the key lessons learned were the importance of having the technical expertise available throughout the shooting process; the need for bilingual crew as well as cast and the need for injecting some humor into the training tool to help keep the audience's attention. Once we had a rough cut, we brought in a target audience of both English and Spanish-speaking painters to see if the film was comprehensible and to create a title. This proved quite helpful, resulting in the title and assurance that the health messages of the film were understood. The film's greatest potential is that it can serve as a model for other health and safety educational tools for mixed audiences.