by Frederic Chaume
My yellow brick road, or camino de baldosas amarillas, as it was translated in Spain, started very early on, when I caught my father’s interest in languages. Then both real and metaphorical doors opened for me, just as they did for Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.
My interest in languages caused me to register in the Bachelor of English and German Philology at the Universitat de València. In my fourth year, our English literature lecturer casually mentioned that his brother worked as a movie and show translator at a dubbing studio in Valencia. When the class ended, I contained my shyness, summoned my bravery, and asked him about his brother. I wanted to know more about the job and where he worked. In a time without internet, I took the directions he gave me, gathered even more bravery, and got into my car.
I went to the town of Alboraia and started asking anyone on the street if they knew where the studio was. A woman was able to direct me to the exact location of what was then called Tabalet. I was both afraid and embarrassed, but yet brave enough to knock on the door. Someone answered and I introduced myself as a recently graduated translator with a desire to learn about their work and offer my services. After a conversation with the studio’s directors, I left with my first dubbing translation project: an animated series called Gokū no Daibōken, known in English as Adventures of the Monkey King, prequel to Dragon Ball. Just like the yellow brick road to Oz, mine is not straight. It weaves between good and bad, highs and lows, with potholes and dead-ends, and is occasionally crossed by loathsome characters. But I’m glad to have taken it, and given the opportunity, I’d do it again.
