UK-based Matinée Multilingual announced on January 29, 2025, that Lauren and Callum Stott will take over as joint directors. They succeed Lauren’s father, Chris Broderick, who founded the company in 1982.
The Stotts joined the company six years ago with the view to transition from Broderick once they had gained a full understanding of the business strategy and operation. Broderick had been semi-retired for the past 10 years, during which time the joint directors focused on building trust within the team and gaining the knowledge needed for succession and business continuity.
Lauren Stott will oversee business operations and strategy, encompassing marketing, finance, HR, and IT. Callum Stott will focus on sales and production, and prioritizing client relationships.
Prior to joining the family business, Lauren had worked in the translation industry, including leading the marketing team at London-based translate plus, and at a company in Sydney. Callum transitioned to Matinée from nearly a decade of experience in the events industry, working for organizations like the Royal Television Society and the PPA.
Matinée Multilingual began as a recording studio for local musicians in a converted basement. In the 1990s, the company expanded into computer-based presentations and video production, later adding translation services.
The language services provider (LSP) currently provides voice-over, subtitling, captioning, and translation services in more than 80 languages.
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A Balance Between AI and Human Voices
When asked about voice-over work done by humans versus multilingual AI-generated voices, the joint directors told Slator that at Matinée Multilingual the team constantly researches and tests the latest automation releases. The company recognizes the potential of AI voice generation while acknowledging the remaining challenges around voice cloning and liabilities within the supply chain.
The Stotts commented that the entry of AI into the voice-over market has been challenging for some artists and suppliers alike, and AI voice-over is usually requested (and provided, along with AV engineering services) when budgets are tight, or for long-form, low-engagement content.
They added that there is still significant demand for authentic human voices and that they are “noticing that the requirement for in-person and live-directed recordings is increasing again [since Covid]… We work with many creative agencies, marketers, and filmmakers who all seek to elevate their content by collaborating with voice actors based on their unique style and tone.”
As to what the future may hold for the company and the language services industry, the joint directors shared with Slator that “the ROI using AI is apparent in the short term. However human voices still deliver the best results in engaging with consumers and building strong connections… If companies want to invest in the long term, and maintain high levels of quality, we believe they would still prefer human voices.”