Understand Films
Localized by filmmakers
What we do
From cast through script to the broadcast-ready film.
- EXP
Expertise
Since 2011, we have been localizing international documentaries, documentary series and reality formats for German-speaking audiences. Over 150 programs every year. Produced in Munich and Berlin.
- RED
Editorial Localization
Our writers combine linguistic precision with a deep understanding of dramaturgy and editorial responsibility. Wherever accuracy matters, they research the background, verify sources and carefully scrutinize the facts.
- SPR
Voice Casting
Authenticity takes work. More than 40 professional actors and voice artists from across Germany are part of our carefully curated network, which we continue to expand. They all meet the highest standards of authenticity. Because authenticity is hard work—and, for us, an essential prerequisite, even in documentary productions. For every project, we find the perfect cast: the right voice and the right emotion.
- REG
Voice Direction
We don't stop until every emotion feels authentic. As documentary filmmakers, we know that authenticity is never accidental. It is the result of precise direction, trust and countless subtle adjustments—until every performance feels natural, believable and true.
- MIX
Sound Design & Mixing
The dramatic power of sound is often underestimated. Yet it is immense. Sound guides emotion. It shapes the atmosphere of a scene—and sometimes of an entire film. That's why we approach sound design and mixing not merely as technical processes, but as part of the film's dramaturgy.
- PAK
Graphics & Animation
Animations often have to be recreated from scratch. Whether in 2D or 3D, we rebuild motion graphics with exceptional precision and integrate them seamlessly into the original production. From opening titles and lower thirds to end credits, we deliver broadcast graphics to the highest professional standards.
- UT·AD
Accessibility — SDH & AD
Accessibility deserves innovation. Together with dubidot, we continuously develop AI-assisted workflows for SDH and Audio Description—combining editorial expertise with next-generation technology.
- MMS
3W Media Management & AI
Video, graphics, subtitles, audio and scripts—regardless of file format. Our 3W Media Management System brings every asset together on one central platform. From production and streaming to review, approval and final delivery, everything is available in one place. Together with our software partner dubidot, we continuously enhance the platform. We use AI where it creates real value—making workflows smarter, faster and more efficient.
References
Broadcasters and platforms we work with.
From our productions
A1Pro7 / Sat1
A2Welt / Bild TV
A3Sky
Our Approach
We don't just localize films. We understand their dramatic structure, core message and intent.
For decades, we have been producing documentaries for the international market. That experience continues to shape the way we approach localization. The result is an authentic German version that is editorially sound, emotionally compelling and true to the filmmaker's intent—even under tight deadlines and across large production volumes.
Meet the Founder
Dr. Dariusch Rafiy
Director, Writer & Founder
My name is Dariusch Rafiy. I am a documentary filmmaker, writer, director and founder of 3W Film & Sound.
For more than three decades, I have produced documentaries and factual television. My work has taken me to Chile, Myanmar, Iran, the United States and many other countries—to people whose lives and stories often seemed far removed from our own.
When I started out as a journalist, I often heard the saying: “Why should I care if a sack of rice falls over in China?”
To me, every story was worth telling—if you could uncover its human core. What makes a story meaningful is not what makes it foreign, but the emotions, questions and conflicts that people share across cultures.
For me, emotion is never an end in itself. It opens the door to knowledge. And sometimes, it is a form of understanding in its own right—especially when it helps us connect with cultures, ideas and ways of life that might otherwise remain distant.
The same belief shapes my approach to localization today. For me, localization is far more than transferring words from one language to another. It is about doing justice to a story and its culture—and making its human core resonate with a new audience.
I never stop until I have found that core. Until I understand the intention behind a story. And until I feel it is expressed through the right words, the right voice and the right emotion.
Voice direction is where the final refinement begins. Together with the actors, I keep working on a scene until every emotion feels authentic. The dialogue often continues to evolve during the recording process. Phrasing changes. Rhythm becomes more precise. Dialogue grows more natural—until language and emotion become one.
Authenticity never happens by accident. It is the result of intuition, deep understanding, precision and relentless attention to detail.
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