Despite being a regular subject of debate among filmmakers, voice overs remain an immensely popular narrative tool. That may be because for every poor or improper use of a voiceover, there are numerous high profile examples of extremely effective voice overs, in everything from cinema to commercials. So what makes a voice over effective? Speaking from years of experience, ProVoiceUSA has some insights that can help.
Ask Yourself If It’s Necessary
As with any tool in your filmmaking or narrative arsenal, not every technique is effective in every situation. Whether or not a voice over will be appropriate for your narrative will depend on what message you want to send, and how you want your audience to feel about it. The ideal situation for most voice overs is when you need to deliver a complicated message in a short amount of time.
Match The Voice With The Message
There are countless messages, and nearly as many voices to deliver them. Don’t settle for a voice that is just adequate for the story or message you are sharing; choose the perfect voice, one that doesn’t just transmit your message, but enhances it.
Provide Originality
Your audience has seen a lot of stories before, heard many voice overs. To make your mark on the audience, you need to make yours stand out. This may be by having multiple actors engaged in dialogue in the voice over, or putting a new spin on a popular style, or even having the actor sing the lines.
Don’t Put Too Much Weight On Voice Alone
There’s a lot of good that a well-done voice over can do, but rarely is it intended to carry a performance on its own. If the visual story is weak, or poorly made, even a good voice over won’t be able to fully compensate for that. Place the emphasis where it belongs. Similarly, try to develop your production so that it can still be understood with the sound off, as modern viewers commonly watch videos without sound, particularly on mobile devices.
In Conclusion
A good voice over can dramatically enhance a narrative and turn a decent film or video into a great one, while used incorrectly, it can hurt the effectiveness of a narrative. These tips will help you pull off the former. On top of that, the team at ProVoiceUSA has all the voice talent you could wish for your project! Contact us today to schedule a recording session and hear how it’s done.
