Everyone has heard a voiceover at one point or another. From Mickey Mouse’s voice to the voice selling you shampoo or insurance on the radio, voiceovers provide an effective way to evoke emotion or convey important information to an audience. In fact, without voiceover, the media would not have the same impact and the entertainment industry would be very much at a loss. The importance of voiceover can be seen every day in a variety of techniques.
What is voice over?
Voiceover is a production technique in which a voice that is not part of the production is used to speak a particular part. Voiceovers are common on radio, television, movies, and even the theater. Often voice actors are contracted specifically to perform voice acting and have no other role in the production.
Techniques
character voices
One of the most popular uses of voiceover is to give a voice or personality to an animated character. Think Shrek or any other popular Disney movie. Each character is actually someone behind the scenes with a microphone that brings the voice to life. As animated movies become more and more popular, well-known celebrities are looking for voice-over roles, hoping to add a bit of variety to their acting portfolio.
movie narration
Another popular use of voiceover is to provide narration for a movie. This type of voiceover is so common in movies that you probably don’t even realize what’s going on. Usually, the narrator of a film has intimate details about the characters on the screen and provides information to the audience about their thoughts or emotions. In this sense, voiceover is a critical part of many movies and is necessary to keep the audience informed. blockbuster movies like fight club and Shawshank Redemption use voiceover to provide context.
Non-fiction television and news reporting
Voiceover is often used to report the news. In fact, most television news broadcasts use voiceovers just as much as live anchors to report previously recorded news or previously edited segments. Other nonfiction television that relies on voiceover includes outlets like the History Channel or the Discovery Channel. Particularly when the focus is educational, the voiceover provides a guide for viewers to understand what they are seeing. Additionally, game shows have used voiceover for decades to announce contestants and prizes. Most everyone is familiar with the popular 1970s voiceover that exclaimed “come down, you’re the next Price is Right contestant!”
commercial
Advertising is another very common use for voiceover. In fact, the radio is completely voice-over and you never see actors. In fact, voiceover is so useful for radio advertising that certain product manufacturers have signed long-term contracts with voiceover actors to “brand” their products. When consumers hear the same familiar voice representing a product, it builds instant trust and credibility. Even on television, where actors can be seen, a product is more likely to be presented with a voice-over and without an actor. Also, a strong voiceover highlights the sale rather than the actor seen with the product.
Voiceover is an important part of our film and television experience. In many cases, voiceover represents more than just information, it has become part of a product, building trust and credibility among consumers.