Contrary to screenwriting gurus, voice-over can be a handy narrative device. By speaking directly to the audience, rather than dramatizing, voice-over cuts through the running time. It can also cut down on resources. Just don’t overdo it. Overbaked voice-overs sidestep drama, and leave little to interpretation. Imagine if everything were explained to you secondhand, rather than witnessing it yourself.
For an excellent example of dramatic voice-over, look no farther than Goodfellas.
This is unrelated, but check out the trailer for Pineapple Express.
Technorati Tags: Voice, Over, Voice-over, Goodfellas, 33
4 Comments to “TZ33 - Introduction to Voice-Over “
Tuesday April 8, 2008
thats awesome- I love your works guys! keep it up yo.
Tuesday April 8, 2008
Another thing that works well with voice over is let them play off each other. Like the visual is a set up and the V.O. is a punchline, or vice-versa. And there’s different styles of V.O. Peter was doing a stream-of-consciousness type of thing, but there’s also V.O. that treat it like they are telling the audience the story, usually from the perspective of some time after the movie is finished. There’s also omniscient vs. first-person V.O.
Friday April 11, 2008
I wonder if V.O.s are economical…
Monday April 21, 2008
Finally got to see something from you guys that combined a little bit of everything that you have been teaching although quite short, I loved the Goodfellas Scene.
L
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