Imagine what the “Rango” movie would be without Johnny Depp’s voice? How would Rango feel without all that audio work?
It would be a bland movie, for sure. Voices or audio play an important role when playing with our imagination. It gives the characters feel and depth. Voice overs aren’t just used in movies; nowadays video creators are using voice overs in their tutorial, instructional, or product videos as well.
People often assume that audio takes a backseat when creating a video. But that is not the case; audio plays as important a role as the video itself. Did you know that people would rather watch a low-quality video than a video with bad audio? According to a study done by Techsmith, more than 25% of the viewers continued watching a video because the audio was good, despite the low video quality. It means that viewers would rather watch a grainy video, than watch a video with sound disturbances. To be honest, bad audio is plainly annoying. So, keep in mind that good audio is what keeps your audience interested and engaged.
How do you write a voice over script?
What happens when you hit the record button, and you have nothing to say, or you go blank? You can either plan your script or go in all blind. It is up to you. But scripted audio is way better in quality than impromptu audio. Here is how you can write a good script for your voice over.
Ask yourself these three questions:
Once you have answered this question, go to a quiet place where you can concentrate and get cracking on your script. How to get started on the script? Base your script on the three questions.
Step 1: Find a place where you can write, may it be your work desk or a quiet corner
Step 2: Start your script with an engaging intro to hook the viewers in.
Step 3: Don’t meander and get into the topic ASAP.
Step 4: Explain the step by step process (if they are explainer videos or tutorials)
Step 5: Provide additional information if you can.
Step 6: Wrap it up with a CTA, and thank the viewers.
A well-planned script will save you time and get you good results. But after you write your voice- over script, do edit time again and again.
TIP: Scripts sound different in your head and while recording. So read aloud your script to double-check how it sounds. Then make the changes accordingly.
When you write your own script, it is easy to capture the essence of the words. But when you are working for someone else, then it can be a bit difficult. To practice voice-over work, you need to read the script aloud again and again. You can record it on your phone, and check out how it sounds. Do so until you are satisfied with the voice over. You can’t master it in one go, but keep trying, and you will get better at doing voice over.
The main advantage of a voice-over is you do not have to record the audio while filming the video. You can do it separately and sync it later at your convenience. If you are here, looking into how to do a voice-over, you probably already know how to film a video. Just get a hold of your camera and shoot the video. However, make sure you shoot according to the script. If your script is about how to make pizza in a pan, then shoot that video, don’t shoot clips of clouds and birds. That’s common sense, right? If you already create videos, you must have the equipment; if not, then you can record your voice over videos on your mobile phone.
Our mobile phones are capable of doing so many things. We have no idea how cool these devices are. If you have a phone with good camera quality, then you can use it to record videos. Just stick to the script and shoot footages you need with your phone. Here are some tips you need to follow while clicking that record button on your phone.
Recording on the phone is incredibly easy, and once you are done, you can transfer it to your laptop and start editing.
Recording the audio is the final step of creation; after that, all you have to do is sync and edit. But it is a crucial part and must be done with utmost care. Before recording the audio, you must have the script ready, practice it, and have the equipment ready.
You would think that the recorder in your phone or the mic in your laptop would suffice for recording audio. But that isn’t true. A low-cost USB microphone will give you better results than the in-built mic on your computer. So here is the list of equipment you must have to produce a good quality voice over.
You can have all the fancy equipment in the world, and your audio may still suck. Home recording is an art, and over time you can master it. However, here are a few things you need to do when recording at home.
Photo by Sandra Tenschert on Unsplash
Double-check pop filters: Pop filters are used to prevent recording the pop sounds. It acts as a barrier also acts as a distance marker, preventing singers from moving in too close, as they often will. Try saying, “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” into the mic and listen for pops. If you don’t find pop sounds, your filter is doing its job.
Keep Sibilance in check: If you have the budget, then add decompressors to your equipment as well. It will check the sibilance. Sibilance is the high pitch blast of air when you use the sound “s” or “f.”
Proximity Alert: Trained studio artists know how to maintain a healthy distance from the mic. Test your proximity and sound levels before you start to record. The audience doesn’t like screeching loud noises, so keep your distance from the mic.
Room Acoustics: If you are going to record voice over from time to time, then you must invest in good room acoustics. But if it is a one-time thing, then you can use reflection filters.
Check for foot noise: Whenever you walk in the room, you can hear the footsteps in your mic. The only way to avoid it is to use a shock mount. Before recording, test for noise. Set up your mic, record, enable the track and crank up the gain. Then, put on your headphones, walk around the mic stand, and listen. If you hear your footsteps or any other floor noise, then the shock mount isn’t doing the job. Search the right shock mount for your mic, and get it.
Once you have tested for sibilance, popping, and foot noises, then you go ahead and start recording voice over.
When you are done recording the audio, then edit it in an audio editing software of your choice. Remove hesitations and mistakes from the audio. Then import the audio clips and the video clips into the video editing software and start syncing.
Syncing voice over with videos isn’t that hard. You just need a proper video editing software like Camtasia to help you.
TIP: If you have ever used Inshot on your phone, then you will know how to sync the audio with the video easily.
You can do voice over on a video on the iphone in two ways. The first way is recording the voice over beforehand and using it later, and the second way is to record the audio over in real-time.
1st Example :
2nd Example:
There are four critical elements of a good voice over. If you focus on it, then you can have good quality audio for your video.
Clarity and Volume: The reason why you use so many filters and shock mount is you don’t make fuzzy audios. If the voice is unclear, then the audience will miss what you are trying to say, and they may move on. So, there must be clarity in your voice, and volume should be comfortable for the audience.
Proper Pace: When it comes to giving instructions, we get too excited and ramble things on. But the secret to a good voice over is to maintain a proper pace. Rest between your words, don’t gulp them. Don’t go too fast, don’t go too slow; just follow a natural and deliberate pace. Enunciate the words correctly, follow the example of Morgan Freeman, and you will do alright.
Friendly Tone: Your viewers should feel at home when watching you. Use a friendly tone, and try to engage the viewers with your tone. Don’t act as a game show host or an arrogant celebrity; nobody likes that.
Many videos have used voice-overs. But there are some on the web that has become quite successful. Here are a few voice over examples you can learn from.
Here is a one of a kind make-up tutorial, where her Dad does the voice-over of her tutorial.
This other Voice Over needs no explanation if you have watched “Our Planet” from Netflix or BCC Earth. Sir David Attenborough is a world-renowned voice over, famous for narrating many famous documentaries.
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