What is in your mind when you heard about voice-over? Do you think of characters’ voices in animation movies? Or, do you think of different serials which you can watch in different languages? In this article, we would look further into what voice-over is, what skills are needed to be a voice-over talent, and other things behind voice-over production.
What is voice-over?
Voice-over or often written as voiceover is a production of voice narration done offscreen. It is used in various media. The narration in movie trailers that we watch in different social media is an example of voice-over product.
We could watch excerpts of scenes and hear a narrator telling us about the movie. Narration in documentary movies is another example. Other than in movie trailers and documentaries, there are various advertisements and news videos that use voice-over.
Is voice-over the same as dubbing?
Both voice-over and dubbing production are done offscreen. Nonetheless, they are slightly different. While voice-over refers to the spoken text used in audio visual media, dubbing is about producing new voices to substitute the original voices in audio visual media. You might have watched Upin and Ipin the series which is originally produced using Melayu language before it is dubbed in various other languages.
Dubbing movie characters’ voices requires skills in acting, in producing voices that change depending on what the characters feel and how they move on the screen. Nevertheless, because voice-over is a narration, a voice-over talent does not need to work on adjusting how they speak to the movement and feeling of characters.
It does not mean that a voice-over talent emotionlessly read the script in front of them. Good voice-over artists know where to stress words, change intonation, choose which type of voice to use as well as adjusting the reading speed with the duration of the audio visual media.
Imagine if a movie trailer is using a voice-over talent who does not know how to utilize the skills mentioned before, the trailer will surely be boring and fail in gaining audience’s attention.
Although voice-over and dubbing are different, there are a lot of companies who provide both services. There are also a lot of talents who could do both voice-over and dubbing.
How do we produce voice-over?
Voice-over production starts when a voice-over provider receives audio visual media. Next, both client and voice-over provider meet to discuss the message and nuance that the audio-visual media would like to convey as what kind of voice-over that the client would like.
Then, a script is written. A chosen voice-over talent (sometime more than one) studies the script before going into the recording process. Next, the recording will go through some audio editing process before it is handed to the client.
How important is voice-over?
Voice-over is an important part in a media production. A good voice-over is unique and able to attract audience and reliy message effectively. It is even often called the brand voice. As it has been mentioned before, voice-over that is not well produced will sound boring and for sure affect brand image.
What kind of skills do voice-over talents need?
Good voice-over talents make a script alive. They are able to also adjust their speaking tempo, while keeping the emotion and nuance of their voice, with the audio-visual media duration. They need to have clear pronunciation so that what they said can be easily understood by audience.
The skills to be a good voice-over talent do not come just like that. As a voice-over talent, one needs to have good speaking techniques, acting skills, and ability to convey message orally. It takes a lot of practice and discipline to be a professional voice-over talent.
There are people who were born with natural talents. Nevertheless, without practice, the skills would not be well developed. Thus, for an important production, professional talent and editor are needed. We can use people whom we know to be our voice-over talents. However, if they are not well trained, the quality will be compromised.
At PéMad, you will meet a professional team who will help you in producing voice-over that you need. We provide talents in various languages with not only good pronunciation but also good cultural knowledge. Thus, your message will be well conveyed. Contact us now to get more information about our voice-over service.
References:
- https://www.cmdnyc.com/voice-over-guide
- https://topcareer.id/read/2019/08/16/1211/beda-antara-voice-over-dan-dubbing/
- https://www.access2interpreters.com/difference-between-voiceovers-dubbing
- https://www.ekrut.com/media/voice-over-adalah
- https://www.linguaserve.com/en/multilingual-services/voice-overs/
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