Voiceover

Voiceover is a production technique in which an off-camera voice is used to narrate, explain, or provide commentary in a video, film, radio, or other multimedia presentations. The voice can be recorded by a professional voice actor, an unseen narrator, or any other character speaking in the narrative. The primary function of voiceover is to deliver information or convey a perspective in an entertaining, persuasive, or expressive manner, without requiring visual representation of the speaker.

Examples of voiceover usage include:

1. Documentary Films: The narrations explaining the scenes, historical facts, and scientific information usually come in the form of voiceovers. BBC’s Planet Earth series is a prime example, with Sir David Attenborough’s iconic voiceovers explaining the natural world.

2. Animation and Cartoons: Since the characters are non-human, the dialogues are often delivered using voiceover. Disney and Pixar animations often use famous actors to provide the voiceovers for the characters.

3. Advertising: In commercials and advertisements, voiceovers can be used to provide a persuasive message about the product, often sharing its benefits, price, and usage instructions.

4. Video Games: Voiceover is widely used in video games to build immersive narratives, provide instructions to players, or carry forward dialogues of the characters.

5. Audiobooks: Books are read out loud by a narrator whose voiceover helps to create an aural reading experience for the users.

6. News Reporting: In broadcasting news or documentary reporting, the voiceover provides crucial details about the events being displayed on screen.

7. E-Learning and Training Videos: In e-learning modules, voiceovers are extensively used to provide explanations of graphics, guide through the instructional materials, and describe processes step by step.