Voice-over Narration for Documentaries

While people spend more time indoors, they’re getting a chance to watch documentaries or docu-series that they might not have before. Maybe they want to learn about Ebola or what causes pandemics–documentaries are a great way to learn about a topic while also being entertained at the same time.

An engaging topic, visuals, interviews, and music are all key elements of a successful documentary. Another element that can be of great help is narration. Narrators add perspective and empathy to a documentary that can help audiences connect more to the subject. Let’s explore the different types of documentary voice-over as well as some tips and best practices for recording VO for documentaries.

[Average read time: 4 minutes]

photo by Museums Victoria

Different Types of Documentaries and Voice-over

Documentaries, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, are films that express or deal with factual events. Within this broad definition, documentaries take on many different forms and explore various topics. Documentaries can be historical, political, biographical, scientific, about nature, travel, etc… Documentaries inform the audience of information they might not know or offer perspectives they might not have considered about a topic. Voice-over is great for documentaries that are informative in nature and adds a specific point of view.

The subject, perspective, and editing style of the documentary will affect the style of voice-over to use in the film. Older historical documentaries were known to utilize an authoritative, “Voice of God” tone that presents the film as “the truth.”

One such example is the documentary The March of Time: One Day of War – Russia 1943. The narrator of this film speaks with an authoritative, omniscient tone about the Russian war effort during WWII. The narration, aimed at boosting the morale of the Allies, has the cadence of a radio announcer vigorously reading off a press reel.

However, the “Voice of God” narration has fallen out of favor for a more personable, approachable tone. Another historical film, The Civil War by famed documentarian Ken Burns, has the confident narration of an expert (historian David McCullough). While still having a tone of authority, one major distinction is that The Civil War shows the suffering endured during the war and thus the narration takes a more somber, empathetic tone.

Another style of narration can be seen in David Attenborough’s musical, soothing voice-over for nature documentaries. He’s able to time his wording with the cadence of the imagery and his narration has a sense of wonder and intimacy, as if he was next to us saying, “Did you see that?”

Professional voice artists are able to match their voices well with the documentary footage while also giving the narration their own distinct style.

photo by Dustin Haney

Tips for Documentary Voice Actors

Now that we know some of the different types of documentaries and voice-over styles, here are some tips for voice actors looking to do documentary narration.

Timing: each documentary has it’s own rhythm that is established by the editing of sound and image. The narrator’s job is to read the script with a natural cadence that is able to match the rhythm on screen. For instance, words that shift the energy like “but” or “however” might be timed right at the cut between two images, or words like “strike” or “attack” can be timed at the moment of the action.

Narrating moving images can be an added pressure and it’s important to stay calm while following the timing of video. Looking back and forth from the script to the video while doing voice-over takes practice, which is why it’s helpful to have some time to view the content prior to recording (see the next section).

Taking direction: for a documentary film, it’s important to understand what the director and producers want and work with them to create the best narration for the film. This means receiving notes and learning how to adapt accordingly, without taking feedback too personally. If a direction is unclear (“I want bigger!”), ask politely for the director to clarify, or give a couple different readings for the section to see which one is more in line with the filmmaker’s vision.

Mental imagery: the images on the screen are a great starting point for anchoring the style of voice-over you want; however, another skill is creating images in your mind that will help bring the narration to life. This could be envisioning a friend or audience that you’re speaking to. This could be putting yourself in a visual submarine as you narrate turtles swimming. These little mental visual adjustments can add character and bring your voice to life.

photo by Maik Jonietz

Best Practices For Recording

When recording narration for a documentary, here are some best practices:

Read the script beforehand: this can be a luxury sometimes as there may be last-minute script edits, but if possible, get the voice-over script as early as you can. This will give you time to get familiar with the words and experiment with different readings. During this stage, it would be good to get any notes from the filmmaker as to the direction and tone.

Watch the film: even a rough cut would be helpful to see the visual pacing and content of the documentary. With the script and video, you can rehearse reading to picture and find moments where the vocal emphasis or timing needs to be adjusted. If there’s any music with the film, listen to it and see how your voice might be able to complement the soundtrack.

Remote recording options: with many studios having to limit work or shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important to know that there are remote ways of recording. More and more voice talents have their own professional home studios so that they can record while also maintaining social distance. Clients or quality assurance professionals can listen back to the recordings to offer notes and adjustments either by patching in remotely or after the recording. As a professional localization studio, JBI Studios has a vast network of voice talents, many of whom are able to record from home.

It’s important to know that there are still ways to create great narration even when social distancing or self-quarantining. Hope everyone is staying safe!

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