Voice Over

Malicious Mel · Feb 25, 2010

I searched six pages back and saw nothing on this subject. I am doing some voice over on a scene. My questions is that when writing the script does the Voice over come before or after the action that it is written for? I have read several scripts and it seems the voice over comes after the action it is intended for. Just making sure this is correct.

Opty · Feb 25, 2010

It comes at whatever time your story calls for it to come. Decide for yourself. There is no "right" or "wrong" answer.

There are, however, good and bad answers, which you'll find plenty of on the internet.

Stijn Hommes · Feb 26, 2010

The standard is to start each scene with a slugline and some action. If you'd place a voiceover before the action it was intended for, it would violate this basic idea. I'd set the scene first and write the voiceover after that.

It has the added benefit that you know what is seen as the voice over is talking, while they'd be talking into a vacuum if it was the other way around.

Mac H. · Feb 26, 2010

"A Few Good Men" AND "Ghostbusters" used V.O before the action as a definite style.

eg:

KAFFEE
Joanne!

JO
What?

KAFFEE
He's gonna be fine.

They turn and head into the courtroom as we HEAR MARKINSON in
VOICE OVER ...

MARKINSON (V.O.)
"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Santiago..."

CUT TO:
INT. MARKINSON'S ROOM - DAY

MARKINSON is writing a letter and we HEAR it in V.0.

MARKINSON (V.O.)
I was William's company commander. I knew
your son vaguely, which is to say I knew
his name...

and

INT. BASEMENT -- WEAVER HALL -- DAY
At one end of the dingy corridor is a door marked PARANORMAL STUDIES
LABORATORY. A sign dangles from the doorknob: Maid -- Please Make Up This
Room. Scrawled across the door is a line of student graffiti that reads:
"Venkman Burn In Hell!" It looks like it's been written in blood.

VENKMAN (V.O.)
Now I'm going to turn over the next card and
I want you to concentrate and tell me what
you think it is.

INT. PARANORMAL STUDIES LAB -- SAME TIME - DAY
DR. PETER VENKMAN is administering an ESP test to two student volunteers,
a boy and a girl, who sit across the table from him separated from each
other by a screen.

FORREST GUMP used a mix of techniques.

Sometimes it used V.O first, showing FORREST's innocent view and then reality:

FORREST
I've worn lots of shoes. I bet if I
think about it real hard I could
remember my first pair of shoes.
Forrest closes his eyes tightly.

FORREST
Momma said they'd take my anywhere.

INT. COUNTRY DOCTOR'S OFFICE - GREENBOW, ALABAMA - DAY
(1951)
A little boy closes his eyes tightly. It is young Forrest as
he sits in a doctor's office.

FORREST (V.O.)
She said they was my magic shoes.

Forrest has been fitted with orthopedic shoes and metal leg
braces.

DOCTOR
All right, Forrest, you can open
your eyes now. Let's take a little
walk around.

.. and sometimes it showed the harsh reality and then revealed via V.O his innocent take on it:

EXT. RURAL ALABAMA
A black and white photo of General Nathan Bedford Forrest.
The photo turns into live action as the General dons a hooded
sheet over his head.
The General is in full Ku Klux Klan garb, including his horse.
The General rides off, followed by a large group of Klan
members dressed in full uniform.

FORREST (V.O.)
She said we was related to him in
some way. And, what he did was, he
started up this club called the Ku
Klux Klan. They'd all dress up in
their robes and their bedsheets and
act like a bunch of ghosts or spooks
or something. They'd even put
bedsheets on their horses and ride
around. And anyway, that's how I got
my name. Forrest Gump

See what suits your project.

Good luck !

Mac

Malicious Mel · Feb 26, 2010

Thanks!

Thanks! All this information is very helpful. So far I have been doing action then the voice over and its working good. I just wasn't sure if there was a right or wrong for this. Thanks again!!

Voice Over

Malicious Mel

Opty

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...

Mac H.

Board Visitor

Malicious Mel