Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Does the narrator watch the rough version of the video and talk along as we record her?

Q: Now that we have the script finalized and a rough version of our video, we're going to be recording the voice-over narration. Does the narrator watch the rough version of the video and talk along as we record her?

A: This is a common question. Actually the process is quite different. Here's how we do it:

1. You, your Producer, and the narrator will go to a sound studio to record the voice-over. The sound studio's audio technician will be the person who actually records the narration.

2. Ideally the narrator will have received the script a few days prior, so she'll be familiar with the material.

3. The technician will record the narrator as she reads through the script a couple of times. You and your Producer will make comments and suggestions concerning the tone and energy of the read. You'll also make sure that everything is pronounced correctly.

4. Once you're happy with the narration, we'll take the audio recording back to our video editing suite, where we will insert the narration into the video.

5. Your Editor and/or Producer will then adjust the music and video images (if necessary) so that they match the professional narration.