By: Sarah Chaisson-Warner
Voice-over (or V.O. as denoted in screenwriting) has been successfully – and unsuccessfully – utilized by writers for decades. But when should you use V.O. and when should you abandon it for a different technique in your storytelling toolbelt? In what circumstances does V.O. enhance your script and when does it only detract? Read below for some guidelines:
What is V.O.?
Voice-over is a mechanism used in features and television that allows a character to narrate the film. Some scripts use voice-over sporadically, while others use it more frequently. Voice-over is intended to help the audience quickly understand the context of the scene, to provide additional information, or to successfully transition one scene to another.
Why is V.O. Controversial?
It’s all in how successfully you use voice-over as a tool, and if it helps to move your story along. Writers who use voice-over unsuccessfully tend to rely on it too much, use it to tell the audience something that would be more powerful if it were shown, or use it in a way that tells the audience what we already know.
What are Examples of V.O. Done Well?
Several television shows and films utilize voice-over in ways that advance the storyline, give the audience a glimpse into the inner thoughts of the protagonist, or help to create segues between scenes. There are also different types of voice-over:
(1) First person voice-over: This is when the protagonist narrates their own story. First person voice-over allows the audience to understand the protagonist’s inner thoughts and motivations.
(2) Third person limited voice-over: This is when a character who is not the protagonist narrates the protagonist’s story. Third person limited voice-over can be valuable when you’re looking for another character to give perspective on the protagonist.
(3) Third person omniscient voice-over: This is when someone who is not a character in the script narrates the story. The omniscient voice-over allows the audience to better understand the perspectives and thoughts of a variety of characters.
Here are a few examples of first person voice-over:
(1) Euphoria: Zendaya’s character, Rue, probably utilizes voice-over the most in terms of quantity. Rue tells the story of her life, both in the past and the present, as the audience bears witness to the people and places that play pivotal roles in her and her friends’ journeys.
(2) How I Met Your Mother: An older version of the protagonist, Ted Mosby, tells his children the long, and somewhat varied story of how he met their mother, guiding them through the comedic twists and turns that come with pursuing romance in your 20s in the big city.
(3) Sex and the City: The perennial protagonist, Carrie, voices over many of the scenes, providing entertaining quips and segues between scenes following the four best friends as they search for love, meaning, and friendship. The voice-over is also used to share with the audience what Carrie is writing in her column, which is typically in direct relationship with the episode’s central plot.
Note: while Carrie largely voices her own experiences, she does provide voice-over to the other three main characters – but the focus of her voice-over on her own life makes this a first-person voice-over rather than an omniscient voice-over (see more below.)
Here is an example of limited third person voice-over:
The Shawshank Redemption: Probably the most famous and effective use of voice-over, Morgan Freeman’s character retells the story of Andy Dufresne’s false imprisonment and his quest for freedom.
Here are a few examples of omniscient third person voice-over:
The Royal Tenenbaums: The narrator tells the story of three gifted siblings whose lives are upended when they are reunited after their parents’ separation.
The Princess Bride: Fred Savage listens to his grandfather, played by Peter Falk, narrate the story of Buttercup and Wesley, providing a consistent voice to the story as we watch it play out.
Note: the qualification of The Princess Bride as omniscient is up for debate. Typically in an omniscient voice-over, you don’t quite know who the person is who is narrating – only that they are the narrator. Clearly we know that the grandfather is reading the story to his grandson. But The Princess Bride isn’t an example of a limited person voice-over, as the limited person voice-over only can only tell the audience the perspective of the protagonist, which isn’t true of the grandfather’s storytelling abilities either.
And then, of course, there is Election, a 1999 film starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick that doesn’t quite fit in the above three categories. Probably the closest to the first person voice-over, Election rotates its narrators, allowing four of the main characters their own opportunity to narrate their own story.
What Makes Voice-Over in These Films and Shows So Successful?
Sex and the City uses voice-over in nearly every episode of its original six seasons. (Notably, though, the finale limited its voice-over entirely to only the last scene.) Carrie, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, narrates her own tale in real-time, but also gives voice to the inner thoughts of Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte. Often her voice-over also creates a fun word play connecting related, but different scenes, and establishing common themes throughout the episode.
In “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (Season 2), Carrie establishes the setting for her state of mind, allowing the audience to better understand the moment she is in.
She later uses voice-over to help us better understand Miranda’s quandary surrounding her ex-boyfriend. Giving the audience these short snippets provides the needed context, without overshadowing the action. We come to rely on Carrie to help us piece together the often complex world of dating, love, and relationships in your 30s.
The Shawshank Redemption
This film is seen by many as the gold standard in third-person voice-over. Red, played by Morgan Freeman, narrates Andy’s story in the Shawshank prison, giving us insight into both his own observations and also Andy’s actions and inner thinking.
How to Utilize V.O. Successfully
First, establish why you want to use voice-over. What purpose does it serve? What would your script be missing if the voice-over was taken out? And what do you hope the audience gains from the use of voice-over?
Once you’ve answered these questions, then ask yourself what kind of voice-over would serve your script the best. Do you need an omniscient narrator, someone who the audience never meets but who helps to tell the story of many characters? Do you need a first-person voice-over who can help give the audience more insight into their inner thoughts, motives, and actions? Something else?
Last, consider the frequency and cadence of your voice-over. Will the voice-over be utilized throughout your script, and act almost as a separate character whose presence is consistent? Will the voice-over be used sparingly to denote important context or actions? Or something in between?
Once you have answered these questions, your writing with voice-over will be in a stronger place. Want more inspiration? Check out the full pdf of The Shawshank Redemption and Sex and the City’s “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” episode.
Want to get a sense for how well the voice-over in your script is serving your story? When you submit your script to our Feature Contest you can add 3, 6 or 10 pages of Coverage!
