One of the most popular ways to make a epic commercial or helpful informational video is using the classic “voice over”. A cinematic voice over can elevate your video project in so many ways. Its a great way to tell a story, sell a product, or deliver a message of any kind. And most importantly, It can add a personal touch that you wont get from other editing styles. Giving the video the emotional tone it needs to connect with your audience.

At Dreamvision media we have been apart of many film projects using a voice over And from our experience have come up with 5 steps that are critical to make sure your project communicates its message. 

Clarity is vital

The 5 steps to create a cinematic voice over video are:

1. Finding your theme stated
2. Properly writing your script : using storytelling beats
3. Collecting your media: Match up video clips to line up with your script & record voice over.
4. Determining the editing style and create your sequence
5. Finding pleasing music to enhance the storyline.

Read on for an in depth instruction on each section.

Step 1: Find your theme stated

The theme stated is the theme or overall message that your video will communicate. This is the starting point.

Ask yourself this question: What message do i want the audience to be left with after they watch your video?

If you cant confidently say in one sentence what your message will be ……your not ready to shoot any clips or write a script of any kind. 

Pro tip: Many amateur video creators shoot footage first & then try to work backwards  creating a storyline and theme from the clips. This is much harder to do and usually gives you a poor end result. Measure twice cut once.

As you can see from the examples,  a quality voice over the video that is clear delivers a satisfying ending . The clearer the message the  better. Once you know exactly what message you want to communicate , we can move to crafting the words of your message.

Step 2 : Writing your script : Using 3 beats

Now that we know our video message ala theme stated, its time to craft the script. An easy way to craft your dialog is to think of it in 3 sections. We can begin by using the fundamentals of every story : 

the 3 act structure. 

The 3 act structure has been used for centuries. In a nutshell its a fancy way to say “beginning middle and end”. So keeping our theme stated in mind we will craft the message in 3 sections .

Beginning of your voice over: This section is the “setup” of your story. It should somehow let your audience understand the status quo of your story. It should grab your viewers attention, and tease them to watch on. Elements of mystery are great in this section. The setup can be the setting, the location, or world we are entering into. This can even be a explaining a problem that needs to be solved. 

Examples of setup dialog .

The middle of your voice over is the meat and potatoes of your video. We like to call the middle section “the question”.

In This section the audience will discover a concept, person place or product and if done correctly will make them wonder what happens next. Many commercials will show a problem the main character is facing , only to have the solution be the product for sale. 

Where we explain in more detail whatever the video is discussing. More importantly strategically set up the information to lead us to the final conclusion of the video.

The third section of your voice over should be the conclusion to your video. We call this section “the answer”

In this section we answer many of the questions created in section 2. When questions are answered it gives out audience a satisfaction by getting a conclusion. In this final section we can add a call to action that leads the viewer further down your rabbit hole.

So you have written a great dialogue and your ready put your video together. Now its time to move on to collecting your media. You’ll need to record your voice over as well as video clips:

Step 3: Collecting your Media

Recording your voice over:

There are many ways to get a quality recording of your script. You can record it yourself, or hire a professional that had the right feel for your creative project.  Try to pick a voice that matches your storyline best. Also consider tempo and tone of voice as this will change the mood.

Get your video clips: 

The video will obviously drive the visual element of the dialogue. You can record new footage, or use older clips that follow the storyline. Just make sure you get Video footage that serves the atory , and make sure it complements your dialogue. 

Always aim to use the most visually interesting shots. Understanding the basics of composition and cinematography can help you capture the best clips &  will give you the best end results.

Step 4: Determine the editing direction

There are so many ways to cut a video. Since editing style is an artistic decision, there is no correct answer. 

One way to determine how to edit your video is to choose the editing style you’d like to follow to create the video aesthetic. See below for a list of editing styles you can refernce.

Documentary style video editing

Commercial style video editing

Narrative style video editing

Explainer video editing

Step 5 : Find complimentary music and sound effects

Music is the final layer that we can add to enhance our voice over. Finding the right song may take some digging, but once you find it you can layer it into the video and youll be ready to share.

In conclusion, making a good voice over video is not easy. There are many steps invovled to

Do it right.However if you follow this 5 step guide you will be on your way to crafting a powerful message that you can now share with the world.