Voiceover has had a changing, powerful and long, changing existence. Throughout this presence, one thing remains the same: its unique ability to establish a strong connection. Keep on reading to learn more about the influence of voiceover and how incorporating it instantly makes videos better.
Personal
We are social communicative creatures. Tell me something I don’t know, right? Story telling is how we make sense of the world around us. Its how we establish meaning and make connections. Voiceover makes the message more personal than just plain text, as it puts the message into human form giving it personality. It really is the medium that matters, not the message - Marshall McLuhan.
(If you studied communications, you get the reference)
Emotional
Voiceover has the unique ability to paint a picture with an emotional palette. As an actor, when I perform my voice work I don’t just read the lines in front of me. I create an emotional connection to what I’m saying, who I’m saying it to, and why I’m saying it. Simply displaying a video and some music will present a message, but it won’t create the emotional connection that it could if it had voiceover.
As the world we live in becomes more digital and automated, we seek out and desire things that are “more human”. I’m not saying we aren’t thrilled to be living in a time where there’s some sort of device to make everything 957,438,927 times easier, but that our inherent desire for human connection is going to becoming something that is sought out as it isn’t as innate in everyday life. And the emotive capacity of voiceover fulfills that desire.
Credibility
Adding voiceover to media instantly gives the message more credibility. This perhaps can be explained by the genre of the narrator. The narrator is what voiceover began with and it still a remains an essential part of the industry and our culture. Like the role of the literary narrator, its presence is recognized by all as the voice of reason, explanation, insight, the dude who’s (usually) got your back and is telling you what’s up. So adding voiceover also adds authority, and creates a sense of trust.
Engaging
Another reality of the digital age, the internet, and well video, is the fact that we’re bombarded by it ALL THE TIME. We subconsciously filter most of it out because if we didn’t we’d probably go insane. In order to stand out and not be “filtered out” by the people you’re trying to reach, you’ve really gotta go all out and make that connection. Voiceover makes the “filtering out” process tougher to do because it creates a credible, emotional, and personal connection with the viewer/listeners that keeps them engaged.
Its easy to browse past a banner, skip a voiceless pre-roll ad, ignore an email, or blindly absorb a message without connecting to it at all. Add a (good) voiceover in the mix and you’ll immediately level up your content, create an emotional connection, and make a lasting impression.
Skys the limit
- Lisa