Is it OK to do LOTS of VO?

Chris Johnston

Chris Johnston

Veteran
I posted this on another forum but apparently there is a very limited number that visit that site, so I'll post here.

I’m not a writer so, forgive me if this is a stupid question.
Budget year came around so I bought some equipment that is more in line with “cinematic” shooting than the eng/run n gun stuff that I should have purchased. (but then, nobody knows that but me)
So, I’m writing a script for a lo/no budget short I want to shoot. (currently 3rd rewrite cause I suck at writing)
Anywho, It occures to me that I want this script to be about 90% VO to explain some (a lot) of what’s going on in the short.

I don’t think that’s normal. (at least I don’t ever recall seeing anything with that much VO) (certainly not in a feature anyway)

I plan on shooting something visually similar to this

Which is shot in a fashion that I think would work with a lot of VO.

I guess the question is….Is it ok to shoot something with that much VO? (any hard and fast rules that would NOT allow it to work?)
As I play the shot list in my head with the accompanying VO It seems like this would flow nicely but since I don’t recall ever seeing anything like that ?????
 
There are no rules to anything, so long as it works to tell the story. You can show a film backwards, in black and white, with no audio, and etc. Sky is the limit.

If looking to market or sell a film, it's a better bet to shoot HD or greater, color, and traditional style. But *$#% that. Do what you think is best. If it's really good, they'll buy it anyway.

So ask yourself... do you think your mainly VO script will be a good film? Does the VO service the story the best it can? If you said yes to both answers, do it.
 
I recently played a video game wherein the only spoken words were from a narrator. He talks about how the main character is feeling, and his experiences with things. He talks about the struggles that characters are facing, and their choices. From the first moment of the game I was hooked. I was done brilliantly, and I'd never seen anything like that before. In this case it worked exceptionally well.
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
There are no rules to anything, so long as it works to tell the story. You can show a film backwards, in black and white, with no audio, and etc. Sky is the limit.

If looking to market or sell a film, it's a better bet to shoot HD or greater, color, and traditional style. But *$#% that. Do what you think is best. If it's really good, they'll buy it anyway.

So ask yourself... do you think your mainly VO script will be a good film? Does the VO service the story the best it can? If you said yes to both answers, do it.
Click to expand...

Well, I kinda know what you mean here (I "CAN" shoot a half hour short of the bushes in my backyard and do a %100 VO of me telling you how too make the best pancakes speaking latin.)

but I was looking to shoot something a little more conventional that people might even be inclined to watch all the way through.
Someone linked me to La Jette and it actually seemed to work fairly well for that. (it was the inspiration for 12 monkeys....)

Other than that, I haven't seen it done....... I just don't want to spend a lot of time shooting only to have it seem jarring, unpleasant, whack, like every cut being a slow dissolve or constantly breaking the 180 rule or......well you know what I mean. Just weird so that it makes it unwatchable....


Edit: I have no intention of selling it or marketing it, just want to tell a story vs the boring head and shoulders stuff I usually do.
 
One thing I've heard is that your film should still mostly make sense even if you took out the VO...VO should be used to juxtapose things, add subtext, add humor, ect. If the VO is only there to explain what's going on, it runs the risk of being boring. But it does really depend a lot on the specific circumstances.

Edit: Here's a good blog post on the matter by John August: http://johnaugust.com/2003/voice-overs
 
Films work on action, it's not a book explaining the innermost thoughts and feelings of the characters. The audience needs to figure things out for themselves by watching, so lots of V.O. are usually frowned upon. V.O. should add to the film what action can't. You can always break the 'rules' of course - just as long as you know what you're doing.
 
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
There are no rules to anything, so long as it works to tell the story. You can show a film backwards, in black and white, with no audio, and etc. Sky is the limit.

If looking to market or sell a film, it's a better bet to shoot HD or greater, color, and traditional style. But *$#% that. Do what you think is best. If it's really good, they'll buy it anyway.

So ask yourself... do you think your mainly VO script will be a good film? Does the VO service the story the best it can? If you said yes to both answers, do it.
Click to expand...
No further questions, Your Honor...
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1112GoodnightGracie.jpg
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...Goodnight Gracie...........and that's all I have to say about that.





AKA "+1"
 
kylevant said:
Films work on action, it's not a book explaining the innermost thoughts and feelings of the characters. The audience needs to figure things out for themselves by watching, so lots of V.O. are usually frowned upon. V.O. should add to the film what action can't. You can always break the 'rules' of course - just as long as you know what you're doing.
Click to expand...

That's my dilemma......I don't know what I'm doing! I'm NOT a writer. (although, I did just order "save the cat") I'm a camera guy, prod guy, eng guy blah blah blah.... I do commercials, PSAs, head n shoulders, cooking shows etc. This is my very first try at "story tellin".

So I'm gonna "do it". I'm gonna break the "rules" (even though there are no rules) I'm gonna spend a whole bunch of my time doing this, and if it's all F%$#@ UP, I'm gonna blame you guys.

So there!

and when I'm done, I'm gonna post it here. and everybody better be saying, move to LA, you're the next (insert whoever the current hotshot director guy is here), Here's some money, make me a movie,

and if it don't happen that way...........well, I'm gonna be reallly reeeallly pissed off.

Now I'm gonna go make another pot of coffee.

So, ...Goodnight Gracie...........and that's all I have to say about that.
 
If your movie's a comedy, and it's as funny as this post, you might have something going on... : )

videohog said:
So I'm gonna "do it". I'm gonna break the "rules" (even though there are no rules) I'm gonna spend a whole bunch of my time doing this, and if it's all F%$#@ UP, I'm gonna blame you guys.

So there!

and when I'm done, I'm gonna post it here. and everybody better be saying, move to LA, you're the next (insert whoever the current hotshot director guy is here), Here's some money, make me a movie,

and if it don't happen that way...........well, I'm gonna be reallly reeeallly pissed off.

Now I'm gonna go make another pot of coffee.

So, ...Goodnight Gracie...........and that's all I have to say about that.
Click to expand...
 
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