A video experience is an audio-visual experience. The narration (audio) component adds depth and personality, what on-screen text alone cannot achieve. Even more importantly, good narration enhances a viewer's understanding by providing information that isn't displayed on the screen.
In this article, you'll find a collection of best practices to keep in mind when writing the narration for your video.
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Stay focused on the scene. When writing the narration for a specific scene, stay focused on the scene's message in order to write clearly and concisely.
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Be aware of repetition. In the narration, it's best to say the same sentence only once. There is no need to repeat the same words over again. If you need to emphasize a specific point, you can always dedicate an entire scene to address the topic instead of only a bullet.
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Use the on-screen text as your anchor. Try to avoid narrating the on-screen text. Similar to a physical presentation—where it's bad practice to read the slides—use your on-screen text as prompts for a more in-depth message. This will create a much richer video experience.
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Work with a pre-existing narration. If you are creating a video with a Story Template, the video will include a pre-written narration. These narrations are written by professionals with extensive expertise in the relevant industry. We recommend using them as a starting point for creating your unique narration. Alternatively, you can write completely from scratch if it makes sense to do so.
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Write and preview. As you write, use the preview functionality to listen to your narration and make adjustments accordingly.
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Scene duration may be impacted by the narration. When writing the narration, observe how the scene plays. If the narration is shorter than the animation or video asset, the scene will play more quickly; if the narration is longer, the scene will play more slowly to accommodate all the text. Make adjustments to ensure that the pace is optimal for viewing. For more information on this topic, see What Determines the Length of a Scene?
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Choose the right voice to tell your story. Once your narration is ready, choose the voice that best suits your brand and video. The SundaySky platform includes a wide collection of human-sounding AI voices and avatars in different genders, tones, and languages. The right voice will bring your story to life.
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Prefer an avatar or AI voice to a human voice-over artist. Using an avatar or AI voice comes with many advantages, among them: ▶ The narration creation process is immediate. ▶ You are not dependent on any external resources. There is no need to find a suitable voice talent, coordinate recording sessions, review the recording, or have multiple iterations. ▶ If you do need to edit the narration, it can be done very quickly.
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If you do decide on a human voice-over artist, plan accordingly. Once you finish writing the narration, you'll need to request a recording for the narration. At this point, the work moves entirely to your SundaySky Project Manager who'll coordinate the narration work with the artist. When the recording is ready, it will be uploaded seamlessly to your video. You'll then be able to listen to the recording and request any edits, if necessary.
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