There have been some great tv and films that use voiceover, such as Trainspotting, although generally it appears to be frowned upon. And I have to admit, whenever I use it I feel like I'm being lazy because I can't be arsed thinking up a way of showing rather than blatantly telling. What do others thing? V/O - a good thing? Or just a cheap device to paper over cracks in your lousy story telling?
IMO V/O worked well in 'Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy'... but it doesn't work well often... I hated it in Peep Show that thing Mitchell & Webb were/are in... I found it detrimental rather than supportive towards their story lines...
Good thing for me, and probably in fashion too at the moment. Although I have heard it's lazy too, mainly from that scene in Adaptation where he's told not to use voice overs at a writing seminar.
They work better for Radio than TV in my opinion to paint a picture. I suppose if you use VO in TV there should be a reason for it such as exposition of a charachter's abnormal behaviour or even an abnormal scene.
I thought the VO to camera for 'Allo Allo' worked well? Hitchhikers (radio and tv) like mentioned above.
VO to camera you say?
I think it works when the piece is novelistic e.g. things like Lord of the Rings or Hitchiker's Guide where things have to be explained. In other cases its just bad writing e.g. like last night's Grownups episode.
It depends, but can you imagine Peep Show or My name Is earl, for example, without them? They just would not be the same; especially the Peep Show. It just depends on wether its being used well, no device should or should not be used, everything depends on the execution.
It's always worked well for Woody Allen.
Rule number one: Amuse yourself first.
Rule number two: F**k the trends.
Quote: Skibbington von Skubber @ August 7, 2007, 6:49 PMIt's always worked well for Woody Allen.
Rule number one: Amuse yourself first.
Rule number two: F**k the trends.
Amen lol. Fight Club uses it fantastically and also breaks the 4th wall.
Quote: danield1000 @ August 7, 2007, 6:56 PMAmen lol. Fight Club uses it fantastically and also breaks the 4th wall.
By showing Brad Pitt's weiner? 
I love voice over especially in Scrubs. I think it's great to hear the inner thoughts of characters. I sued it in one of my scripts and thought it worked well.
Always been told by the industry that VO should be avoided but then see so many shows using it. Work that out, I can't.
Agree with Skibb re: Woody Allen. The opening to 'Manhattan' is the absolute peak of the technique, funny, poetic, brilliant. Worth buying the film for the first 3 minutes alone. Movie sequences don't get better than that, music, mood, words, in perfect synch.
Quote: SlagA @ August 7, 2007, 9:53 PMAlways been told by the industry that VO should be avoided but then see so many shows using it. Work that out, I can't.
Agree with Skibb re: Woody Allen. The opening to 'Manhattan' is the absolute peak of the technique, funny, poetic, brilliant. Worth buying the film for the first 3 minutes alone. Movie sequences don't get better than that, music, mood, words, in perfect synch.
Yeah that's one of my favourite film openings.
Not comedy, but Goodfellas/Casino/Mean Streets (OK Scorsese films) have used them effectively.
To be honest, it does grate with Arrested Development as it does state the obvious sometimes, but I understand its necessity (Americans, fast paced etc)
Goodfellas it worked really well in because of the fast pace. Casino isn't as good but joe pesci still kicks arse. and mean streets it works because how raw it feels and I think it wasn;t used that much. Anyways scorsese is great dare I say it the greatest living director.