NARRATE AS YOU GO
By Lorraine Grula
Internet Video Gal

There’s no doubt about it, the best video scripts are well thought out and re-written multiple times.   I had a friend sell a movie script to actual Hollywood producers and they drove him NUTS asking for re-writes.

Well, that’s Hollywood.

You can narrate as you go.  Ad lib.  It’s one of the best ways to simplify your production.  Even if you end up writing a script and adding supplemental narration, narrating as you shoot is perfectly adequate for many low-budget endeavors.   Most TV news stories/documentaries are a combination of both.

With the camera held on your shoulder as you shoot, the onboard microphone will work fairly well.  This means you can use a less sophisticated camera with no external microphone inputs and still get reasonable quality audio that’s already right there on your video.

(Having said that, it’s ALWAYS better to use a microphone other than your onboard mic.  The onboard mic is good mostly for what’s called ambient, or natural sound.  Sounds of the cars, birds, chain saw or whatever.)

To narrate as you go, simply describe what you see as you shoot it.   Try to sound intelligent, but you can always edit later.  (Obviously it’s cheaper and easier if you don’t edit much.)

Also, listen to what other people are saying.  You can use their sound to add a narrative.  Listen as they speak and keep the camera rolling on a usable shot as long as they’re saying something interesting.

Walk up to people and ask them to speak to you while the camera is rolling.  That’s called an interview and most videos rely heavily on them.   You can use the interview as voice-over.

If you follow this tip, you can cut the work of scriptwriting down to a manageable size or even eliminate it altogether.

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