THE VOICE

The voice that saved my film

One of the many risks in my film was that it was not a linear journey, it was a series of interview clips that would tell the story of a troubled film production. It features two rather bewildered and weird characters that are appear to be bereft of self awareness.

In instances where a retrospective documentary is similarly assembled, a voice over artist or a narrator can help to solidify the narrative and the plot. I knew that this voice over would be exceptionally important to get right, the voice had to have an authoritative scholarly tone, someone who could both guide the audience and promote the film in a kind of overtly  self -important kind of manner.

I did seek the talents of professional voice over artists but the kind of performers I wanted were just too expensive, Ironically I found the exact kind of voice I wanted from a fellow student, someone who was of similar age with the appropriate tones and diction and most of all, professional sounding.

when I consulted Guy about the job, he asked me whom I had in mind when I wrote the dialogue, to which I replied " Mark Kermode " guy seemed to instantly recognize what it was that he should be doing.

The session was, in fact, a resounding success, I found myself focused but relaxed whilst directing Guy and after listening to the delivery, I started to see the potential of this project, the voice over had already started to act as a thread for all the different pieces I had filmed so far, which gave me a massive confidence boost moving forward but it inspired me to re-shoot my entire performance, now knowing what Guy's voice over meant to the overall project. It allowed me to realize who my character was in juxtaposition with Guy's character, allowing for a entirely different delivery and a far more successful outcome.