Underwater video music whine

[djensen]

Making VO sound intelligent, be entertaining and suit the mood can be very difficult. We don't all have voices like Morgan Freeman or David Attenborough. And IMHO, very few people can write a script as well as they think they can. Music is easier - you have beats to edit to - and has greater impact. I think the ideal would be an artful combination of soundtrack and voiceover.

 

[ronscuba]

Most high level professional videos are created by a team. Each item is treated as a specialty and sometimes done by a separate person.

- cameraman
- script writer
- general editor
- colorist
- voice narrator
- director
- soundtrack composer

Trying to do all of it yourself is a big challenge and is usually what separates amateur productions from professional.

The most creative I ever got was when I did a voice over and used soundtrack software for my Roatan and Indonesia videos. Used the packaged audio loops, but modified and adjusted them to fit my video. A lot of time and effort, but also the most satisfaction when I finished the video.

 

[sunnyboy]

IMO, the best voiceovers were from the pioneer- Jacques Cousteau. A lot of what you hear on modern documentaries is other famous voices trying to do the same thing. When it works, it's great.

As for music, yes it can set the mood. It can also fake the mood. I took a video of a wolf eel just hanging out of it's den. Made one video with dreamy type freebie music. Made a second identical movie from the same footage but with heavy metal stuff. Totally different feel to the video. One seemed "happy", the other very threatening.

I have now quit using sound on my videos. I dial down the ambient sound to less than 20% volume, and no music. I find I much prefer it this way for my own stuff.

As for "your" stuff, if it's got music I kill the sound because I'm watching your VIDEO, not reviewing your taste in music.

As for voiceover in home-made video, I much prefer to see (and use) captions if necessary.

 

[ronscuba]

IMO, the best voiceovers were from the pioneer- Jacques Cousteau. A lot of what you hear on modern documentaries is other famous voices trying to do the same thing. When it works, it's great.

As for music, yes it can set the mood. It can also fake the mood. I took a video of a wolf eel just hanging out of it's den. Made one video with dreamy type freebie music. Made a second identical movie from the same footage but with heavy metal stuff. Totally different feel to the video. One seemed "happy", the other very threatening.

I have now quit using sound on my videos. I dial down the ambient sound to less than 20% volume, and no music. I find I much prefer it this way for my own stuff.

As for "your" stuff, if it's got music I kill the sound because I'm watching your VIDEO, not reviewing your taste in music.

As for voiceover in home-made video, I much prefer to see (and use) captions if necessary.

Great narration and voice over is a combination of a good script and a good voice.

As far as music, for me it is a vital part of the video. I try to make the video and music go together. Timing the edits with the music. Fast cuts, slow transitions, action shots, tranquil shots. Soft music, hard fast music. I would not edit the same footage the same way for dreamy music as I would for heavy metal.

Turn off the sound if you want. Love or hate my music choice, it is a part of my creative editing process.

If you care, take a look my video below. I specifically chose to convert it to black and white, slowed down certain sequences and chose music to create a mysterious mood to the video. You might not like the audio or video, but I think you can see my attempt to create a certain mood and music choice is a big part of that.

[vimeo]768245[/vimeo]

 

[WB2GLP]

Ronscuba: Maldives, Galapagos, Grand Cayman, Indonesia, Roatan, Belize....DUDE, you've got CASH!!

What? No Beach 8th Street or Dutch?

 

[ScubaDive4Me]

[vimeo]768245[/vimeo]

Absolutely love this video. The black and white and music fits that wreck and makes me want to dive it.

 

[ronscuba]

Ronscuba: Maldives, Galapagos, Grand Cayman, Indonesia, Roatan, Belize....DUDE, you've got CASH!!

What? No Beach 8th Street or Dutch?

I've got debt !

 

[tridacna]

What wreck is that? Fantastic video. Obviously somewhere warm and not too deep. (Single tanks and doggie paddlers in evidence!). Confused about the 400 feet designation...?

Wait. Just read the blurb on Vimeo. Antilles. (400 feet long...duh)

Great narration and voice over is a combination of a good script and a good voice.

As far as music, for me it is a vital part of the video. I try to make the video and music go together. Timing the edits with the music. Fast cuts, slow transitions, action shots, tranquil shots. Soft music, hard fast music. I would not edit the same footage the same way for dreamy music as I would for heavy metal.

Turn off the sound if you want. Love or hate my music choice, it is a part of my creative editing process.

If you care, take a look my video below. I specifically chose to convert it to black and white, slowed down certain sequences and chose music to create a mysterious mood to the video. You might not like the audio or video, but I think you can see my attempt to create a certain mood and music choice is a big part of that.

[vimeo]768245[/vimeo]

 

[Interceptor121]

Voiceover is very difficult: even people that win awards (for the video part) in my opinion can be flat boring, it is better to hire someone else that is a bit more excited about the topic even if not a diver sometimes

I personally don't use voiceover as I am not a native English speaker and it makes it sound weird but I would love someone else to do it for me. People that attempt it have all my admiration and some are not bad considering they are not pro.

Having said that there are so many copyright restrictions that sometimes is such a hard task to put something as background that then gets blocked in some countries preventing the video to be played etcetera

I don't like the sound of bubbles and I usually remove it so all is left is some music hopefully in tune with the video, still from what you have in your library as available

 

[Frank Jig]

Hate the music? Click the mute button..
The issue is that no matter what you produce, be with music or without, with a voice over or with written text,
someone is always going to critique it. Haters are gonna hate.
So my answer to that is do what you like, if they like it great, if they don't, who cares?
If you try to appeal to the masses, you will always end up with a generic format.
Don't let yourself be influenced by negative posts..