It’s a matter of personal preference. Some viewers love it, while others find it distracting. For some, a film is an immersive experience where they want to feel like participants in the story, free from external commentary. For others, a narrator's voice feels like reading a great book, especially when it’s accompanied by a well-trained voice and diction. In some of my scripts, as they adapted from my books, I’ve included a narrator’s voice. It provides rich vocabulary and offers deeper insight into events, enhancing the story’s depth. Of course, the narrative can function without it, but the presentation would feel different. A good narrator adds weight and charisma, as long as there’s meaningful substance to explain—not empty filler or endless strings of “fucking” (a topic I’ll address another time). Really, why there are a lot of them? Or is it a rhetorical question? So, back to the narrator—what’s your take on it?
Screenwriting : Is the narrator's voice in a script good or bad? by Ella Mayakovsky
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7 people like this
Depends on the story. Some it works - others it doesn't. What do you prefer?
3 people like this
Stephen has it right. It depends on the story and what the narrator's character is.
3 people like this
It works if it doesn't take the audience out of the story... should harmonize with it and keep the pacing going. Was great as an intro in Out of Africa and worked in Big Fish too.
3 people like this
Yes, Rebecca, it's an absolutely true comment, It doesn't take out the story and one more touch, it doesn't replace the main character. The audience must follow the live character, feel him/her, not wait what the narrator says or what is ıts opinion. The audience must have its own opinion
2 people like this
Bill Albert, ''narrator character'' is also a good comment because narrator is also a character not just a voice
4 people like this
I love doing a first-person narrative and it's particularly effective for the Film Noir or Neo-Noir genre.
3 people like this
... and it must add value to the narrative aka we learn something new. I find it fails, when the information provided is repeated... introduced in the narration then verbally repeated by a character (okay, if demonstrated by a character's actions or not.)
2 people like this
One more addition, it comes to mind right now. You notice, the narrator is in 99% a man ) What's the reason, I wonder? Is he smarter, sexier or just more neutral )
3 people like this
Phillip, I love Noir. in most cases, it is smarter, more dramatic, and to support it with a narrator is the best thing. And in this genre there are also fewer words and actions sometimes.
2 people like this
Ella Mayakovsky narrator has traditionally been a man probably because the industry has been dominated by men... lead males and the male pov... this is changing as more women are represented in the industry.
4 people like this
It’s often seen as a cheat, but I think it’s fine if done well. As Rebecca said, don’t repeat things in narration if they’re said in dialogue. Or if the information is conveyed in visuals. Narration is fun when it’s ironic— saying the opposite of what we see and hear.
Favorite narrators?
Arrested Development.
Fight Club.
Stranger Than Fiction.
Double Indemnity.
The Coen brothers use the technique in Big Lebowski and Hudsucker Proxy. In each case the narrator begins the movie, then intersects with the story later. I’d argue that it feels arbitrary in Lebowski, but in Hudsucker it’s sublime.
1 person likes this
Nice Mike Boas! Will have to rewatch those films - never seen Hudsucker - thanks!
3 people like this
Yes, Mike. Narrator in the beginning sets the tone for the whole story and immerses you in the atmosphere. I want to share with you the sample of from my script. The coastal city. The sun. The houses under the sun melting etc....
NARRATOR(V.O.)
It's hot... It's hot again and it's
always hot... Plastic houses seem
to be about to melt under the
scorching sun, and only the ocean’s
chilly waves cool this frying pan,
still making feel good for some
reason. Perhaps it’s because here
is a city of opportunities, and
today you are nobody, but tomorrow
you are sitting in a Cadillac with
chicks on your lap, with rings on
your fingers and gold fixations in
your teeth, or perhaps it’s because
the power of the ocean gives you
strength and hope. Plunging into
its waves, you feel renewed,
healed, and strong. And you already
want to perform actions bordering
on heroism, and love—or rather,
desire—like that of an animal. The
feeling of “feat” and desire
constantly accompany you and have
turned into your “I”...
CUT TO:
Chris strides toward the beach, he feels the fatigue of a
long day as a mechanic wash over him. It’s his break, and he
craves a dip in the ocean to cool off and recharge.
3 people like this
It depends on how the narrator’s voice is used in the film. For example, in Gone Girl, Amy’s voiceover works as part of her diary, with flashbacks showing her relationship with Nick. I really liked how it was done, it added more to the story without feeling out of place. If done well, a narrator’s voice can make a big difference!
4 people like this
Yes, Ashraf, diary is also a good way. It is not a voice from outside, it her own internal voice, her inner world
2 people like this
It's neither good or bad. People make up stupid dogmatic generalisations and those generalisations get spread around like Chinese whispers.
It just has to be entertaining, and you're either an entertaining writer to some or you're not. Everything works... when done well.