VOICE OVER

VOICE OVER (V.O.) is used in a situation when the character is heard, but is not physically in the scene.

 

The most common use of VOICE OVER is in a telephone conversation, where the character speaking on the other end of the phone is not seen, only heard.

 

Example:

 

EXT. STREET – DAY

 

Ted’s walking along the sidewalk. His cell phone chimes. He looks at it, then answers.

 

                                                        TED

                                           What’s up, Ralph?

 

                                                        RALPH (V.O.)

                                           Four-to-one on Lappy in the fifth. Guaranteed.

 

                                                        TED

                                           You sure about this?

 

                                                        RALPH (V.O.)

                                           Have I ever let you down?

 

                                                        TED

                                           No comment.

 

Another use of VOICE OVER is in VOICE OVER narration. This is where the character is speaking to us from the future and reflecting back on what we’re seeing. Sometimes we see the character in the scene talking to someone, which can be in the middle of two VOICE OVER sections.

 

Example:

 

EXT. BEACH – DAY

 

It’s bright and sunny. Tom’s strolling along. He sees Cindy in a bikini walking toward him.

 

                                                      TOM (V.O.)

                                           I could almost taste the sunshine in the air as I

                                           saw her approach.

 

Cindy comes nearer to Tom.

 

                                                     CINDY

                                          Hello, Tom. Beautiful day, isn’t it?

 

                                                     TOM

                                         Yeah, beautiful. That’s for sure.

 

Cindy walks past him. Tom continues on.

 

                                                    TOM (V.O.)

                                         I should have told her then. But it was like trying

                                         to grasp sparkles in a tide pool. So bright, so

                                         fleeting. That was her life. And me, I’m left with

                                         twenty years of grief.

 

When using VOICE OVER, abbreviate it “V.O.,” put it in parentheses, and place it to the right of the character’s name.

 

Final note: VOICE OVER is also used when someone’s talking on the radio, for loudspeaker announcements, telepathic communication, invisible ghosts, etc.