Editing Voice-over (section)

===Creative device===
In film, the filmmaker distributes the sound of a human voice (or voices) over images shown on the screen that may or may not be related to the words that are being spoken. Consequently, voice-overs are sometimes used to create ironic counterpoint. Also, sometimes they can be random voices not directly connected to the people seen on the screen. In works of fiction, the voice-over is often by a character reflecting on his or her past, or by a person external to the story who usually has a more complete knowledge of the events in the film than the other characters.

Voice-overs are often used to create the effect of storytelling by a character/omniscient [[Narration|narrator]]. For example, in ''[[The Usual Suspects]]'', the character of [[Verbal Kint|Roger "Verbal" Kint]] has voice-over segments as he is recounting details of a crime. Classic voice-overs in cinema history can be heard in ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' and ''[[The Naked City]]''.

Sometimes, voice-over can be used to aid continuity in edited versions of films, in order for the audience to gain a better understanding of what has gone on between scenes. This was done when the film ''[[Joan of Arc (1948 film)|Joan of Arc]]'' (1948) starring [[Ingrid Bergman]] turned out to be far from the box-office and critical hit that was expected and it was edited down from 145 minutes to 100 minutes for its second run in theaters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/79785/joan-of-arc#notes|title=Joan of Arc (1948) - Notes - TCM.com|website=Turner Classic Movies|language=en|access-date=2017-10-06}}</ref> The edited version, which circulated for years, used narration to conceal the fact that large chunks of the film had been cut out. In the full-length version, restored in 1998 and released on DVD in 2004, the voice-over narration is heard only at the beginning of the film.

[[Film noir]] is especially associated with the voice-over technique. The golden age of first-person narration was during the 1940s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.filmsite.org/filmnoir.html|title=Film Noir - Films|website=www.filmsite.org|language=en|access-date=2017-09-11}}</ref> Film noir typically used male voice-over narration but there are a few rare female voice-overs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thevoicerealm.com/blog/film-noirs-role-in-voiceover/|title=Film Noir's Role in Voiceover|date=2016-10-21|work=The Voice Realm|access-date=2017-10-06|language=en-US}}</ref>

In radio, voice-overs are an integral part of the creation of the radio program. The voice-over artist might be used to entice listeners of the station name or as characters to enhance or develop show content. During the 1980s, the British broadcasters [[Steve Wright (DJ)|Steve Wright]] and [[Kenny Everett]] used voice-over artists to create a virtual "posse" or studio crew who contributed to the programmes. It is believed that this principle was in play long before that time. The American radio broadcaster [[Howard Stern]] has also used voice-overs in this way.{{cn|date=June 2023}}