What documentary narration involves

Documentary is the format where less is almost always more. The material carries the emotion, and a narrator who adds their own on top makes the film feel manipulative. The skill is conveying authority and interest while staying out of the way.

It is also technically demanding in a way that surprises people. Documentary narration is recorded to picture, in sections that must land inside gaps between interview clips, archive audio and music. A read that is four seconds long for a three-second gap forces the editor to recut.

Where it is used

Broadcast and streaming documentary features and series
Corporate and brand documentary
Museum, gallery and exhibition film
Nature, science and history programming
NGO and campaign films

Recording to picture

Send us the cut with timecode and we record against it, so every section fits its gap. Where a line will not fit, we tell you before recording rather than delivering audio you cannot use, and suggest either a trim or a slightly extended gap.

Pronunciation research

Factual scripts are full of place names, scientific terms, historical figures and foreign words. Getting one wrong undermines the credibility of the whole film, and audiences notice. We build a pronunciation list from the script, check it against authoritative sources, and confirm anything ambiguous with you before the session rather than guessing in the booth.

International versions

Documentary travels well and is frequently licensed into other territories. We narrate translated versions with native voices and adapt the script for timing, since the gaps in the cut do not change even when the language does. That constraint is the main reason literal translations fail on documentary.

What you get

Demos from shortlisted narrators read to your script
Audio recorded and timed to your cut
An agreed pronunciation list before recording
Clean stems ready for the dub mix
Alternate reads on key sections

Send the script and the cut for demos and a fixed quote.

Documentary Voiceovers