Scripting Voiceover

To follow the codes and conventions of all documentaries, our voice over must be relevant to the topic and the target audience, therefore we got a well educated person with a soothing and relaxing tone to their voice. The voice over had to be calming to the audience but not too patronising, as this is a serious topic.

Writing the voiceover script, I decided that the voiceover should lead the narrative and give the audience the extra knowledge that the interviewees can't - just like many other documentaries. I used the research to create a script.

The Script:
From small spaces to mushrooms and mice, Phobias affect around 2.5 million people in the UK alone. However the majority of people on this planet have a fear in some shape or form - whether it’s a fear of heights, spiders, rollercoaster’s, or even death.

Phobias come under three categories- agoraphobia, social phobias, and specific phobias, which can effect all ages.

Hereditary and environmental factors are regularly blamed for Phobias and research suggests that a mixture of these can seriously affect a person’s lifestyle. The media massively influence how people behave and how they feel about particular things, the 9/11 attacks naturally caused many to fear flying. Other fears can just come naturally or maybe because of a reaction or allergy to certain things, such as peanuts, wasps, or even milk.

All different types of people have a fear or a phobia, even celebrities such a Gillian Mckieth- who has many. Recently, she passed out whilst taking part in a trial on ‘ I’m a celebrity... Get me out of here!’

Films may also have a particular effect on a persons mind and play on their emotions. Depending on the genre, most films are produced in a certain way to scare the audience.

Many people attempt to overcome their fears in extreme ways. And there are many people that can help and many paths to choose.


All the blanks and empty lines in the voiceover script was to allow the reader to pause. This would also be easier to edit when we came to it.