Are All TV Shots Voiced Over in a Studio After Filming?

Shooting a television show is certainly a process. It’s a bit different from what you might have seen in filming a movie. But not so much that the entire production process is altered. In fact, much of the process during production for a television show is quite similar to the process involved in filming a full feature film. Recording dialogue for a television show often requires voice over. But are all TV shots voiced over in a studio after filming? Or is the process carried out in another manner?

Dialogue replacement may involve several different options. Such as capturing or replacing subsequent dialogue for a television show. The chosen method of voice over will depend largely on the discretion of the Director. As well as the individual needs of the film. 

Recording dialogue for a television show will generally take place during the filming of the shots, but when dialogue replacement or voice over is required, are all TV shots voiced over in a studio after filming or is the voice over captured during the production shoot?

It depends!

Dialogue Recording During Production

Whenever possible, the production crew will record dialogue during the production shoot. This saves time, and money, versus having the actors come back and re-record the voice over for the TV shots.

In fact, several steps are taken in hopes of having all dialogue captured during the production so that there is not a need for voice overs to take place after production or outside of the set. 

Automated Dialogue Replacement

Sometimes, automated dialogue replacement (ADR) will be required in order to incorporate the voice over into the shots. ADR involves the actors coming back to the studio to record the dialogue exactly how it was spoken in the original scene. So that it can be synced with the video footage.

Unfortunately, ADR is not perfect. And it’s incredibly time consuming! As actors will generally have to speak their lines over and over again. In order to re-record the dialogue or voice over for the shot so that it syncs with the original video. 

Although all TV shots are not voiced over in a studio after filming. In the case where ADR is the method of dialogue recording and voice over replacement. The recording of the dialogue takes place on an ADR soundstage.

The actors will watch the footage of the scene. And attempt to record the dialogue exactly as it appears when they are speaking it in the original scene. These lines are then synced with the original file. So that, hopefully, the voice over and the video align properly in the end.

So, are all TV shots voiced over in a studio after filming?

NO! But there are cases where the original dialogue was not captured flawlessly. Such as when noises or other interruptions to the dialogue occurred. Or if the lines were said incorrectly by the actor.

Methods of ADR or other means of dialogue replacement are incorporated into the production process to ensure that the finished dialogue is as clean and coherent as it can be.