Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
Be honest.
…There are certain aspects of your job that you love more than others, right? It doesn’t matter whether you’re a teacher, engineer, farrier, or a voiceover artist, there are parts of your job that hold a special place in your heart. Now, this isn’t to say that you don’t like other aspects of your work, it’s just that certain areas make you feel, well…warm and fuzzy. While I can’t speak for other people or professions, I can say this is true for me, in voiceover. Honestly, I find most areas of voiceover to be fun and interesting, but there are a few genres that I hold dear, one of which is museum narration.
Museum Narration.
What do I like about museum narration? Well, if you’ve read my previous blogs, you know I’m all about telling a story, and museums do just that. They are filled with stories about history, art, music, sport, science, and even cryptozoology! (I’ve been to the International Cryptozoology Museum, it’s a very unique place!) There’s so much to learn at museums, and narration offers additional engagement, freedom for visitors to explore at their own pace, and accessibility for people with visual impairments. So how exactly can this be achieved? Let’s look at a few specific types of museum narration.
Audio Tours.
If you’ve been to a museum, you’ve probably seen the headsets that can be used to peruse exhibits with an audio guide. Nowadays, these tours also come in the form of mobile apps. Audio tours that come to mind for me are the Holocaust Museum, the Sixth Floor Museum and the Biltmore Estate. I used these audio guides to explore the museums in my own time, as a tourist. As an audio guide narrator, you’re speaking to one person with clarity, confidence and genuine interest in the subject at hand. So, are you interested in how museums are improving their technology and the overall audioguide experience? Check out this article by MuseumNext, which looks at how museums are using audio guides to attract and engage new visitors.
Audio Description.
Next, there’s audio description. Audio description is a different form of narration than an audio tour or guide. According to the Audio Description Project, audio description in a museum describes the size, shape, color, texture, and details of an exhibit for a person who has low vision or a visual impairment. The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston offers an audio description tour, as does the Mystic Aquarium, among many others! Want to learn more about the importance of audio description in museums? Check out this article from Vocal Eyes.
Museum Exhibits.
Apart from audio tours and audio description, exhibits themselves can have a narration component. I recently narrated letters from the 1700 and 1800’s as part of two different exhibits for Strawbery Banke and the American Independence Museum. These letters help bring the words of Colonial Americans to life and enhance the overall experience for the visitor. Voiceover is just one tool that museums are using to engage visitors in specific exhibits. MuseumNext has a fun article about six museums that are going above and beyond to increase engagement with their audiences and communities.
These are just a few examples of the ways museums use voiceover to help tell stories and connect with visitors. I, for one, love being a part of that experience! Next time you go to a museum, keep your ears open for how they’re using narration. Interested in collaborating on your next museum narration project? Contact me and we’ll talk!
Until next time!
XOXO
Sarah