Voice generated voice over video in Movie Maker

This post will demonstrate how I created an instructional video with a computerized voice over. This particular method is ideal for cases in which you do not only want sound (which is also possible) but also want the option to insert text on the screen from time to time. 

You will need the following for a Windows computer

• A screen recording program
• Ice Cream (free)
• Video production software
• MS Movie Maker
• Voice generator narration software. Any of the following will suffice.
• Share to Speech software. I use the free Lite version. It is available only in English and does not require internet access.
• Online Tone generator's voice generator with several languages and accents. Generally, very clear US English diction. I particularly like native US female voice.
• From Text to Speech even creates an MP3 file which is great if you want to entirely elminate ambient sounds. I find the male and female voices are all good. However, I personally prefer the female voices for their more natural sound and male voices for clearer diction.
• NaturalReader's free online voice generator for several languages and accents. In my humble opinion, the US male voices sound more natural than female ones. The 'Heather' voice was the best US female voice but has a slight Southern drawl. My preferred male US voices include those by Ryan (best male diction), Rich and Mike.
• Any word processor
• I use MS Word
• an environment that is as quiet as possible

1. Prepare the script

• Prepare the script in any word processor
• This step applies only if your voice generator does NOT created automatically to MP3 format. Before the content begins, enter several lines like ‘testing 1-2-3’. I usually enter about 5. Before the last line like this, I enter, ‘Last time. Get Ready’. When I allow the reading software to read these lines in addition to the main content, these extra lines give me sufficient time to set up the recorder, quiet the space and settle myself where my movements can not be heard
• Highlight, copy and paste the text into the voice generator. Do not play it as yet.

2. Prepare Movie Maker

• Open a new project In Movie Maker
• Add a title by going to ‘Home’ and then ‘Title’. As pictured below, this creates a solid background color with the option of including text. You may delete or edit the text.
• Set the display duration of the title to exceed the duration of your script when read aloud. When I am unsure of the precise time, I set the duration to an excessive amount of time knowing it will definitely suffice and I could cut the excess time afterwards.
• In the 'format' tab, make the entry in the 'text duration' field. As pictured below, the default is '7.00' seconds.

3. Record the sound

• Return to the voice generator software and start the audio replay. You will hear the several lines of ‘Ready 1-2-3’ during which you can prepare accordingly (like the next step of recording the narration and settling yourself in a quiet place to avoid being picked up in the recording).
• Start recording the sound in Movie Maker. In Movie Maker, 
• Go into the 'home' tab. 
• Select 'Record narration'
• Click the red record button in the top left corner, pictured below 

• If you set sufficient prep lines ‘Ready 1-2-3’, you will have sufficient time to complete all of these steps.

-- --

CONTENT RELATED TO VOICE GENERATED VOICE OVER IN MOVIE MAKER

• Insert images into a video (that must remain precisely synced with audio)

Add Images into Video with synced sound in Movie Maker

Sometimes, you import an audiovisual video into Movie Maker. Let us say, the visual includes a man reading behind a desk. He is describing conceptsand people that the can be more relatable with their own visual representation. Movie Maker will allow you to run the sound of his voice continuously throughout your presentation, while switching the visual presentation between him behind his desk and images of people and diagrams. 

This involves uploading the same movie into Movie Maker twice. The first and second versions will be visual-only and audio-only respectively. This method assumes that you only have one file, the movie file.

1. Upload the first version into Movie Maker

• Mute the video
• Select the 'edit' tab
• Double click the speaker icon
• Change the volume slider to the mute position
• Save the project in Movie Maker

2. Upload the second version

• Go into the 'home' tab
• Select 'add music ...'
• When you go into the folder, the video will not appear as a audio file. To see it, change the file format in the bottom right corner above the 'Open' and 'Cancel' buttons of the 'Add music' dialog box. Specifically, change the format to 'vdeos (*wmv ....). The video will appear.
• Select the video. It will insert itself as a perfectly aligned audio track into the project.

3. Insert images

This step involves removing the video from the original cut and then replacing it with the image for precisely the same amount of time.

• Find the location within the video where the image must be inserted
• Right click and select the option to 'split' the video. 
• Note the precise time within the video
• Find the location where the image should no longer be displayed
• Right click and select 'split. Like before, note the precise time of the split
• Click the segment to be removed and click 'delete'
• In 'home', select 'insert photos'. Choose the image to be inserted
• Drag the image into the slot where you have created a space.
• Calculate the time of the now missing visual of the man at his desk. Apply this time to the image being used as a replacement. To do this, double click the image and enter the duration.

-- --

CONTENT RELATED TO MOVIE MAKER

• Voice generated voice over movies in Movie Maker

• Third party video demonstration of this technique in Movie Maker

• How to give attribution for free material used under a creative commons license