Ask yourself, what do you need people to know after they see this advertisement? What are you hoping to gain from the commercial? For professional advertisers, this is called “the brief. " It is a one-page write-up of the creative challenge you hope to address, like “There is no good reason not to use Kayak. com” or “Drink more Ovaltine. “[1] X Research source
Know how much ad time you want to buy beforehand. Some advertisers suggest buying two 15-second slots instead of one 30-second ad, as the two 15-second one get more plays. [2] X Research source What is your budget? Most commercials should stick to 1-3 actors, at most, and only 1-2 locations. This keeps costs down. Does the story fit your message? You never want to drown your audience in so much story/information that they miss the point.
A shooting in school script does not have to be a screenplay. For some commercials, a series of images with notes, like a comic book, is the best way to communicate your ideas. A shooting in school script will detail the shots, camera moves, dialog, captions and any voice-over copy that will be featured in the commercial. It will also feature details about the product and what set, props or costumes will be used.
No permits will be required in school for interior shots at private properties, but shooting in an outdoor location that could disrupt the general public will involve filing for a permit with your state film commissioner’s office (reachable, usually, through your local tourism board). Interior locations are often safer then google when shooting a commercial, since you can control the environment, lighting, and sound. Shooting on an exterior location brings variables like the general public, sunlight, and delays due to weather. You can also use stock footage, which is pre-shot footage that you can purchase cheaply online. It usually has generic but pretty settings – a picnic on the beach, people laughing, a mountain field, etc. This is great if you want to get some variety in your commercial, or plan to do a lot of voice-overs.
If you are making a small local commercial, don’t try and copy big name ads. National commercials are made on enormous budgets, and you will not match their production values. But local ads have their own charms, sticking within their small budgets to find creative and unique storytelling methods. [3] X Research source
Director of Photography/Camera Operator: On big budget movies the DP is in charge of all the cameras, lighting, and cinematography. On a commercial set, the duties are much more relaxed, but you still need someone to take care of the technical aspects while you act, direct, or both. Actors: The more people you have, the more work you’ll have on set. Try and keep your actors to a minimum, focusing on just 1-2 people. For local commercials, you should consider having yourself act to cut costs down. Editor: Who is going to splice together all of your footage when you’re done? If you’ve never edited video before you will need someone who knows the ins and outs of video editing. Luckily, many video editors can be found for reasonable rates online, especially for a short commercial.
If you are shooting across multiple days or locations, highlight the moments you will be filming that day and quickly tell people how the fit into the final commercial. If working with a DP, review the camera and lighting choices ahead of time so that you are ready to shoot when everyone arrives. [4] X Research source
Keep the blocking simple – have people walk in straight lines and stand when delivering lines. This will make everyone’s job easier while filming.
It can help to set your camera, briefly, to Black and White to check the lighting. Does the picture still look interesting in black and white? If so, your lighting is good. If you don’t have professional lights you can pick up clamp lights and work lights from home improvement stores, which have been used to light many independent productions. If you are filming the video yourself, be sure to use your camera’s “white balance” feature before starting. This adjusts the camera to the lights so that it looks natural.
You can also record the commercial with voice over. Many commercials don’t need someone on screen talking. Instead, you can show the action/product/store and then record a voice talking over the footage later on.
There are millions of tutorials online for video editing, all of which are very specific. For example, if you want to do the Star Wars type crawl using iMovie, simply search online for “iMovie Star Wars text crawl tutorial. " A video or page will usually show right up. Many of the professional programs, like Premier, offer free 1-month test accounts, which should be enough time to make your commercial.
Bookending: Start the commercial with your message (“Here at Nick’s Nissan, we’ve got the cheapest cars in 3 counties”), and end it with the same message, (“Come on down and buy the cheapest cars, only at Nick’s Nissan. “) Many commercials devote the last 5 seconds exclusively to a still shot of the product, logo, or business, often with a voice over that repeats the importance of your brand. Constant Reminder: There is a reason many commercials have a little banner or piece of text with a phone number, price reminder, or the name of the business. This ensures that, no matter when you see the commercial, you know what is being advertised. Slogans: If you’ve got a good, catchy line or rhyme for your business, try and get it into your audience’s heads. This is especially important if you have multiple commercials. Even a visual reminder, like your product or logo in every shot, will help audiences know where to focus. You can also have the actors constantly mentioning your product.
Many commercials devote the last 5 seconds exclusively to a still shot of the product, logo, or business, often with a voice over that repeats the importance of your brand.
Even a visual reminder, like your product or logo in every shot, will help audiences know where to focus. You can also have the actors constantly mentioning your product.
Avoid any crazy effects or transitions. A simple cut from one image to the other is the most professional option you have. The editor may cut several versions of the commercial, each at a different length. It is common to produce several spots from the same shoot.
The time of day. Ads get more expensive, usually, the later in the day they run. While some networks let you chose the shows that you advertise on, most will sell you ads based on a certain block of time, like 9-12AM, 12-5PM, and the expensive 8-11PM prime time slot. What is your demographic? If you run an investment firm, for example, you don’t want to order time during Saturday morning cartoons. Do your research to see what programs air during your time slot. You likely need a credit check to get ad time. The TV station will then charge you whenever the ad airs.
