CREATING A COMMERCIAL
1. Decide on one simple message to communicate.
Commercials are short, usually between 15-30 seconds, so you need one
point you can sell well instead of 18 points at once. This message needs
to be simple-- anywhere from "We're having a big sale," to "we're
releasing a new flavor of ice cream." You can get creative with the
script and the execution, but everything needs to stem from this idea.
2. Come up with a simple story. All advertisements, in
some way, tell a story. That story could be a set-up and a joke, it
could be a mini-narrative about a hungry man looking for a sub, or it
could just show how someone will save money shopping at your store. You
want the story to be memorable. The best commercials are funny, catchy,
unique, or have an interesting character.
3. Develop a shooting script. Commercials, like any
movie, need to be well thought out, planned, and designed to be
successful. Once you have your idea you should map out everything needed
to tell your story -- video, dialog, sound, and text. This shooting
script will be your road map for filming and will help your cast and
crew know what to do, so take the time to make it perfect.
4. Scout locations to film at. Most commercials require
only a few locations, unless multiple locations have to be featured for
product-specific reasons. Locations will have to be arranged ahead of
time. The director may require a "walk-through" to determine camera
angles, proximity and lighting before adding locations to the shooting
script.
5. FILMING YOUR COMMERCIAL
Make sure your entire cast and crew knows the script and message of the ad.
Before you begin filming, pass out a copy of the shooting script and
briefly outline the goals of the commercial. Let people know if there is
a specific tone you are going for (comedic, serious, etc.) so that they
can do their jobs according to your vision.
Set up the actors' blocking. Blocking is where people
stand and where they move. Set your cast and crew up, and use a small
piece of tape to mark their locations on the floor. If they will be
moving around, mark the spots they move to and from separately.
Light the scene around the blocking. Once you know
where your actors are standing you can adjust the lighting so that they
are visible and clear. Unless you're going for a very specific effect
(such as police lights on a law firm's commercial) you want to keep the
light even and natural.
Set up your microphones to pick up as much dialogue as possible.
The microphones attached to the camera will work, but control the sound quality so that the final product is clear enough.
4. EDITING YOUR VIDEO
Import all of your footage into a video editing program. For small commercials you can get by with iMovie or Windows Movie Maker.
Make sure your message is the heart of the commercial. When editing, there are a couple ways to make sure your message
is at the center of the finished 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.")
- Constant Reminder: Many commercials have a little banner or piece of text with a phone number, price reminder, or the name of the product or 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.
