TV Commercial Project

In this project you will create a 30 second or 1 minute commercial for some product, group or organization. The product can be clothing, food, games...

Here are some sample videos

Top 11 Doritos Commercials - what do all of them have in common?

The purpose of an add is to sell a product, to catch the viewers attention and play on the viewer's need for this product. The commercial should create a lasting impression of the product. Humor is a great way to keep a viewers attention and give them good feelings about a product. You can also create a spoof of a current commercial.

Five Steps to Effective Commercial Script Writing and the Modes of Persuasion worksheet.

Part 1:
Work through the following steps to come up with your commercial.
Create a shared Google document with your group and answer the following questions using the Five Steps to Effective Commercial Script Writing as a guide.
1. What is Your Product or Service All About (in One or Two Sentences)?
2. Who is the Target Audience?
3. What Specific Problems are You Trying to Solve?
4. What are Three Key Benefits You Would like to Highlight?
5. How Does Your Product or Service Work?
6. What Tone Would You Like the Video and Presenter to Use?
7. Is There a Call-to-Action we Should Concentrate On?
8. Which modes of persuasion will you employ in your commercial?
9. What duration will your commercial be? 30 or 60 seconds? (the credits will not count as part of your time)

Part 2:
Now start to develop your commercial by answering the following questions:
1. Come up with your high-level overview - this should be a paragraph of the concept of your commercial
2. Describe the different scenes and locations, what types of shots will you use?
3. Describe the characters, who are they?
4. Describe the audio you will use. Will you use voiceover or the actor's voice? Will you use text overlay? What will that text say?
5. How does the product fit into your video? When and where will the product be displayed?
6. Props - list the props you will need to tell your story.
7. What is the final call to action? What message do you want to leave your audience with? What do you want them do/feel?
8. The Script - here is an example of a commercial script - notice that this script uses a different format than the screenplays we have seen. Use the commercial script template found on Google classroom for creating your script. You can also use the commercial script template used in your previous exercises.
9. The Storyboard - this is a visual representation of your script. Here is a great intro to storyboarding.

Once you have completed these steps, you are ready to start shooting.

Production Notes - Actions sequences require real planning of the shot sequences. Scout out different locations where the actors can run, hide, pause.... Create a storyboard that shows the different locations and the camera shot in each location. Determine how the action will play out with respect to the camera. Shoot incidentals (hands, feet, facial expressions, gestures) to help convey the mood of the actors - fear, urgency, anger, despair. Have enough clips to enable fast cuts.

Turn in your storyboard OR a shot list (just one for the group) before you begin shooting your video.

Here are the specs for the commercial project:

- The movie must be exactly 30 seconds or 1 minute long - the closing credits must come after the 30 seconds or 1 minute and do not count as part of the commercial.
- Be sure to include appropriate music that adds to the selling potential of the add.
- Add sound effects to highlight the action - try soundbible.com or use the sounds in FCP.
- Must have a still image of the product somewhere in the video.
- Closing credits - be sure to credit those who participated in the video. Also be sure to credit the music you use.

Create an incidental shot list (b-roll) - CU hand on door handle, CU of running feet....

The Shooting Process.

1. Be sure to include different perspectives as the action progresses. Mix up the shots to add greater intensity and suspense.

2. Record your first take, if mistakes are made just continue shooting, you can cut the mistakes later. This first take should be shot with a tripod and there should only be minor camera movements.

3. Record your second take for sections where mistakes were made in the first take.

4. Shoot your B-roll shots - closeups of specific tasks such as the hands reaching for the door, CU of the actors face to show emotion...

5. Shoot your Cut-away shots. Have a series of shots you can use to transition from one shot to another. These shots do not have to be long but the more you have the more you have to choose from.

The Editing Process.

1. Since the actions follows a story line there is a definite sequence to your shots so this will help you put your shots together.

2. Once you have your main action shots in sequence begin to add your B-roll and cut-aways to provide interest and transitions.

3. Add appropriate sound to add to the mood of your scenes, the proper music and sounds can intensify the experience.

4. Add your closing credits. Be sure to credit everyone involved in the film but use only first names.

Additional Specs

No weapons of any sort
Maintain the safety of all actors at all times
Music is required

8 Steps to Creating a Promotional Video