Producing a television ad can seem a daunting and expensive task. Fortunately, with today’s easy access to TV production tools, creating a TV spot is well within your reach. One caveat: While making a TV ad can be relatively easy, producing a GOOD one is much more challenging. Don’t get so caught up in the production process that you lose sight of your advertising objective – it’s not creative unless it sells! With your advertising message in mind, the three critical stages of video production are:
1. Pre-production – Planning, writing, scheduling, location scouting and all of the preparation and details before a frame of video is ever shot.
2. Production – The actual video shooting of the ad. Depending on your needs and budget, this could be anything from a one-camcorder shoot to a multi-camera Hollywood extravaganza. For this reason, it’s hard to generalize about how much a TV spot will cost.
3. Post-production – While on the shoot, you may hear the common refrain, “We’ll fix it in post.” Post is where everything comes together to produce the ad – editing, graphics, music, titles, voice over, special effects and, eventually, a “final cut.”
Here are 8 steps to producing your own television ad:
1. Set clear goals and a budget
Know and communicate your marketing objective. Determine your budget and develop a plan. What do you hope to achieve with your TV ad? Where, when and how frequently will it run?
Links and resources: Ad placement can affect your overall production budget. Consider low-cost options, such as cable or the local affiliates of ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS. Or find your local cable provider in the CAB directory and contact the advertising sales division for rates.
2. Determine your target audience
Television is still a mass medium, but you’d better know your target before you shoot! Who are you trying to reach, and will your message resonate with your intended audience?
Links and resources: For a reasonable monthly fee, DemographicsNow.com offers access to comprehensive market data to help you understand your customers.
3. Write your script
Craft your message and determine your content. Be sure to refine your script and storyboard — a visual representation of each shot in your ad — until you’re convinced the commercial is ready to shoot. If you’re not a scriptwriter, consider hiring an ad agency or a freelance writer to craft your ad.
Links and resources: NationalTVSpots.com offers scripting services as part of its TV ad production packages. Find screen and scriptwriters at Guru.com.
4. Plan the shoot
You’ll need to decide on the “creative” for your TV ad. Considerations include tone, pacing, mood, style, music, etc. Should it be humorous? Dramatic? Animated? The clearer your vision before the shoot, the better television you’ll produce.
Links and resources: Cheap-TV-Spots.com, which specializes in producing low-cost spots for entrepreneurs and small businesses, will help you focus your TV ad on what makes your business unique. Spring for a full-service production firm, such as BluelinerMarketing.com, if you want professionals handling all the planning as well as the execution of your commercial.
5. Consider ready-made video
Cut production costs dramatically by using existing advertising video footage and simply adding your audio message to it.
Links and resources: For about $500, SpotRunner.com lets you choose from an extensive library of high-quality ads that you can customize with your own message.
6. Use cable production services
Many cable companies and network affiliates offer production services to small businesses. If you’re going to place your ads with them, you may be able to negotiate deep discounts on production costs.
Links and resources: Contact a local cable company, such as Time Warner Cable, to inquire about their production services.
7. DIY
Cut costs and maintain total control by shooting your ad yourself.
Links and resources: Software called “Visual Communicator” from Serious Magic allows you to create pro videos with just a Webcam and some pre-packaged graphics and effects.
8. Fix it in post
Post-production is “where the magic happens.” Edit the footage from your shoot, adding music, graphics, effects and finishing touches. If you hire a production company, they should handle this for you.
Links and resources: If you’re taking the DIY approach, use a simple program, such as Apple’s iMovie or Final Cut Pro.
Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.
Tag: television
Local public access TV stations may be the best kept secret in America. Where else can you get free access to training, equipment, support and the local airwaves all in one location? For small businesses, local access TV is an opportunity to produce your own TV show, become known in the community and build your reputation as an expert in your field. Local access or community media, is also known as “PEG” access, as in:
1. Public – Stations open to the community for local programming
2. Educational – Stations dedicated to educational or school-related programming
3. Government – Government access channels for town meetings and city business
It’s the “public” channel that offers the most potential, and here’s how to maximize it:
Check your local listings
Not every town has all three “PEG” outlets, but with over 3,000 community media centers across the country, chances are there’s one near you. Check your town’s Web site or contact your town hall. Another misconception: You do not necessarily have to live in the town to utilize their community access station. Most access centers are eager for new producers and new programs. FYI: The Alliance for Community Media is a national, non-profit organization that promotes and supports public access TV. They maintain an extensive database and links to local access centers. Look for your town there.
Get free training
Most community media access centers provide frequent producer orientations, equipment training and studio instruction. The focus is typically on getting you up and running in one or two sessions. Volunteers and producers are the life blood of public access, so you’ll find plenty of accommodating help.
Go make TV!
As long as you’re armed with an idea, you’re ready to produce a show. If you’re not quite ready for your close up, start by assisting with another show, or by being a guest on another’s producer’s program. There’s no shortage of opportunities in front or behind the camera, so just dive in. The Alliance for Community Media’s online bookstore also features books and videos for additional training or inspiration.
Fix it in post
You can produce your program “live to tape,” if you’re doing a talk show or just want to do your show “on the fly.” In most cases, you’re probably going to want to edit your tape. Post production is where you can make your program look more professional by editing mistakes, inserting graphics or adding music. Most home computers now include basic editing or movie-making software, and those starter programs are relatively easy to master. iMovie is ideal if you’re on a Mac; Windows Movie Maker is adequate if you’re on a PC platform. When you’re ready for more professional editing, bump up to Final Cut Pro for the Mac or Adobe Premiere for the PC.
Promote and distribute
Once your show is complete, find out from your public access station when it’s going to air so you can promote your premiere! You may find that they run it several time per week. In addition to the local airing, you should definitely consider expanding your distribution. One way to extend your reach is to ask your channel to “bicycle,” or share your show with other access centers. A more direct approach is to upload your show to free video hosting sites such as YouTube or VideoEgg.com. Most video sites restrict uploads by file size (100MB) or length. Yo go beyond the obvious sites like YouTube and Google Video, and upload your video (or shorter clips) to Blip.tv and Veoh.com. These are very-user friendly, free video hosting sites with lots of great features.
Here are a few more suggestions to keep in mind:
• Public Access TV need not be cheesy. The technology and equipment have come a long way – so take advantage of the resources available.
• Expand your video from local public access to the Internet. Web users are downloading 7 billion videos per month!
• Be sure to save your video as an electronic file for the web, such as a Quicktime movie (.mov), or a Windows movie (.wmv). After you upload your video, many video sites will provide the HTML code so you can embed your video on your own website.
• A study by the Wharton School of Business reports that video can be 600% more effective in communicating a message than print. Tap into that power!
Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.