Everything You Should Know Before Shooting a Commercial

Last Updated: 

November 9, 2022

Want to Close Bigger Deals?

Video commercials are an excellent avenue to increase brand awareness, market a new product or spread a message to a target audience.As a film producer, your role is to help bring client concepts to life. Well, the key to success is to ensure you are well prepared to deliver top-draw quality. Let’s explore everything you need to know beforehand, especially if you are shooting your first commercial.

Draft a realistic and relatable script

Brands want commercials that accurately convey their overall values, personality and tone. A good commercial should also be relatable and realistic. Before you shoot your commercial, draft a realistic script that will tell the brand’s or the product’s story. The next step would be to define your storyboard, determining the shots you require to have before the filming process.

Predict the client’s expectations

Unless the client tells you what they have in mind, you have no way to know for sure what they want. Therefore, it would help to ask for a sample of what they need or ask them to write a detailed video brief so that you don’t produce the wrong kind of content. It would be best to take advantage of the numerous videography services online to help predict your client’s requirements.

Ensure you have the right props

Props are like the missing puzzle piece that ties the commercial together, making it look more realistic. Depending on the nature of your commercial, you could search online for props such as weapons, a secondary school diploma for office scene setups, mid-century costumes, and the likes. Remember to confirm that all costumes fit perfectly before you begin shooting the commercial to avoid any disruptions. `

Identify a suitable B-roll footage

B-roll footage refers to videos that do not contain the primary character or subject. For example, if you are advertising a new cooking oil brand, you could play a video portraying a mother and her daughter bonding over meal prep. Expert videographers often use B-roll footage to add spice and authenticity to their commercials.

Give a reasonable quote

Artists and videographers are at a loss since creative works are usually underpaid. You ought to know your worth as a film producer. However, you wouldn’t want to charge a price that seems too high. As a beginner, you might be unsure of how much you should charge for a commercial. Well, you could approach your mentor or a seasoned professional in the field and ask for advice.

Don’t go overboard with transitions and effects

Too many effects and transitions will make your commercial look cheap. A better alternative would be to minimise your use of effects to make your videos seem more professional. Focus your energy on showcasing your skills and creativity rather than displaying your transition skills.

Final thoughts

Mastering the art of videography takes practice and commitment before becoming proficient. However, your efforts will soon pay off, and you will be the best at what you do. We hope you have taken note of the guidelines discussed above to avoid being underpaid for a job or losing clients because they were dissatisfied.

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