Television Commercial: Television Commercial: The MechanicsThe Mechanics

Copywriting for the Electronic Media Copywriting for the Electronic Media

(Meeske)(Meeske)

Strengths of Television• TV is the most persuasive medium

• TV is credible

• TV is intrusive

• TV is glamorous

Weaknesses of Television• TV is expensive

• TV is cluttered

Strengths of Cable• Cable can narrowcast, appeal to

specialized demographic audience

• Cable advertising is inexpensive

Weaknesses of Cable• Cable networks have low ratings

The Television Script• Write video in CAPITAL LETTERS• Write all spoken audio in upper-and lowercase• Write audio instructions for sound effects and

music ALL IN CAPS, and underline• Write audio talent instructions in parentheses

(WHISPER, and underline.• Single-space video and double-space audio• Double-space between speaker and shot

changes

The Television Storyboard• Shows section by section, what the creator of

the commercial had in mind, using a series of panels much like a cartoon strip

• For beginners, plan to use one frame for 4/5 seconds of commercial time (10-second shot would have two video changes)

• Avoid long, static scenes, exposure to one scene for more than 10 seconds

Building a Storyboard• Identify distinctive features you want to get across in the

spot. This idea must be presented visually, and not just in the logo but in the rest of the spot as well.

• Determine what benefit stems from this feature. • Decide what setting will help convey the distinctive

feature and its benefits.• Build on the setting to convey the message. A logical,

reasonable progression of visual scenes. Spot then turns to distinctive feature at the conclusion.

• Place video instructions and audio lines for each scene under the frame.

Producing TV Commercials• Long shot (LS) or wide shot (WS)

• Medium shot (MS)

• Close-up (CU)

Physical Camera Movement

• Pan (left or right): Move camera, not base• Tilt (up or down): Move camera, not base• Truck (right or left): Parallel to scene• Dolly (in or out): Move entire camera base• Zoom: Adjusts focal length of zoom lens• Arc (right or left): Semicircular to scene• Book/pedestal (Up or down): Use pedestal

Special Effects• Pan (left or right): Move camera, not base• Tilt (up or down): Move camera, not base• Truck (right or left): Parallel to scene• Dolly (in or out): Move entire camera base• Zoom: Adjusts focal length of zoom lens• Arc (right or left): Semicircular to scene• Book/pedestal (Up or down): Use pedestal

Transitions

Special Effects

Additional Terminology

Using graphics

Film Versus Tape

Animation

TV Soundtracks as Radio Spots

Keeping the Spot Producible

TV Soundtracks as Radio Spots

The Production Budget• Still photos or videotape with

announcer voice-over

• Studio production

• Electronic field production in location

Guidelines for writing spots• Gaining Attention

• Identifying the Client or Product Name

• Balancing Audio and Video

• Emphasizing One Main Idea

• Avoiding Overwriting

• Stressing the Final Shot

Points to Remember• TV can use sight, sound, motion• TV script best timed by reading aloud and acting

them out• TV script is divided into 2 columns. Left column

is for visual instructions, and the right is for audio• TV storyboard shows what the creator of a spot

had in mind frame by frame• TV spot production should be kept simple. Trick

effects do not equate with good selling

Points to Remember• Least costly approach to TV spot production is

still photos with voice-over. Studio production is somewhat more costly, and electronic field production is the most expensive

• Advertising on cable TV is less costly than advertising on over-the-air TV

• Opening seconds of a TV spot are crucial because they either gain viewer attention or lose it.

Points to Remember• TV spots run between programs are called

adjacencies• Name of advertiser or product should be

presented early in a spot and repeated as often as possible without boring or annoying the audience

• Audio and video must relate to each other in a TV spot

• TV spot should be limited to one main idea. Secondary ideas should be used only if they have a clear relationship to main idea

Points to Remember• Each spot should conclude with sponsor/product

name and slogan• Graphics should be used to show key sales data• Spots scheduled within TV program positions are

called participants• Video should tell the story. Audio should not be

overwritten.• TV commercials suffer from clutter of

announcements placed in programs