How long do you think it takes to do a 30 second commercial?
The answer to that question is: it depends!
Commercials are a great format to use to tell a story quickly. When you only have 15-30 seconds to tell a story you begin to think of what scenes are really needed to tell a story. The economies of editing and planning come into play and every shot that makes the cut is there because it needs to be there. Granted, every production counts on that, but a commercial counts on less shots to tell more. So here are a few things to consider when producing your own commercial:
#1 – Look for shots that are different from each other:
When you are selecting what scenes are the best ones for the story you are telling, a variety of similar shots will be available. You can always do options and versions you using certain comparable shots. It may take 2-3 different versions of a commercial in order to mutually decide on the best one with your team.
#2 – What goes in each shot?
When setting up a shot you are looking for as much of the right content in it. If you are showing a price tag over a specific item consider what other elements are in the scene that contribute or detract to that shot.
#3 – Prepare your shot list.
30 seconds of footage can easily be planned out on a list of shots that are needed. Once that list is made, the next step is deciding on what sequence will these shots be taken. How you organize this will determine how fast you are able to prepare for the next shot. Timing and Schedule are key components to delivering a great product in a great time to your client.
