Television Advertising

Advantages Almost every home in the U.S. has at least one television set. A television program draws in a specific type of audience. Moving pictures. You don’t have to explain why a product is good, you can show it. Can reach millions of customers without going door-to-door. Television is almost real. Continuing story lines can build audience interest and trust.

Disadvantages Price: Commercials are expensive to make/Airtime is expensive to buy. Time: Have about 3 seconds to catch viewers interest. Life-span: The lifetime of a commercial is short. After being viewed several times, the audience gets bored and ignores it.

Guidelines Use an opening that grabs viewers attention. Use visual components to grab viewers attention. Be sure audio and print elements support the visual components. Show the product (close-up and action shots.) Show the brand.

Storyboard A series of sketches that show the sequential visual scenes and the matching copy for the commercial. Draw a series of boxes (called frames.) Sketch a scene in each frame. Use detail. Write the words to any dialogue or voice- over below each frame.

Before Production Starts Approve storyboard and script Approve budget Evaluate possible suppliers Review bids from suppliers Create a Timetable Select location, Sets, and Cast

Production Most exciting and stressful part of production process. Lighting is critical. Crew may spend entire day setting up lights. Director walks actors and cameras through movements they will make. Director views dailies (scenes shot the previous day) to approve/reshoot scenes.

After Production Once dailies are accepted, editing begins. Film editors piece together shots (called takes) Music is added to create a rough cut (best scenes edited together.) Rough cut is edited further until final results are suitable for broadcast.