How to make a commercial, from brief to cut-downs.

To make a commercial, write a brief with one goal and one audience, script a single idea, plan the shots, produce the footage and cut the versions each channel needs. Skipping the brief is the most common mistake: the rest of the work depends on it.

Plan and write2 min readUpdated By the Video.app creative team

1. The brief

Write down the goal of the commercial, who it is for, what you want them to do, where it will run and when. Add the product facts that must be right. This page is the reference for every later decision.

2. The script

A commercial has seconds, not minutes. Choose one idea and tell it in a few sentences: a problem, a turn and a reason to act. Test it by saying it aloud. See the guide on how to write a video script.

3. The shot plan

Turn the script into shots with a storyboard. Decide the lengths and ratios for each channel now, because a film planned for one placement is hard to rescue for another.

4. Production

Traditionally this means a crew, a location and a day or more of shooting. An AI-produced film replaces the shoot with generated footage, directed shot by shot. Either way, a person has to check that the product and the brand look right.

5. Cut-downs and versions

Cut the master into the lengths and ratios of each channel, and make the openings you want to test. If the commercial runs in several markets, version it for each, with the voice and text of the market.

Common questions

How long should a commercial be?
As short as the idea allows. Plan lengths per channel and cut the master to fit.
Can I do it myself?
Yes, if you have the time to direct and check every shot. Otherwise a service delivers a checked film.

Keep reading

Tell us about the commercial. We reply with the scope.

What it needs to achieve, where it will run and when you need it. We reply with the scope, schedule and quote.

Send your brief
Send your brief
Film