TELEVISION COMMERCIAL

(TVC)

TELEVISION is another medium used in advertising. It is also called IDIOT BOX.

TV is known as a traditional and electronic media.

Students in advertising need to know the basic tv production to understand how

commercials are made, why production is so expensive, and what methods to use to cut
costs.

THREE STAGES IN THE RUDIMENTS OF A TELEVISION PRODUCTION

1. preproduction stage
2. production stage
3. production stage

People needed in these stages:

• ad agency, production company and post prod company
• the advertisers
• writers
• art director
• producer (responsible for completing the job on schedule and within the budget)
• casting director (for the talents and actors for the ad)
• director (calls the shots during the production)
• cinematographer (motion picture photographer)
• and sometimes musical composers and choreographers

PREPRODUCTION STAGE (PLANNING)

All the planning, brainstorming and preparations done before the actual
production of the ad. It also includes the creation of the *storyboard.

*A storyboard is a drawn or illustrated tv script in a sheet preprinted with a series of 8 to

20 blank windows (frames) in the shape of a tv screen. Below each frame is a room
where the text should appear. It works much like a cartoon script presenting how the
scenes should appear. The storyboard helps the creative visualize the commercial’s
appeal and serves as a guide for filming.

Decisions needed in this stage:

• production techniques:
1. live action ( typical slice of life, inherent drama)
2. animatics (cartoons, dancing puppets, etc)
3. special effects (DVE)(done to bring out a more creative execution)
• talents (auditions)
 • locations ocular (location hunting)

PRODUCTION STAGE (THE SHOOT)

This is the day where the actual videotaping and filming of the commercial is
done.

“Quiet on the set: sound “

sound engineer- manipulate sounds for effect and records them into film, video or
playback system synchronized with the film.
incidental noise- common background noises we hear.

“Lights”
cinematographer are the ones responsible for the lighting and cinematography
“Camera”
idiot board- any written script on a material that can be clearly seen by the actor or
speaker
clapper-a hard material that contains the title of the ad, the scene number and other details
id board– or identification board used if there is no clapper
tele prompter allows the camera to see a spokesperson through the back of the two-way
mirror while he /she reads moving text reflected off front
prompter -a person that coaches the actor or speaker of the lines that they have to say
during the actual take.

“action” (staging and talent)

scenes can be taken on a studio or a location which is a total technical and logistic
nightmare.
The most unpredictable talents are children and animals plus actors with attitude
problems.

POSTPRODUCTION STAGE (EDITING)

All the work done after shooting to edit and finish the commercial. (Includes editing,
scoring, also dubbing)

People needed: film editor, sound mixer and the director.

(Abbreviations for the editing can be seen on the abbreviations used in tv scripts .)
super- words superimposed on the screen
dupes- (duplicates) the final copy of the commercial to be distributed to the networks or
Raw- unedited filmed material
Master-final edited copy
 Common abbreviations used in television scripts and
storyboards

CU: Very close shot of a person or object.

ECU: extreme close-up. A more extreme version of the above

Sometimes designated as BCU (big close up or TCU tight)

MCU: medium close-up. Emphasizes the subject bit include other things
nearby

MS: medium shot. Wide angle shot of subject but not the whole set

FS:full shot. Entire set or object

LS: long shot. Full view of scene to give effect to distance

DOLLY: Move camera toward or away from the subject (dolly in or out)

PAN: Scan from one side to another

ZOOM: Move in and out from the subject without blurring

SUPER: superimpose (showing lettering or text on the screen)

DISS: dissolve. Fade out scene while fading in another

CUT: instantly change one picture to another

WIPE: Gradually erase scene using effects

VO: voice over. An off-screen voice usually the announcer.

SFX: sound effects

DAU: down and under sound effects fade while voice comes in

UAO: up and over. Voice fades while sound comes in