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Television Commercial: The Mechanics

Television Commercial: The Mechanics. Copywriting for the Electronic Media (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.

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Television Commercial: The Mechanics

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  1. Television Commercial: The Mechanics Copywriting for the Electronic Media (Meeske)

  2. Strengths of Television • TV is the most persuasive medium • TV is credible • TV is intrusive • TV is glamorous

  3. Weaknesses of Television • TV is expensive • TV is cluttered

  4. Strengths of Cable • Cable can narrowcast, appeal to specialized demographic audience • Cable advertising is inexpensive

  5. Weaknesses of Cable • Cable networks have low ratings

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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.

  9. Producing TV Commercials • Long shot (LS) or wide shot (WS) • Medium shot (MS) • Close-up (CU)

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. Transitions

  13. Special Effects

  14. Additional Terminology

  15. Using graphics

  16. Film Versus Tape

  17. Animation

  18. TV Soundtracks as Radio Spots

  19. Keeping the Spot Producible

  20. TV Soundtracks as Radio Spots

  21. The Production Budget • Still photos or videotape with announcer voice-over • Studio production • Electronic field production in location

  22. 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

  23. 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

  24. 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.

  25. 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

  26. 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

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