Got a new product for your filmmaking or video company you want to launch and make known to the public?
Maybe an existing one you want to make more known?
It’s a good enough goal, and for that to happen, you have to make a commercial for your filmmaking brand.
It sounds simple, but then you don’t know how to make the advertisement.
Here is the thing: making a commercial is simple. All you have to do is to get clear on the message you are trying to get across to your viewers.
That combined with the modes of persuasion, you will be set to make a commercial that will trigger a reaction from your audience.
In this article, I’m going to tell you all you need to know about creating an ad for your video company.
Soon enough, you will have a firm grasp on creating one yourself, and also on a low budget.
When it comes to making a commercial, ethos, pathos, and logos are hugely important. But what are they exactly?
Here’s our video breakdown of ethos, pathos, logos, and what each one means for your commercial:
Summary Of The Modes Of Persuasion
No advertisement is complete if it doesn’t use the rhetoric appeals of persuasion. If you watch ads or commercials on your TV or phone, then you must have come across them.
That’s how it is — all brands that make commercials use these techniques.
Ethos, Pathos and Logos – we call this the Rhetorical Triangle.
Here are their definitions in a few words:
Pathos is the persuasive element that appeals to people’s emotions and feelings.
Ethos is the appeal that uses credibility to increase persuasion.
Logos is the technique that uses logic and reasoning to convince an audience.
Now that you have got the hang of the modes of persuasion, let’s move on to the steps you need to make a commercial for your filmmaking products or services.
Step 1: Get Clear On The Message You Are Trying To Convey
First of all, get clear on the message you’re trying to convey to your audience.
Commercials are short— usually, they are around 30 seconds. Therefore, you don’t have time to waste talking about a lot of things at once.
Get straight to your point from the start. Although indicating all your product benefits sounds good, I don’t recommend it.
It would take too long to do so. Because of that, focus on one benefit, one unique selling point.
Besides, people’s attention span is limited these days. If your commercial is too long, they will simply ignore it and move on.
It’s okay to get witty with your script, but don’t beat around the bush.
Step 2: Come Up With A Story That’s Based On Your Filmmaking Brand
All commercials use stories to communicate their message. It doesn’t always have to be a real story, it could be set up or be a narrative that’s meant for comedy.
The story has to be remarkable for it to stand out. To do so, the commercial has to be funny, unique, and have lovable characters.
Also, you should be clear on the persuasive techniques that are needed to make the commercial more compelling. You will need these, no questions asked.
But when you come up with a story, you should consider your budget.
If you don’t have enough funds for the commercial, stick to a few actors (1-3) and locations (1-2) to keep the costs down.
Step 3: Write A Script
For commercials to be outstanding, they need to be well-planned. That’s why you need a script to tell your story.
Map out all the scenes that will appear on the commercial— dialogue, actions, sounds, etc. The script will guide the production crew and the cast on what must be done.
If you want, you can write a screenplay of all the events in the commercial. That’s too formal for a 30 second commercial though, but fortunately, you aren’t limited to that.
You can find a 2 column commercial script template and write all your scenes there.
If the above options don’t sound appealing to you, you can create a series of images that look like a comic to communicate your story.
Step 4: Prepare For The Shoot
After you have come up with a story and created a script, you will need to move pre-production.
Decide Your Shooting Locations
Firstly, you should determine the locations you must film at. Commercials don’t need many locations to make them unless it is suitable for your product to film in many places.
But remember this, shooting on private property is okay and inexpensive, but if you shoot in the general public, you will need a permit to do so.
Besides, shooting in the general public will have delays and you won’t even control the lighting.
So it’s safer to shoot at private places, but you can shoot in public ones if it is suitable for your script.
Gather Your Cast And Crew
The cast should match your script. You can find them by posting listings online, or better yet, gathering friends and family who have experience in shooting videos.
You will need these people on your crew:
- Camera operator
- Editor
- Actors ( ideally 1-3)
Since it’s nothing serious, you will be the director, of course. But if you don’t want that, you can hire someone who can fill that role.
Step 5: Shoot The Commercial
After you have completed the above steps, you will need to make the commercial.
You are already a filmmaking or video company— this step will be easy for you.
The key here is simplicity. Since you are making a short video, take it easy but make sure it’s perfect. The performance, lighting, sounds, and camera angles have to be on point.
Here are a few things you need to do to shoot the commercial:
Light The Scene
When shooting a commercial, you should adjust your lighting so the actors can be more visible on the video.
But remember to keep it even and natural. You should avoid bright lights or faint ones unless they are suitable for your specific scene.
If you aren’t comfortable with adjusting the lighting yourself, you can use the white balance feature on your camera. This will adapt your camera to the lights at the scene so it can become more natural.
Set Up Microphones To Pick High-Quality Sound
Here is the thing: bad sounds will drive your audience away. The voice on your commercial can make or break your ad.
That’s the first thing they will notice, so make sure it is of high quality.
Cameras have microphones attached to them, but those alone won’t be sufficient. You will need external ones to capture decent sound.
If you have a low budget, you can buy microphones that attach to shirts.
If your budget is high, you can go for expensive versions like the shogun microphone.
Either way, you will still get decent audio.
If your commercial doesn’t feature people on it and only shows the product, you should use voice-overs.
Step 6: Edit
After you have finished shooting your video, you should perform a few tweaks on it to make it look flashy.
To do so, import all footage to a video editing software.
If your commercial is small and not serious, you can use software like iMovie or Windows Moviemaker.
But if you want to stand out, you should use premium software. Free ones won’t do the trick.
Use software like Adobe Premiere, Avid, CyberLink PowerDirector, or Final Cut Pro. These tools have advanced editing features that will make your commercial extraordinary.
However, they are complicated to use. If you are an amateur editor, then you would be better off using free versions.
But if you still want to edit with premium versions, you can hire an editor who can do the job for you.
Tips To Help Make Your Commercials Stand Out
The above steps will help you make a commercial without much hassle. But here is the thing: there are thousands of similar advertisements in the market.
Unfortunately, people don’t have enough attention span or time to watch them all.
Therefore, you will need to make an outstanding commercial to stand out from all other filmmaking brands.
The following tips will help you make a commercial that people will want to see.
Target A Specific Audience
You shouldn’t focus on the general public, but rather, you should concentrate on a specific portion of the people.
Concentrating on the entire public will make your message come off as generic On the other hand, focusing on a particular audience will capture their attention.
In return, it helps you engage them more, which then increases your return on investment.
Use Influencers
Use a well-known person in your industry to endorse your product on your commercial. That increases your credibility as people will know it’s high quality and genuine.
People want to know if your product is authentic, so using an influencer in your advertising will confirm that.
Use A Unique Tagline
This is often overlooked by many advertisers, yet it’s effective.
Create a tagline that has a touch of humor and emotion to connect with your audience. It will make it easy for people to remember what your brand is all about.
It doesn’t have to be complicated or long-winded. Aim for 6-7 rhyming words to make it more memorable for your audience.
How To Make A Commercial – Final Thoughts
If you follow the steps and tips I mentioned, you will make a commercial for your brand with less effort. It will be easier for you because you are already a video company.
As you create the ad, always keep in mind that you have limited time.
If you get stubborn and add in 3 extra seconds, they will be cut off on TV.
If that happens, people won’t reach the most important part: the Call to Action.
What good would that have done?
With that in mind, always create a commercial that matches the time slot you have bought.
You must also create your commercial based on your brand voice.
All actions and dialogue should be established on that. It will do good for your brand.
Now take the plunge — make a commercial for your filmmaking brand.
