If
you have cable, you've no doubt seen local advertising on most of the
channels. There are three ways a local business could
produce a commercial.
One,
they could do it themselves (and we all know what that looks like); two,
they
could have the local cable business do it for them (which can also look
quite
amateurish); or they can have an outside individual do the production.
This
is where you come in. If your video
skills are top-notch, you can
produce
excellent commercials for local businesses at agreeable prices. If
you
have marketing skills, so much the better, but it's not an absolute
requirement. As long as you can clearly answer the "4
W" questions (who,
what,
where and why), your commercial will be good.
The
only drawback to this business is that you should use 3/4 inch broadcast
format
video, which is incompatible with a home videocamera. A camera for
this
type of videotape usually costs around $3000, less if it's used. There
is
a way around this expense, though.
Most
cable stations have what is called a "public access" channel. This
channel
is designed so that individuals and groups from the community can
produce
their own shows, to be aired on the channel.
Contact your local
cable
company and find out if they have such a channel. You should be able
to
rent time on their equipment. This is a
real boon when it comes to
editing
a tape, as they will have the equipment necessary to make your tape
look
professional. They usually offer short courses on using the equipment,
too.
Market
your services directly to the small businesses in your area.
Good
prospects are auto dealerships, restaurants, retailers such as video,
book,
and computer dealers, and, in election years, local political
candidates
(hope they get elected - you can expect a return customer!).
Your
quality production, coupled with a reasonable price, should entice
prospects
to become customers.
Most
commercials will be either thirty-seconds or one minute, and will be
shot
on location at the customer's facilities.
If they provide the copy
for
the commercial, you only have to direct the commercial. Run through
the
script with whomever will be reading it, to make sure that it will fit
the
time without sounding rushed. You want
to aim for a relaxed, natural
sound
(unless, of course, you're working with your local crazy car dealer,
in
which case they may want an auctioneer sound!).
Above all, make sure the
script
tells who the advertiser is, what they do, where they are, and why
people
should give them their business. This is
what the customer needs to
hear.
Likewise,
make sure your customer is happy with the result. After shooting
the
video, edit it (you should be able to ask someone at the cable company
to
help you), then review it with your customer.
As long as you've presented
the
advertiser in a good light, you'll be in good shape.
The
first few times you produce a commercial, you may feel like you're flying
by
the seat of your pants. Just relax, use
good common sense, and always
remember
that the job of the commercial is to convince the skeptical customer
to
spend his or her hard earned money with your client.
You
should expect to spend a few hours during the shoot, to get enough takes
for
editing. Get four or five good
takes. That way, any bad parts that you
find
when reviewing your taping can be replaced with a good take.
A
30-second or 1-minute spot can be shot and edited in one day. The first
one
or two may take a bit longer, but that's okay.
It's better to take your
time
when learning the ropes, rather than rush through and end up with
substandard
results. Because your overhead will be
low (if renting
equipment,
instead of purchasing), you should be able to undercut your
competition. In a decent size city, you can expect to
charge between $500
and
$1,000. Longer commercials are more
negotiable, depending upon whether
or
not you will be asked to write the script.
The half-hour long
"infomercials"
have become a bonanza for many advertisers, and they are a
goal
you can work up to, as your skills grow.
Watch
commercials and listen to them. Keep
mental notes about how the
advertiser
is presented, what message the commercial gives, and if you feel
the
commercial is successful. Incorporate
the best elements of the
commercials
you see into your own shoots!
No comments:
Post a Comment