There's nothing new under the sun, but your script should be, at least, a new look at an old idea. Hire a screen writer to flush out your idea for a TV spot even if you think you can save some money and write it yourself. An experienced screen writer can conceive concise copy, tell your story with pictures and bring it all together on paper so you can fine-tune the concept BEFORE you shoot it.
EXPERIENCED TALENT
Hire professional voice talent or actors for your TV spot. They have "presence" unavailable with amateur actors. Don't put your kids, wife, husband, yourself, or an employee in your spot unless a they're a trained professional. Amateur talent makes your product or service look cheap and unprofessional. Plus, make sure to get talent releases for anyone in your spot. (see Useful Forms on his blog)
PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY
A professional cinematographer will show your product or service in its best light. Tests have shown that humans retain about 80% of what they see. That's why the most effective TV spots grab your attention with memorable images. Don't talk your Uncle Bob into shooting mediocre video for free. Invest in an experienced pro for that special attention-to-detail a visual artist can "bring to the party".
POETIC LICENSE
Most of the time it's best to create a TV spot from scratch. While your commercial should be based upon the true benefits of your business, you must leave a lasting impression of the value of your product or service with the viewer. Successful advertisers never show the less photogenic aspects of their business. Instead, they focus on the most positive visual representations through memorable images. You never see a bottling plant in a Coke spot, do you?
Utilizing a professional sound recordist and licensed music can mean the difference between a customer-winning TV spot and a constantly annoying drone. Original music scored to the visual content of your spot is the best, but may be expensive. Music should compliment the visual elements of your spot and usually is not noticed unless it's bad.
Design graphic information for your TV spot that is easily readable and concise. Too much text information will be overwhelming to a viewer so think "less is more". Use product colors for text and as few logos as possible. Remember, your viewers' screen sizes vary considerably so design your graphics for the average. And, don't choose fancy fonts - if your text is not readable, it doesn't exist!
Copyright 2016 Bill Raddatz