Download Commercial Production

Commercial Production
Chapter 12
The most important thing to
commercial stations is to make money.
That is done through selling airtime
commercials. So, commercial
production is a very important topic
when studying radio production.
Three Responsibilities as a
Producer of Radio Commercials
a. To produce commercials that
stimulate sales
b. To produce commercials that please
the client
c. To produce commercials that fit your
station’s sound
The producer of a commercial must
translate those three goals into a
radio production that will capture the
attention of an audience and be a
successful sales tool for the client.
Putting together a commercial
• Writing the script or putting the
concept together
• Narrating the commercial
• Doing the hand-on production work
• Convincing the client that your
approach is the proper one
What Makes a Commercial
Effective
There are no defined rules for
determining a commercial’s
effectiveness but generally they must
get the audience’s attention.
Elements of Effective Radio
Advertising
In a radio commercial sound must compensate
for the lack of pictures.
Radio advertising can and should be geared
toward a targeted audience. A great advantage
of radio is that it’s audience is clearly defined.
For example, if you are selling an acne
medicine, you would probably advertise on
92Q and not WQSR.
Advertising Appeals
• Appeal to Personal Fulfillment
• Appeal to Authority
• Appeal to the Bandwagon Effect
• Appeal to Fear of Rejection
• Appeal to Sexual Success
Advertising Appeals
Appeal to Reinforcement of Listener’s
Ego
• Appeal to Prestige
• Appeal to Value and Quality
• Appeals to Other Emotional Triggers
(Nostalgia, Family Ties, Guilt, Loyalty,
Tradition, etc)
•
Music in Radio Commercials
Music is very effective in establishing
a commercial’s mood or an overall set
of conditions.
Voice in Radio Commercials
Voice is also an important element in
commercials, whether the spot is
voiced by the producer or air talent.
Also, the announcer must be
believable. Someone portraying a
senior diplomat should not sound 21
years old.
Three Approaches…
Hard-Sell—requires an announcer
with an authoritative, strong voice.
Soft-Sell (or Sincere)—requires an
announcer with a casual or sincere
delivery (not the typical “disc jockey”
type of artificial delivery).
Whimsical—often borders on the
comedic; requires an announcer with
a lot of flexibility and acting ability.
Suggestions for Producing
Effective Commercials
• Avoid Gimmicks—production elements
like echoes and sfx should reinforce the
message
• Summarize the Thrust—you should be
able to summarize the thrust of the
commercial in a few words
• Don’t Blast the listener—Louder isn’t
always better
• Read the Spot to the Client—don’t just
give the client the script, read it aloud to
them
• Don’t Force Humor—if there is any doubt
as to whether or not a spot is funny, chances
are it isn’t
• Achieve High Technical Quality
• Don’t Overuse a Particular Piece of Music
• Keep the Message Simple
Avoid the Following…
1. Lack of Focus—don’t wander from idea to
idea, keep it simple
2. Poor Technical Quality—levels to high or
low…
3. Lack of Completeness—should have a
beginning, middle and end
4. The Assembly Line Approach—can make
all your productions sound the same
5. Fear of Experimentation—try a new
approach, experiment with new ideas as
long as time permits
Production Applications for
Station Promotion
Focuses on creating excitement among
listeners that helps attract them to the
station and that helps distinguish your
station from others. The producer
should know as many kinds of audio
effects as possible as well as what is
possible with the equipment they have.