by Wayne Dunham and Corrine J. Sidney

• Television commercial copy needs to be two-dimensional. Unlike print or radio copy, the writer has to visualize what the audience will see while listening to the words.
• The ad needs to convey only one or two simple concepts, such as fun, cost-savings or education.
• Keep it simple and straight forward. Split screens, fancy effects and off-the-wall humor distract the viewer from the core message. Just be sure your spot is not only interesting and informative but also compelling, colorful and moving. Forget the slides -- this is a motion medium.
• The element that will add the most to your production costs is on-location shooting.
• Avoid poorly shot video. It will cheapen the public's perception of your show. the quality of the footage reflects the quality of the event.
• The same script checklist for radio applies for TV.
• Run the name of the show at the top of the screen, and the location and dates at the bottom throughout the spot. At any given second, the viewer will know what the spot is about.
• Don't use phone numbers or hours. It's more information than viewers can take in and detracts from the footage.
• Using a TV station where you've booked time is generally the least expensive method for producing your commercial.
• TV stations can often turn a commercial around in less than 10 days.
• If you choose a production firm, your commercial will cost $5,000 to $20,000 for studio time, talent and script writing.
• Ad agencies need four to six weeks from start to finish to produce an ad.
• Agency fees for producing your commercial should range from $6,000 to $26,000.

Excerpted from the July/August 1993 and February 1997 issues of EXPO.