Topic 12: Print, Radio and Television Production
Television Production
As with other media, the creative responsibility for television is communication.
Television poses specific challenges due to the complexity of production as well as the
number of people who need to work collaboratively on the project. These include: the
creative director who manages the creative process within an agency and who generally
comes from either the art direction or copywriting side of the creative department; the art
director who works with the copywriter to develop the concept and oversees the
production of the storyboard as well as working with the director to develop the “look” of
the pot; the copywriter who is responsible for the copy/words and phrases used within the
ad and is also involved in the production process; the account executive who acts as
liaison between the creatives and the client and also has the responsibility of coordinating
all details including scheduling, budgeting and approvals during the entire production
process; the producer who supervises and coordinates all the activities related to
production and who is ideally brought in during the earliest stages (conceptual stage) of
the advertising. The producer screens directors’ reels and recommends potential
directors, sends out production bid forms, reviews these bids and makes
recommendations, participates in all phases of production (i.e., location scouting, casting,
sets) and is on the set as well as directs the postproduction (editing phase) representing
both the agency and the client interests. From the production house, the director is the
visionary who brings the entire strategy to life. S/he directs and talent and ideally is
involved to some degree in the post production. However to do so, has cost implications
and therefore on lower budget productions the director moves on while the agency
completes the spot. The producer manages the production, selecting and managing the
crew and budget. The production manager provides additional and support services for
the production. Generally the editor works for an independent post production house and
basically joins and cuts scenes together to create the finished spot.
Who actually has control is unclear yet none are willing to relinquish ownership of the
project. It is the job of the producer to get the various persons to perform their particular
specialty at the right time and resolve conflicts amongst team members.
Creative guidelines for television:
Use attention-getting and relevant openings because the first few seconds are crucial.
This is when the viewer makes a decision as to give their attention to the message or turn
it off.
Emphasize the visual as pictures communicate rich and detailed information and may be
able to convey the message even if the audio portion is entirely ignored.
The images and the copy should reinforced one another and not diverge from each other
as this would unnecessarily confuse and distract the viewer.
The persuasive impact is paramount as is the entertainment quotient however the
entertainment should not overwhelm the persuasive value.
Try to avoid distractions and thus aid the viewer in comprehension (i.e., avoid strange
camera angles, dissolves and use an appropriate pace for the information.
Certainly feature the product on air as this aids in brand recognition.
The television production process
Agency preproduction is the stage during which the advertiser and agency work out the
precise details as to how the creative planning behind an ad can be recognized. The
storyboard and script (that delineates locations/sets, talent and estimated budget) are
approved both internally at the agency and then by the client. Once approved, the project
is sent out for bids to not only production houses, but also to editorial houses and music
suppliers.
There are hundreds of vendors to consider and it is the producer’s judgment to select
Directors whose unique talents complement the job as well as editors and
composers/arrangers. Editors tend to be chosen based on their long-term working
relationships with the agency, producer, creatives and account. Most producers work
steadily with two or so, again, selecting them based on their talents (i.e., story teller or
music editor). Most facilities tend to cluster near advertising centers of Chicago, New
York, Lost Angeles and more recently, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Richmond to
name a few. Not always the lowest bid is selected because there are also creative and
technical considerations.
A production time table is created which provides a schedule to prepare the commercial
and often this is done by backtracking from the promised air date. Most productions take
10 to 12 weeks to complete, though special effects and computer imagery may take
longer.
During the shoot, the creative team participates in decision making led by the creative
vision of the selected director. With the meter running (crew, stage/location, talent)
decisions must be made quickly during the process. Often when the talent arrives at the
location/set and is dressed in their wardrobe a certain spontaneity takes place (a magic, if
you will) and perhaps even a dramatic performance is captured on film.
An average :30 spot costs between $300,000 and $1,000,000. Any creative
enhancements increases the cost (i.e., celebrities, special effects, special lighting
requirements such as shooting during certain day parts like dawn or dusk).
During post production editors, audio technicians, voice-over talent and musicians are
utilized. The negative film is transferred to video dailies and the negative is placed into a
vault for safe keeping. The video dailies are screened and the editing begins. A scratch
track is approximated and the rough cut is assembled which is now done as a video nonlinear edit. Once this has been approved, the negative film is removed from the vault and
cleaned and then the selected scenes are transferred to videotape and color corrected.
The audio track is matched to the final edit and then the final spot is approved and
transmitted to stations.
Script specifications are as follows: cu = close up shot; ecu = extreme close up shot; ms =
medium shot; ls = long shot. Also there may be designations for a lens to zoom in or out
or perhaps a dolly shot in which the fixed camera is mounted onto a dolly and then
wheeled either in or out of the shot. A dolly shot looks entirely different than a zoom and
each have way of shooting a scene gives a feeling to the material. A pan that is when the
camera moves from right to left from a stationary position as well as a truck shot in
which the camera is moving from right to left, again each creating a very different visual
angle. A tilt is when the camera is panned vertically. A cut is a change of scene to a new
scene. A super is lettering that is superimposed over the visual. SFX are sound effects
while VO stands for voice over and ANN for announcer.
AICP Form
A form referred to as an AICP form (Association of Independent Commercial Producers)
is filled out by all production houses that were bidding on the job. An additional form, an
AICE (Association of Independent Commercial Editors) is also completed by the editors
being considered for the job.
The AICP is comprised of a number of sections as follows:
Page one lists the general details of the job – key production personnel and agency
personnel; the number of shoot days and an indication of studio and/or location days;
length of days.
Also on the first page is a list of the totals from all the internal sections that are totaled.
Below the sub-total are listed the director’s fees, insurance, production house mark-up
and contingency weather days.
The production house mark-up ranges from 10% to 30% and is slightly negotiable. The
amount of mark-up indicates the amount of interest the house has in producing the job.
Director’s fees are not marked up. The directors receives 50% of their fee for prep and
wrap days and director’s fees range from several thousand up to $75,000 a day (the
Scott’s). Again, if the director really wants the job, the fee may be reduced.
A weather contingency is a range of costs that will be required depending on when a job
may be cancelled due to weather. All costs incurred clearly are required to be paid but as
most costs are spent during the actual shoot, canceling a shoot before a weather day does
allow for some savings. There is usually a range from the day before, the morning of,
and finally during the shoot when most all costs have been spent.
Insurance is required on all shoots and is a small percentage (1% to 2%) of the sub-total
costs. Additional insurance may be required with special stunts or crowd scenes.
Page 2 is a listing of the entire crew and the pre production and post production costs,
section A. Crew positions include the assistance director, the director of photography
and assistant camera, the prop master, the gaffer (head electrician) and the best boy
(assistant to the head), the grips (who move and carry everything on the set), the sound
department, makeup, hair, wardrobe, script, home economist, craft services (food),
location scout, fireman and policeman, teacher, and production assistants. Even though
the director will receive a reduced rate for pre production and wrap, crew members
receive their day rate. Day rates range from approximately $700. for an AD to 360. for a
grip and in between. On top of the day rate, pension and welfare is calculated at 21%.
Page 3 has the same crew list, section B, with calculations for the actual shoot days with
over time and pension and welfare calculated.
Page 4 has several sections including pre-production and wrap materials and expenses,
section C. These include auto rentals and air fares, per diems, still cameras for location
scouting, trucking, parking tolls and gas, casting and working meals.
Location expenses, section D, include permits, car rentals, camper rentals for use as
dressing rooms on locations, tolls and gas, air freight and air fare to travel equipment and
crew to location; hotel costs, per diems for expenses, craft services for the shoot and any
gratuities.
Section E covers prop and wardrobe and animal costs. Rentals and purchase are listed
separately. Working with animals is a challenge and directions are given to the animal
handler days or weeks before a shoot so that the animal can be trained.
Page 5 has 3 sections: studio rental and expenses (section F) if a studio is to be used, then
costs associated with rental include build days at a reduced price, pre-light days, strike
days, generators, power charges, meals, parking and guards.
Section G lists the construction crew. Most sets are constructed off the set and put
together on the build days as this is far more cost efficient than paying a studio rate to
build. The crew for the construction is listed here along with their over time and pension
and welfare.
Section H covers all the actual materials used in set construction from lumber and paint
through props and plants.
Page 6 has the equipment rental (section I) and breaks down all equipment to be used on
the shoot (i.e., dolly rental, camera car, helicopter as well as cameras and lighting and
sound packages).
Film stock and tape costs for the shoot as well as the video dailies for editing and transfer
fees are included in section K. Remember, film and tape are the least expensive aspect of
the shoot and it is not unusual to ask the client for an overage to cover more footage.
Miscellaneous costs, section K, includes petty cash, phones, and external billing costs.
Generally a production house will use an outside billing service to calculate the O/T (over
time) and P&W (pension and welfare) for the crew.
The Director’s fees are broken out in section L but as noted before, there is no production
fee included on this cost.
All of these costs are summarized on page one with the details included in the internals of
the bid.
Radio production
Clearly radio production is less complex and requires less time, the average production
period being 2 to 4 weeks. Bids are submitted to various audio facilities, budgets
prepared that include talent, music and special effects. After the voice/copy is recorded,
a sound mix is prepared during which proper timing between all the audio elements are
achieved to ensure that all sounds are audible. The tape is then sent for transmission. A
radio spot may cost between $30,000 to $50,000 however celebrity talent would inflate
this cost.
Radio production guidelines: prepare the type of commercial that is appropriate for the
schedule (i.e., morning drive time or late night talk show); fully produce the spot for full
effectiveness; use humor with caution because humor may be difficult to execute without
a rehearsal – it is a delicate tactic to rely on talent to achieve; strive to make a single
point; identify the sound effects to avoid audience distraction; use music to contribute to
the mood and image.
As a rule, word count is relative to airtime as follows: a 10 second spot has 20-25 words;
:20 has 40-45 words; :30 has 60-65 words; :60 has 120 to 125 words; :90 has 180-190
words. The inclusion of music, sfx or tag lines obviously will reduce the amount of copy.
MTV’s influence is widespread. Techniques once thought unique to the music video
have filtered into mainstream production (i.e., visual speed, unexpected cuts and scenes,
cropped framing, oddity etc.) Some very interesting special effects are now available
such as morphing, or metamorphosing one object into another (i.e., Continental Airlines’
old seat into a new more comfy one)
Radio production may also be offered by a radio station to a smaller or local client. The
production may be done directly at the station and even use station personnel as talent.
Additionally, a client may choose to send over copy and designate which radio announcer
should read it and approximately when during the day. This allows for almost last minute
advertising announcements that cost very little. A music bed may be sent over with the
copy.
For both television and radio music adds a mood and can be very effective. Music often
creates emotion and aids in memory. Not all music is an original score, which can be
quite expensive. Music that is in the public domain or even music that requires some use
fee can be re-arranged and recorded at a smaller fee than original music might cost.
Additionally, there are music compilations for rent, referred to as needle drop tracks.
Most sound studios have libraries of needle drop and these tracks can be edited often very
seamlessly into the spot. You pay a rental fee for the use of the music for the duration of
the spot’s run. You may also use a music librarian to help search for the right needle
drop choice.
Sound effects are very important in making the spot come alive. They are often prepared
prior to the recording session at the producer’s request. More fx are ordered than can be
used at the session by a sound design firm. If they don’t work or others are needed, the
audio studio usually has a library of sounds as well and if all else fails, you create the
sound you need at the session (i.e., crumpling paper for a potato chip sound).
Print production
A layout is a drawing or a proposed print ad showing where all the elements are
positioned. An art director uses a layout to work through alternatives for the visual
presentation. Computer aided design has improved the process enormously. Thumbnail
sketches are the first drafts. Rough layouts use a bit more detail. A semicomp is more
refined and a comprehensive, or comp layout, is a polished, drawn version of the ad. The
last stage is a mechanical that is a carefully prepared paste-up of the exact components of
the ad prepared for the printer to be photographed on a printing plate. Closing dates vary
from a day for a newspaper ad to 90 days for a magazine ad.
Printing processes include techniques:
1. letterpress – the oldest and most versatile method of printing where text and images
are printed from a plate or mat. This process uses type directly and is capable of
high quality color reproduction.
2. gravure – a print production method also using a plate or mat that is excellent for
reproducing pictures but the high costs associated with plate making limits its use to
large-quantity – often used for Sunday newspaper supplements and magazine
sections
3. offset lithography – prints from a flat, chemically treated surface that attracts ink to
the areas to be printed and repels ink from other areas – versatility of the method
makes it ideal for catalogues and direct mail promotional pieces
4. screen printing – also known as silk screening, employs a stencil produced on screen
– limited to small quantity print runs but the introduction of rotary screen presses
allows a continuous process increasing capacity
5. electronic and inkjet printing – computers and electronics produce images – plateless
printing process in which images are stored in a digital form – no variability between
impressions – moreover, images can be sent directly via satellite to printing facilities
Typography
Typefaces have distinct personalities and communicate different moods and images.
Designers agonize over the type choices they make for an ad. There are three broad
categories of type that are distinguished by the thickness of the strokes and the presence
or absence of serifs, the small lines that cross the ends of the main strokes. The most
popular category is roman. Sans serif has no small lines crossing the ends of the main
strokes and results in a black-lettered look. This is a popular choice for headlines
because of the boldness but it can be monotonous. A third category is miscellaneous with
some common groups such as Old English, an elaborate overlapping stroke that can be
difficult to read.
Type measurement include two elements: point refers to the size of the type in height and
runs from 6 to 120 points. Pica measures the width of the lines and each pica measures
1/6th of an inch.