Operating on Commercials

Commercials are different. Sure, there are some skills that transfer over for your narrative (storytelling to a degree, landing frames, some framing ideas) but the weird thing about commercials is you generally have to be much more of a robot than you are in a dramatic piece.

In a feature or a tv show, you will usually get three or four takes of each shot unless your’e working for Kubrick. In a commercial you’ll do 50. And while the director and client will change things slightly (of the fry on the left needs to be propped up) you need to nail each one exactly the same. Just the other day I had to whip off a window onto a perfect frame and we probably did it 30 times at least. I can’t say that everyone was perfect but the majority were and all were useable,

While I wouldn’t want to do only commercials I will say that I enjoy them because they force you to be precise. As I said, 30 takes and each has to be the same. So you start hyper focusing on operating and since you are not involved in the storytelling (trust me the client and directors will have enough to say about that) you have a lot more brain power to focus on your technique.

Some other things to note. You’re a cog in the wheel, not a huge part of the creative team (although of course there are exceptions). IN the end, what the client likes is what the client likes. Stupid bad headroom? You got it? Center punched framing with a grid? I’m your man. Painfully slow moves onto a bowl of soup? Bring it. And generally speaking, don’t offer much and don’t change anything unless asked or unless you happen to ask. There are already too many cooks and usually your ideas will muddy the waters.

So sit back, do as your told, and know that you’ll benefit from it the next time the sun is setting and you only have five minutes to nail a complicated shot of DeNiro crying.