How To Make Money Producing
Cable TV Advertising
If you have cable, you've nodoubt seen
local advertising on most
of the channels. There are three ways a local business could
produce a commercial. One, they could do it themselves(and we
all know what that looks like); two, they could have the local
cablebusiness do it for them (which can also look quite
amateurish); or they canhave an outside individual do the
production. This is where you come in.
If your video skills are top-notch, you
can produce excellent
commercials for local businesses at agreeable prices. If you
have marketing skills, so much the better, but it's not an
absolute requirement. As long as you can clearly answer the "4
W" questions (who, what, where and why), your commercial will
be
good.
The only drawback to this business is that
you should use 3/4
inch broadcast format video, which is incompatible with a home
videocamera. A camera for this type of videotape usually costs
around $3000, less if it's used. There is a way around this
expense, though.
Most cable stations have what is called
a "public access"
channel. This channel is designed so that individuals and groups
from the community can produce their own shows, to be aired on
the channel. Contact your local cable company and find out if
they have such a channel. You should be able to rent time on
their equipment. This is a real boon when it comes to editing a
tape, as they will have the equipment necessary to make your tape
look professional. They usually offer short courses on using the
equipment, too.
Market your services directly to the small
businesses in your
area. Good prospects are auto dealerships, restaurants,
retailers such as video, book, and computer dealers, and, in
election years, local political candidates (hope they
get elected -- you can expect a return customer!). Your quality
production, coupled with a reasonable price, should entice
prospects to become customers.
Most commercials will be either thirty-seconds
or one minute, and
will be shot on location at the customer's facilities. If they
provide the copy for the commercial, you only have to direct the
commercial. Run through the script with whomever will be reading
it, to make sure that it will fit the time without sounding
rushed. You want to aim for a relaxed, natural sound (unless, of
course, you're working with your local crazy car dealer, in which
case they may want an auctioneer sound!). Above all, make sure
the script tells WHO the advertiser is, WHAT they do, WHERE they
are, and WHY people should give them their business. This is
what the customer needs to hear.
Also, make sure your customer is happy with the result. After
shooting the video, edit it (you should be able to ask someone at
the cable company to help you), then review it with your
customer. As long as you've presented the advertiser in a good
light, you'll be in good shape.
The first few times you produce a commercial,
you may feel like
you're flying by the seat of your pants. Just relax, use good
common sense, and always remember that the job of the commercial
is to convince the skeptical customer to spend his or her hard
earned money with your client.
You should expect to spend a few hours
during the shoot, to get
enough takes for editing. Get four or five good takes. That
way, any bad parts that you find when reviewing your taping can
be replaced with a good take.
A thirty- to sixty-second commercial should
be able to be shot
and edited in one day. The first one or two may take a bit
longer, but that's okay. It's better to take your time when
learning the ropes, rather than rush through and end up with
substandard results. Because your overhead will be low (if
renting equipment, instead of purchasing), you should be able to
undercut your competition. In a decent size city, you can expect
to charge between $500 and $1,000. Longer commercials are more
negotiable, depending upon whether or not you will be asked to
write the script. The half-hour long "infomercials" have
become
a bonanza for many advertisers, and they are a goal you can work
up to, as your sKills grow.
Watch commercials and listen to them. Keep
mental notes about
how the advertiser is presented, what message the commercial
gives, and if you feel the commercial is successful. Incorporate
the best elements of the commercials you see into your own
shoots!
