Brand & Production
Commercial Films
We write, shoot and finish your commercial around a single idea, with the media plan settled first.
The problem
Everyone in the building loved the film, and the audience can't remember whose ad it was.
Most commercials weaken before anyone reaches the set. The brief carries six messages, each department adds a line during approvals, and the brand shows up for the last three seconds. The film can look beautiful and still leave nothing behind.
When that happens, people blame production values or budget. A more common cause is timing: the media plan gets made after the film is shot. Duration and framing don't suit the placements, so short versions get trimmed from the master and the story falls apart.
Money gets spent on set, but the film's fate gets decided between the brief and the animatic.
You may recognize this
- The brief lists several main messages, and nobody will give one up.
- You can't describe the film in one sentence.
- The brand appears only in the end frame.
- Production is starting, yet the media budget and channels are undecided.
How we work
Creative brief
We write the one sentence the viewer should retain, and lock channels and durations with the media plan before the script.
Script, treatment, animatic
The director's treatment and storyboard set the tone. The animatic tests timing and brand presence before the shoot, and your counsel checks claims against advertising regulations.
Pre-production
Casting, locations, wardrobe and art direction are signed off at the PPM, and the shooting board and permits are completed.
Shoot and post
Short versions get their own coverage on set. Offline edit, color grade, sound design, music licensing and voice-over follow.
Versions and delivery
Broadcast, cinema, digital and vertical masters are prepared to each outlet's technical spec.
What we deliver
- Creative brief and script
- Treatment, storyboard and animatic
- PPM document and shooting board
- Master film
- Cut-downs and vertical adaptations
- Music and talent usage documentation
How we measure
- Ad recall with correct brand attribution: shows whether viewers link the film to you.
- Message takeaway in post-campaign research: confirms which idea got across.
- Completion rate by duration: shows the scene where attention drops.
- Branded search during the flight: indirect evidence that the film created demand.
A university preparing for enrollment season
Illustrative scenario: A private university wants to fit campus, faculty and scholarship messages into one film for its enrollment period. The brief is cut to one promise: who the student becomes after graduation. Current students watch the animatic, and the master is shot alongside short and vertical versions.
Common questions
What drives the budget?
Shoot days, locations, cast, art direction and post. These can't be priced accurately without a treatment, so we agree on a budget range first and write the treatment to fit.
Can one film work on TV and digital?
With planning, yes. Channels are set before the script, and short and vertical versions are shot on their own.
Do we need a well-known face?
Only if the idea calls for one. Celebrity talent brings usage costs and reputational exposure, and without a link to the idea, viewers remember the person and forget the brand.
Before we work together, let's think together.
Requests are answered by the founder.