Nan Pike, Broadcast Production Manager
A 30-second commercial goes by fast. A good one delivers a quick, memorable message. But creating that simple message can be anything but—just ask Nan Pike, Bozell’s broadcast production manager. Nan is the person the creative team trusts to take its concept from paper to full life on the screen.
In the 20-plus years she has managed the production process, Nan has learned how to keep all the people and pieces in line to make sure that every shoot results in powerful material and happy clients.
Take a look at what happens behind the scenes of that seemingly simple 30-second commercial. Action!
Before a shoot
Behind the scenes of a how-to video series for Westlake Ace Hardware, shot on location at one of the company’s Kansas City stores.
The process starts long before the shoot date. About four to eight weeks out, a concept is finalized by the creative team and handed over to Nan for production. Then, Nan starts assembling her team. This involves reaching out to production companies whose style might go well with the company’s brand and message.
“We talk with the companies and get their feedback and ideas, making sure they will work well with the creative team to enhance the concept, and not try to change it or make it their own,” Pike said.
Then, bids are collected and reviewed from the production companies that are good matches. A recommendation is made to the client, the client signs off on a final decision, and Nan gets to work coordinating the production team with internal efforts to make sure everything comes together seamlessly on the shoot day.
“Good planning and efficiency are absolutely critical to a shoot. Otherwise you end up backtracking, missing things or spending more than you needed to,” Pike said.
Careful planning is especially important because it helps her to be ready when the unexpected happens—and it always does, Pike said.
For example, once, talent flying in from Minnesota had her flight cancelled due to an unexpected storm. Pike and her crew had to scramble to find a replacement or face rescheduling the entire shoot, a costly undertaking.
“Replacing talent is especially difficult. There are so many aspects that go into a talent choice—performance, look, ambience. Intangibles that really make a difference in the commercial’s feel,” Pike said.
The better the pre-production planning, the better the shoot and final product (and the friendlier the prices will be).
On set
It took a lot of careful setup and special equipment to turn the hardware store into a studio.
There are many people who must be brought together for a successful commercial shoot. Your production team, to begin with. Even a small shoot can need as many as eight to 10 people in production alone.
“A lot of specialists are required for audio, lighting, hair and makeup. You need your producer, director, assistant director. It takes a lot of people,” Pike said.
The creative team also needs to be present. The people who imagined the concept into being, designed the look and wrote the script are key to running a smooth shoot with good results. There are always last-minute needs and adjustments, so having the writer on hand for a quick rewrite is invaluable. Also, the creatives are the most likely to catch it if something on set is not true to the concept, like if the color palette is off-brand.
And of course, a client representative must always be present during shooting to ensure that the client is satisfied with the results. With the client comes the account manager, who makes sure the set is pleasant and accessible to the client and that their concerns and questions get heard.
Keeping all these people and pieces functioning “is like being a duck. You’ve got to keep everything smooth on the surface, but underneath you’re paddling like crazy,” Pike said. “You have to coordinate all these different groups of people to bring the concept to life and address the needs that come up along the way.”
A shoot can take up to 12 hours, even on a day where everything runs smoothly. Setup alone can take two or three hours. Because of the time and costs of running a shoot, shoots are completed in one day whenever possible. This can lead to some pretty long hours on the set.
After the shoot
The final videos were squarely on-brand, offering Westlake customers helpful guides for a wide variety of simple household projects.
Once the shots are on film, three weeks are dedicated to adding the other elements and perfecting the spot.
It starts with the creation of a rough cut—a preliminary edit of the shots to get the sequence viewed and approved by the client. Then, music and voiceovers are added, as well as graphics, such as the company’s logo, and any legal information required. The polished edited cut is color-corrected. Then, the final edit is sent to the client again for final approval.
Once a finalized ad is approved, it is sent out for placement on television to broadcast its message to the world.
As you can see, a lot of time and work goes into creating a 30-second commercial. It’s a long process and requires a large team of creative and technical specialists. But the satisfaction of a carefully crafted and neatly wrapped up 30-second spot never gets old.
