How to Be an Independent Commercial Producer
Television commercials get almost as much airtime as shows. Producing television commercials is a juggling act of having the right people, scripts and product to make a profit for the company that hired you. As an independent commercial producer, you are responsible for the overall quality of the television advertisement. Becoming an independent commercial producer can be like jumping in the deep end, so the more background work and risk assessment you do, the more likely you are to survive in this competitive business.
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Instructions
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Take accounting classes and learn how to calculate the costs of making a commercial. As an independent producer you have to give clients quotes for the production costs, so math and estimating skills are essential.
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Interview independent commercial producers for a paper you are writing in college. Ask them about the benefits and pitfalls of the occupation and solicit their advice on how someone can break into the business.
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Study the commercials on television that are effective and increase profit margins. Assess the elements that make them stand out from the competition. Also scrutinize the ineffective, badly done commercials and think about how you would improve them, or if it would be better to scrap them and start over from scratch.
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Assess your powers of persuasion and how well you can sell yourself. Do some soul searching about whether you will be able to persuade people to invest in your commercials, unless you are independently wealthy and can afford to finance your productions on speculation.
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Do an apprenticeship. Before you strike out on your own as an independent commercial producer, spend time working for an advertising agency or an in-house commercial production unit to learn the ropes. Stay there until you feel comfortable enough to set up on your own.
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Learn about the competition. If, for instance, you want to make commercials for travel agencies, find out which other independent producers are working in that area. Another option is to develop a niche – say, tours to Africa – and become an expert in that segment of the market.
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Study how to work with directors, camera operators and actors. A successful commercial producer has to be able to relate to a range of people and coordinate their activities so that they work together as a team.
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Join the Association of Independent Commercial Producers. As in any profession, being involved with the organization that represents the interests of the group means that you will meet like-minded people who share your interests and concerns.
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References
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