ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

11 years ago - Dan Selakovich

Hi Gareth, I got my start on regional commercials in the late 70s (in the camera dept.). Given that long ago age, I'm not sure how good any advice would be.

Having said that... there's a school out here in L.A. called The Art Center College of Design. Students are required to make 3, I think, fake commercials. Quite a decent number go on to direct the real thing. Maybe some fake stuff on your reel would help you too. Or possibly not even fake: approach some businesses to do a spot for them for free. Or a music video. They are ads after all.

Here in America, the national spots tend to use really big directors. Even feature film directors. So that's a tough nut to crack. I'm sure there are some smaller ad agencies in the U.K. that you could send a reel to. Or agents that specialize in commercial directors (in L.A., it's pretty common. Especially for actors to have a theatrical agent and a commercial agent).

As for your example posted here. It's solid work, but not quite ready for the big leagues. It would be much better if it were much shorter. It starts to feel repetitive. Also, be careful of your mix. The music overpowers the dialogue track. Try to keep in mind that an audience seeing this for the first time will see it much more differently than you. You know every line of dialogue. We don't. So you will hear it just fine. I had a lot of trouble making out what he was saying as the music grew. FYI: I have studio monitors, so the sound was really accurate. I imagine someone listening through TV speakers would have an impossible time. I noticed that you did everything yourself. Possibly a good idea to find an editor. If nothing else, they'll have fresh eyes (and ears).

9 years, 9 months ago - Oliver Cohen

This course could be useful:

http://www.wedeveloptalent.co.uk/content/29703/courses/shooting_and_directing/directing_commercials__promos

It's happening next month.

10 years, 11 months ago - Dan Selakovich

Keep in mind, too, that I'm an American!

10 years, 11 months ago - John Waters

As far as I know quite a few people have been offered agents off the back of it and there's been a few fairly high profile success stories.

9 years, 9 months ago - Gareth Bowler

Hi Guys more than a year on and I've just dug this discussion out of the depths of my inbox, thanks for all your input and help, things are looking much better a year on but I've still a long way to go!! and a lot of had graft to do!! hope alls good with you all

10 years, 11 months ago - Gareth Bowler

thanks for all your feedback,

As for the audio the radio mic was recorded hot, had the audio mixed at a studio but the vocal issues were too prominent so added a slight telephone effect and dialled it back, it's a shame you feel it's too quiet though Dan as I felt I was just on the line, having said that, and this isn't a cop out, some peoples brains will pick out speech over background noise easier than others, I might here your mix for the same project and find the speech to prominent. I'm not disagreeing, you may well be right but the mix I got back from the studio had the vocal far too prominent.

Michael have been looking through your vimeo and loved the work you did for Walmart and the British army can you give me some insight into your career path, how you got to where you are now? or any chance I could email you and pick your brain? thanks!

10 years, 11 months ago - Jonathan Bohane

I have worked on and off at commercial production companies in London. Even when they aren't actively looking for new directors the bosses will still watch showreels if you send them a quick email introducing yourself and giving them a link to your reel. An agent would help, but you can be taken seriously without one.

I agree with the above comments. Keep shooting 30-60 second videos, get lots of talented/well connected people behind you so you can focus on being a director.

Don't give up. Keep asking for help.

10 years, 11 months ago - John Waters

Well worth entering a few crowd sourced contests like those at www.mofilm.com and www.eyeka.com to get your chops if you haven't already, and if you win at Mofilm remember to mention it was me who referred you so I can grab some cash ;) If you're good and they like your idea Mofilm will also provide production grants too.

11 years ago - Michael Lebor

As for your video link. I think it's excellent. I did notice the music getting louder and perhaps that's a sign it was too loud in parts but I could hear the dialogue clearly.

If you cut that down to 30 seconds, you have your first TV ad. Perhaps just attach it to a relevant product at the end... Nike? Adidas? Alcoholics Anonymous?!

11 years ago - Michael Lebor

I definitely agree with Dan about going out and shooting your own commercials. Depending on "who you know" and the contacts you've built up, you should be able to rustle up a crew and some lights on the cheap.

Music videos seem to be a classic step into commercials... or short films.

I also agree with Dan that it's great to actually find a client who wants an ad, and you can come up with a concept and do it for free or for cost. Having a client is always a good motivator and keeps it realistic.

If I wanted to direct ads I'd go out and make some.

I have never tried to become a commercials director, but the closest I've been to being offered a TV ad is by doing a decent job of videos for commercial production companies or directly for ad agencies. My work is all about doing a good job, building relationships and word of mouth.

Good luck, it's tough! I know a few people who have been signed to agencies and that's just the first step, it can take years after that to have enough work to survive and you will often have to sign exclusively to one company. That means no more free lance videos to pay the bills...

9 years, 9 months ago - Chris Bogle

Glad you posted this Gareth, I've been in the same boat for quite some time.

One thing I would say is question why you want to do commercials. I wrote a really long winded post earlier and have deleted it because it actually all comes down to this: commercials aren't necessarily more fulfilling.

It has taken me years to realise this, but in the corporate world you can often be very creative obviously within the limits of the brief, and there is no-one between you and the client - who in my experience is often lovely, easy to work with, listens to your ideas and pays well.

My other tip - and this is a very personal, probably old school opinion - ignore those sites that ask for free IP in return for prizes. They're a lottery, take a shit load of time, for potentially zero reward, when you could be making more fulfilling work such as drama, music etc that will engage you and potentially open up other income streams as well as giving you a reel to submit to agencies.

My personal experience of agencies as an entry level director has been mixed to bad. Unless you're at a certain level, creativity is the domain of the ad agency and as a director you're ultimately there to deliver technically. It can be far, far more constraining than the corporate world - add to that the pressure of having six other people on set looking over your shoulder who have to agree on every take by committee, it's a bloody stressful environment, and whilst there's a big part of me would still love to be a commercials director, I kinda know it takes a certain personality type that I don't have to be able to work like that without blowing a gasket.

Sorry, that all sounds really negative, it's not meant to, just my experience.