Page 196 - Duct Tape Marketing

180 Part III: Creating and Placing Ads

Turning your script over to the producers

When it’s time to begin production, radio or TV stations usually offer to help
you out. When you use station talent, follow these steps:

ߜ Review work samples. As you watch or listen to each ad, ask yourself
whether your impression of the advertiser is enhanced by the ad, or
does the ad create a negative image about the company’s commitment
to quality? If you like what you see and hear, inquire about pricing,
which at station-based studios is likely to be free or close to it.

ߜ Make your selection. Produce your ad at one studio and provide all
other stations with duplicate copies, called dubs. Don’t allow each sta-
tion to air its own version of your ad. Frequency works only when
people hear the same ad repeatedly.

ߜ Obtain a budget. Request detailed allocations for studio time, tape and
materials, music fees, talent, editing time, other costs, and ad duplica-
tion. Particularly, review the costs and usage restrictions for music,
sound effects, and talent, following these tips:

• Music and sound effects: Studios have access to libraries of rights-
free or nominally priced music and sound effects. As you make
selections, confirm costs and usage rights. Some rights are out-
right (you can air the ad wherever and whenever you want at no
additional fee), whereas others cover only the designated expo-
sure and are renewable (meaning you pay again) for further use.
Prerecorded music available through music libraries is referred to
as needle-drop and usually comes with a reasonable fee.

• Talent: Your ad will involve an announcer and likely actors as well.
For locally aired ads, you’ll probably use talent provided by the
studio. If you use members of a union, such as the Screen Actors
Guild, be prepared for higher rates, paperwork, and more experi-
enced talent. When using nonstation talent or recording outside
the studio, obtain talent releases. Figure 12-1 presents a simple
format, although you should check with your production company
and your attorney to be sure that you’re using an appropriate
form.

ߜ Meet with the talent. Before rolling tape or cameras, ask the talent to
perform a dry run of the ad. Take time to correct the pronunciations of
your name and products if necessary and alter sentences that contain
tongue twisters. Trim time-gobbling extra words and do a final read to
be sure the ad sounds right and fits within the allocated seconds.

If you don’t like what you see or hear, speak up. Announcers can adjust
their voices to sound younger, older, happier, sadder — or as if they’re
talking to children instead of adults, or to a single person rather than a
whole group. A good ad agency or production facility director can
handle the talent direction for you, representing your thoughts while
adding professional expertise.