Translate creatives into executable visuals at the project initiation stage.
TVC commercial creatives usually stay at the conceptual level, such as expressing power, companionship, breakthrough, or heritage. These words cannot be directly handed to the camera for execution. Brands and production teams must complete a translation at the project initiation stage, converting abstract concepts into specific visual elements, action sequences, and emotional rhythms.
The specific approach is to hold a creative breakdown meeting, with attendees including the brand's marketing lead, creative agency, director, director of photography, and producer. The meeting must answer three questions. First, what visual should the audience remember within five seconds from this TVC commercial? Second, what scene, characters, props, and lighting does this visual require? Third, can this visual be shot within budget and schedule, and if not, which parts can be supplemented with CGI or AIGC?
The criterion is that every creative point corresponds to at least one shootable shot. For example, a sense of power corresponds to a tracking shot of an athlete sprinting, a sense of companionship corresponds to a silhouette of two people walking side by side, and a sense of breakthrough corresponds to slow motion of breaking through an obstacle. If a creative point cannot find a corresponding shot, the creative must be revised or expectations adjusted.
The risk lies in the creative team and the production team not speaking the same language. The creative team talks about emotion, while the production team talks about camera positions. The solution is to have the director create a visual reference board in advance, collecting images from existing commercials, films, or photography, and annotating composition, color tone, movement, and editing rhythm. After seeing the reference board, the brand can more accurately judge whether the creative direction meets expectations.
The exception is TVC commercials produced entirely with CGI or AIGC, which do not require traditional live-action shots. But even so, an animatic or previs must be completed first to translate the creative into a sequence of images on a timeline, otherwise post-production will lose its basis.
Script and storyboard are the bridge between creative and shooting.
The script is the textual expression of the TVC creative, and the storyboard is the visual expression of the script. The script must specify the duration, visual content, dialogue or voiceover, sound effects, and music for each scene. The storyboard must draw the shot size, angle, movement, and transition for each shot.
When reviewing the script, the brand should focus on whether the narrative logic is clear, whether the core selling points are prominent, and whether the emotional rhythm aligns with the communication goals. When reviewing the storyboard, focus on whether the number of shots is reasonable, whether each shot is shootable, and whether the transitions between shots are smooth.
The production team must complete technical pre-assessment during the storyboard phase. For example, if a shot requires high-speed photography, confirm the camera frame rate, lighting intensity, and venue space. If a shot requires aerial photography, confirm flight permits and weather windows. If a shot requires special props, manufacture or purchase them in advance.
The criterion is that every shot in the storyboard can answer five questions. What is the shot size, what is the angle, what is the movement, what is the visual content, and what is the sound. If any shot cannot answer all five questions, return to the script phase to readjust.
The risk is that the storyboard is drawn beautifully but cannot be shot. For example, a long shot in the storyboard diving from high altitude to a person's face requires a drone, stabilizer, and precise flight path in actual shooting, and cost and time may overrun. The solution is to invite the director of photography and VFX supervisor to participate during the storyboard phase to assess technical feasibility in advance.
The exception is using AIGC to generate storyboards, which can quickly produce multiple versions for the brand to choose from. However, AIGC storyboards can only serve as a reference and cannot replace the physical limitations of on-site shooting. The final shoot still requires adjustments based on real locations, actors, and lighting conditions.
Production execution turns storyboards into real footage.
The shoot day is the key step in turning storyboards into footage. The production team must complete location scouting, cast confirmation, prop preparation, equipment testing, and weather contingency plans before the shoot. The director and director of photography must complete a shot list before the shoot, detailing the shooting order, required time, and backup plans for each shot.
The brand's role on set is decision-maker, not executor. Focus on whether the final cut's direction is deviating, whether the actors' performances fit the brand tone, and whether the visual quality meets expectations. Do not interfere with specific camera positions and lighting parameters; leave those to the professional team.
A common trade-off in production execution is the balance between live-action and CGI. For example, with a product close-up, live-action can capture real textures and lighting, but requires precise reflection control. CGI offers complete control over the image, but may lack realism. The deciding factor is whether the product's core selling point requires real texture representation; if so, prioritize live-action, if not, CGI can be used.
Risks involve uncontrollable factors on set, such as weather changes, poor actor performance, or equipment failure. The production team must prepare a Plan B, such as backup indoor locations, stand-ins, or backup equipment. The brand must understand that the shooting schedule may be adjusted, but the final delivery date cannot be arbitrarily delayed.
An exception is using AIGC to generate certain shots, such as background environments, crowds, or special effects. These shots can be generated in post-production and do not need to be completed on the shoot day. However, AIGC shots must match live-action footage in lighting, perspective, and color, otherwise they will look jarring.
Post-production is the final process of bringing the creative to life.
Post-production for TVC commercials includes editing, color grading, sound design, subtitles, visual effects, and master output. Editing handles narrative pacing, color grading handles the emotional tone, sound handles spatial awareness and impact, subtitles handle information delivery, and effects handle visual spectacle.
The editing phase involves completing a rough cut and a fine cut. The rough cut assembles all usable footage in script order, and the duration can exceed the final version. The fine cut adjusts the in and out points of each shot to control pacing and emotion. The brand should focus on story completeness during the rough cut, and detail execution during the fine cut.
The color grading phase determines the color style, such as high contrast, low saturation, or warm tones. The brand should provide brand color references and competitor visuals to help the colorist understand expectations. The colorist must ensure color consistency across different shots, especially matching live-action and AIGC footage.
Sound design includes dialogue, sound effects, music, and mixing. Brands must confirm music and sound effect copyrights to avoid infringement issues after delivery. Audio loudness must meet platform standards, as requirements differ for TV, online video, and social media platforms.
The risk is that the post-production schedule gets compressed, leaving insufficient time to refine color grading and sound. The solution is to reserve post-production time in the early planning stage to prevent shooting delays from squeezing post-production. Brands must understand that post-production is meticulous work and quality cannot be sacrificed just to meet launch deadlines.
An exception is TVC commercials produced entirely with AIGC, where post-production mainly involves generation, selection, and fine-tuning. However, AIGC-generated content requires manual review to ensure there are no visual distortions, text errors, or physically implausible motions.
The acceptance checklist must cover every delivery stage.
Acceptance for a TVC commercial project cannot focus solely on the final cut. Brands must establish a stage-by-stage acceptance checklist, including scripts, storyboards, raw footage, edit versions, color-graded versions, sound versions, subtitle files, master files, and source files. Each stage must have clear acceptance criteria and sign-off.
Script acceptance criteria: accurate creative expression, clear core selling points, and compliant duration. Storyboard acceptance criteria: executable visuals, reasonable number of shots, and smooth transition logic. Raw footage acceptance criteria: clear visuals, correct exposure, clean audio, and complete footage.
Editing acceptance criteria: expected pacing, complete narrative, and no logical errors. Color grading acceptance criteria: consistent color style, accurate brand colors, and natural skin tones. Sound acceptance criteria: balanced volume, clear audio quality, and no noise. Subtitle acceptance criteria: accurate text, reasonable positioning, and consistent fonts.
Master file acceptance criteria: resolution, frame rate, and encoding format meet delivery platform requirements. Source file acceptance criteria: project files, assets, fonts, and music authorization documents are complete for future modifications.
The risk is that acceptance stages are overlooked, leading to issues being discovered only after delivery. The solution is to conduct an internal review after each stage is completed before submitting it to the brand for confirmation. Brands must designate a dedicated person for acceptance to avoid delays caused by inconsistent feedback from multiple people.
An exception is when the brand lacks professional acceptance capabilities; they can delegate this to a third-party producer or refer to industry standards. However, the final acceptance responsibility remains with the brand; they cannot skip acceptance simply because they lack technical expertise.
Identify situations where TVC commercials are not applicable in advance.
TVC commercials are not the only choice for all brand content. When the communication goal leans toward long-term brand building, a corporate video may be more appropriate. When the communication goal leans toward explaining product features, a product video may be more direct. When the communication goal leans toward social interaction, short videos or live streams may be more effective.
The criteria are the communication cycle and content depth. TVC commercials are suitable for short-cycle, high-impact, strong-emotion brand exposure. If the content needs to explain complex features or provide detailed tutorials, a TVC commercial will seem rushed. If the communication cycle exceeds three months, the timeliness of a TVC commercial may be insufficient.
The risk is that brands choose TVC commercials to pursue a format, ignoring actual needs. For example, for a B2B software company whose core selling point is system integration capability, it is difficult to explain clearly in a 30-second TVC commercial; it is more suitable to make a product demo video or a customer case video.
An exception is when the budget is limited or time is tight, and a TVC commercial may not be completed. In this case, AIGC video production can be considered, but AIGC videos may not be as good as live-action in terms of realism and emotional expression. Brands must evaluate brand tone and audience expectations, and cannot sacrifice quality to save costs.
Another inapplicable scenario is internal training or employee communication; such content does not require a high production standard, and focuses more on information accuracy and efficiency. The production process and cost of TVC commercials are not suitable for such needs.
The next step is to start with a requirements document.
Brands preparing a TVC commercial project are advised to first complete a requirements document, including communication goals, target audience, core selling points, reference visuals, delivery platforms, and budget range. This document is the basis for the production team to understand the project, and also the basis for subsequent acceptance.
The requirements document does not need to be very professional, but it must be specific. For example, the target audience is urban women aged 25 to 35, the core selling point is product portability, and the reference visual is a street running shot in a certain sports brand commercial. This information can help the production team get up to speed quickly.
After completing the requirements document, you can contact the production team for initial communication. The ONCE website publicly provides services covering TVC commercials, brand commercials, product TVCs, and campaign videos, which can be used as a reference for service options. However, specific cooperation details need to be confirmed according to the actual situation of the project.
As a final reminder, TVC commercial production is a collaborative process; the brand and the production team must maintain transparent communication. Do not hide the budget limit, do not conceal the delivery timeline, and do not add requirements at the last minute. Only when both parties share the same goal can the creative be turned into shootable shots and ultimately into effective brand content.
If you are preparing a TVC commercial project, you can first organize the brief, reference visuals, product or company materials, delivery platforms, and copyright scope, then reviewthe TVC commercial service pageto move the communication from abstract preferences to executable production boundaries.
