Directing a Commercial- In High School

All-Star Productions

All-Star Productions

Hey guys, quick question.

Has anyone ever heard of someone directing a legitimate commercial in High School?

I'd love to have an actual, aired commercial under my resume, but with an over saturated market, I'm fearful that I might come off as sounding silly.

I was thinking of just asking a few businesses that I know the owners of if I could make them something for free, and if they like it, either get them to try and air it, or have them invest some money into making an even better commercial.

This may sound crazy to some of you out there, but I'm from a relatively small city, and there aren't THAT many film makers that would work for free around here just for a resume boost, and I feel like it's worth a shot.

Also, does anyone think it's unprofessional to ask for money to rent equipment from the company?

Any reply is greatly appreciated.
 
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I made a some spare money before I went to college making local commercials for mom and pops businesses. Which mainly was my senior year of high school....

So yea, as long as you can produce a decent quality generic commercial (don't try to make a Flo or something) then other jobs will follow as word spreads with small communities.

Also don't ask for money to rent equipment. Find the rates with a local station and whatever costs you'll have to make the commercial and include it in your cost to make it. Like $XXX for the short and a month of commercials on non-prime time slots.
 
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I shot a few local commercials and a few training films for local
businesses when I was in high school. I see no reason why you
couldn't do it. Seems foolish to NOT give it a shot.

It's not unprofessional to include equipment rental in your budget.
It's not realistic to thing that someone starting out will own
everything needed to make a professional product. Even big prodCo's
don't own all the gear. Renting is an accepted, standard part of the
budget.
 
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My suggestion is to watch as many commercials as possible. I've done a few mock commercials and a proper commercial, so far none of them look 500% professional as I'd like them to look, but I am getting there. The best thing you can do is pay attention to the structure, the timing etc. Also, you need a bit of a crash course in marketing, as the impact of a commercial is only as good as its content.
 
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