Directing a commercial, writing?

[armisiano]

For anyone here who has ever directed a commercial (either TV or for a product website, whatever), have you ever been expected to write it?

 

[Jim Brennan]

Yep, but that's part of the original negotiation, and an extra fee is part of the deal.

 

[TheMacB]

i think its usually that way for local stuff. unless the client writes it or they have an ad agency. most local spots are written/produced/directed by the tv station. on the national scene usually the creative team at the ad agency writes it based on a position brief from the account planners. Then they take bids from directors/production companies.

 

[SPZ]

Exactly. most production houses take care of the "prodution" part of the commercial, while Ad agencies normaly come up with the creative concept. Some production houses do everything in-house, from bidding to actual production and allow the creative process to go trough the director.

But, yeah, the creative writting part is an extra fee (about 20 to 30% of the whole fee, if you are good at it).