Before beginning Production on a radio or television commercial, a creative strategy is needed. The strategy should cover the following questions:
1) What is the objective of the advertisement?
2) What is the target audience
3) What is the unique selling proposition?
4) What is the evidence that supports the product's claims
5) Does the tone of the advertisement reflect the product personality acurately

There are various different ways in which one could approach creating a television commercial depending on the advantages and benefits of the product. They are the following:
1) demonstration- use if you have a clear product advantage
2) testimonial- use if you want to make the claim believable
3) presenter- use if you have product news
4) slice of life- use if you want to involve peoplle
5) lifestyle advertising- use if you would rather focus on the user of the product than the product itself
6) animation- use for children or to communicate special needs

In order to create a full campaign, all commercials and ads must have similiarity in:
- visual aspects
- verbal aspects
- sound/audio
- attitude

In order to bill client for production, you mark the cost up 17.65% and bill the client for the total expenses from producing the commercial (marked up 17.65%). Production costs are usually 10% of what is spent on media.

There are 3 ways to get talent for commercials. They are:
1) tapes- an actor will send in a tape of his or herself acting
2) casting session- the agency will hold a casting session or a particular part
3) agent- the agent will contact the agency on behalf of the talent
* Talent is usually part of one of two unions: AFTRA (the American Federation of Television Radio Artists) or SAG (Screen Actors Guild)

Talent can be paid through the following:
- scale- the minimum amount to pay talent
- session fee- a small amount of money for coming into studio and doing a session
- usage fee- what talent is really entitled to for full work on commercial
- After 13 weeks, talent gets paid a residual fee. After 7 more 13 week periods, talent will re-negotiate pay.
- holding fee- paying talent to keep thwm from going to competitors.

Music for commercials can be obtained by either being original, an adaptation (buying the rights), or stock (generic music that can be used for a fee).

Televison commercials can be recorded on 35 mm tape, 16 mm tape, or video tape. Despite what it is recorded on, commercial will always be sent to stations on video tape.

Several other factors that can go into a commercial are: stedi cam (lets you keep the camera steady while shooting), SFX (sound effects), video assist (plays back takes on video), cross-fade (going to one piece of music to another by fading), bed (playing music behind commercial).