Is a 30 second commercial really 30 seconds?

[Dale Baglo]

Most of the television stations that I do commercial reads for like the audio to be no longer than 29.5 for a 30, 14.5 for a 15 etc. Mind you, that's probably a policy that was started in less digital days.

[Bill Davis]

I'm gonna support this.

I've NEVER made a "30 for TV that was longer than 29.5.

The LAST thing you want is the autocue or some heavy handed roll in operator in a cable station to cut off the end of your spot.

Particularly if it's poorly written (like so many) so that the last thing you hear is "call us today at NINE NINE FOUR-EIGHTY EIGHT OH SEVEN and the miss cue cuts off the "oh seven"

(Client meeting: "Gosh, we're spending all this money on the media buy, wonder why nobodys calling???"

For that it's worth.

[Alessandro Machi]

Originally Posted by Sean Lander

Well in Australia they must be exactly 30 seconds. Used to be with 12 frames of not critical audio at the head and tail but nowadays with digital technology running everything they will usually accept 6-8 frames before audio.

This is really important. Design the commercial so that all the important audio doesn't start at the very beginning of the commercial nor barely make it in at the end.

The networks are probably very accurate, but cable companies I think can be off by a full second or even two at either the front or back of the commercial in terms of when they cut into your spot or exit your spot. The trick is to not make your commercial boring at the beginning because of this, as that might be just long enough for someone to channel surf.

If you want a more specific idea, consider music the expendable part of the commerical and the dialogue/voiceover the important part (unless you've got a jingle, which is important as well). I recommend repeating the phone number as well if you decide to actually have it said in the commercial since that should guarantee at least one of them is always in play even if there is a bad offset.

[Alessandro Machi]

Originally Posted by Allen Williams

Make sure your audio is in direct relation to the tone signal
Allen W

Your tone signal of 1kHz is a reference signal so the proper volume may be set at the broadcasting station based on that signal.
Example; the tone signal is set and recorded at -20db. The volume of recorded video should fall between -20 & -12 with the highest volume going no higher than -12. This gives you head room so un-expected peaks won't lead to distortion. On analog units, to momentarily red line or peak is not a problem. Digital is less forgiving.

If your audio volume is is not in direct relation to the tone signal as described above, when the program is broadcast, it will either be to high or to low.

Allen W

After matching tone to actual show content for over a decade I'm pretty good at. I can actually do the setting in reverse on my own masters, I can set my show contenta audio to the output that I think represents zero, then rewind the tape and have the actual tone that I laid down end up very close to zero, but I don't know how one teaches this to someone who hasn't done it before.

For instance, UVW betacam sp decks are SLOW reacting to audio dynamic range, whereas the PVW betacam sp decks are very fast reacting. I only learned how to do the UVW audio record levels by taking a videotape master made in the UVW betacam sp deck and playing it in preset audio mode in a PVW deck, that was an eye opener.l