Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Imagine a job where you need to work only 10 days a year to make $100,000. A job that allows you to be a respected artist, a savvy craftsman, and a hip partygoer who hangs out with celebrities, superstars, and top models. No need to wear a tie and suit. No corporate office hours, and no supervising department heads checking your time card. At your command explosions occur, cars crash, helicopters swoop, and you are expected to spend a million dollars in a week or two. This job exists. It's called a commercial director, the creative mind behind the production of a TV spot. While being a commercial director may be one of the coolest jobs in the world, it's also one of the toughest jobs to get (and keep). The 30-Second Storyteller: The Art and Business of Directing Commercials teaches any filmmaker how to get work as a commercial director, how to navigate the pitfalls of production, and how to get clients to keep coming back to you for more. The book is not a textbook on directing-plenty of other books cover that. Rather, The 30-Second Storyteller focuses on directorial challenges specifically related to creating a TV spot-the techniques involved, the technologies of choice, and the obstacles that come between you and a successful career. It begins by teaching you how to get your foot in the door-creating a spec reel, picking a specialty, getting signed with a production company, and successfully bidding for projects. It then covers the production of a commercial from preproduction through the shoot, all the way to finishing in post-production. Examples from a real-world commercial are utilized throughout to illustrate concepts. The book concludes with advice on obtaining work abroad, and making the jump from commercials to features, as TV ads are a training ground for Hollywood's next blockbuster director. Filmmakers like Ridley Scott, Michael Bay, David Fincher, Jonathan Glazer, Tarsem and Zack Snyder have all gotten their start in the 30-second world.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction (p. xi)
• Chapter 1 The Commercial Director's World (p. 1)
• What Does a Commercial Director Do? (p. 3)
• How Is a Commercial Made? (p. 3)
• The Ad Agency's Role (p. 4)
• The Agency Staff (p. 5)
• Production and Post Production (p. 7)
• The Specializations (p. 8)
• Survival of the Specialized (p. 21)
• The Director's Relationship with a Production Company (p. 22)
• Chapter 2 Breaking into Commercials (p. 25)
• Creating a Spec Reel (p. 25)
• It's All About the Idea (p. 26)
• Brand Yourself (p. 28)
• Shoot the Same Commercial-Again and Again (p. 29)
• Stay Away from Variety (p. 31)
• Budget Concerns (p. 32)
• A Few No-Brainers (p. 34)
• Contacting Production Companies (p. 36)
• Into the Lion's Den (p. 42)
• Signing, and What to Look For (p. 46)
• I'm Signed-Now What Do I Do? (p. 48)
• Chapter 3 Getting the Job (p. 51)
• The Boards Come In-Now What? (p. 51)
• Your First Look at the Board (p. 56)
• Nuts-and-Bolts Stuff (p. 67)
• Pages Formatted Like a Movie Script (p. 68)
• An Agency Template with Two Columns (p. 70)
• Storyboards with Frames (p. 71)
• Animatic (p. 71)
• What Is Copy? (p. 71)
• Pack Shot (p. 71)
• Super (p. 71)
• Treatment (p. 71)
• The Conference Call (p. 72)
• Chapter 4 The Treatment (p. 83)
• The Appearance (p. 84)
• The Content (p. 86)
• Title Page (p. 86)
• Concept (p. 88)
• Story (p. 92)
• Notes (p. 93)
• Look (p. 94)
• Sound (p. 94)
• Casting (p. 95)
• Technical Considerations (p. 98)
• Locations (p. 105)
• Copyright (p. 106)
• Budget (p. 106)
• The Waiting Game (p. 110)
• Chapter 5 Director's Prep (p. 113)
• Shot List (p. 115)
• Beats (p. 116)
• Editing in Advance (p. 116)
• Shooting Board (p. 131)
• Chapter 6 Preproduction (p. 145)
• Casting (p. 145)
• Crew (p. 150)
• Producer (p. 151)
• Assistant Director (p. 151)
• Director of Photography (p. 152)
• Production Designer (p. 154)
• Location (p. 155)
• Stage (p. 157)
• Real Locations (p. 158)
• Production Design (p. 160)
• Wardrobe (p. 161)
• Car Prep (p. 162)
• Chapter 7 Preproduction Meeting (p. 165)
• Take Charge of the Presentation (p. 167)
• Tell the Story (p. 169)
• Step by Step (p. 171)
• Play the Game (p. 173)
• Tech Scout (p. 176)
• Schedule (p. 179)
• Chapter 8 Getting the Shot (p. 183)
• Concentrate on Your Objective (p. 184)
• Discover Your Approach (p. 184)
• Find the Moment (p. 186)
• The Meat (p. 186)
• The Intensity of the Performance (p. 186)
• Movement (p. 186)
• Transitions (p. 187)
• Variations (p. 187)
• Various Shot Sizes (p. 187)
• Go with the Flow (p. 188)
• The Voyeur Cam (p. 189)
• Beware o' the Elements (p. 190)
• Background Plates (p. 190)
• Moving Objects (p. 193)
• Different Exposures (p. 197)
• Logo Backgrounds (p. 197)
• Listen to the Experts (p. 197)
• The Atmosphere (p. 198)
• Chapter 9 Working with the Agency-Dealing with the Client (p. 203)
• Know Your Place (p. 204)
• Video Village (p. 208)
• Never Light According to the Monitor (p. 209)
• Less Is More (p. 210)
• Roll Tape, Hal (p. 210)
• The Attack of the Bad Idea (p. 212)
• Be Part of the Solution (p. 214)
• Extracurricular Activities (p. 216)
• Chapter 10 The Director's Cut (p. 219)
• The Lab (p. 221)
• Push Processing (p. 222)
• Pull Processing (p. 223)
• Skip Bleach/Bleach Bypass (p. 223)
• Dailies (p. 224)
• One-Light (p. 225)
• Safety One-Light (p. 225)
• Transfer All (p. 227)
• Let the Editor Have a Look (p. 227)
• It's Your Vision (p. 229)
• Enter: The Agency (p. 231)
• Chapter 11 Director's Prep (p. 235)
• Telecine (p. 235)
• Who Needs an Adjustment? (p. 236)
• Nitty-Gritty Telecine (p. 239)
• Digital Elements (p. 240)
• 3D Graphics (p. 241)
• 2D Graphics (p. 243)
• Online Edit (p. 244)
• Audio (p. 247)
• Location Sound (p. 248)
• Music Composing (p. 249)
• Sound Design (p. 250)
• Dialogue and Voiceover Recording and Re-Recording (p. 252)
• Audio Mix (p. 252)
• Putting It All Together (p. 253)
• Chapter 12 The Next Step (p. 255)
• The View from Hollywood (p. 256)
• International Representation (p. 259)
• How to Make International Friends (p. 259)
• Cannes You Look at My Reel? (p. 261)
• Work the Web (p. 261)
• Canada (p. 262)
• United Kingdom (p. 263)
• Italy (p. 264)
• Spain (p. 264)
• Germany (p. 265)
• Scandinavia (p. 266)
• Eastern Europe (p. 266)
• Asia (p. 267)
• Middle East (p. 268)
• South and Central America (p. 269)
• Australia/New Zealand (p. 270)
• Appendix (p. 271)
• The Interviewees (p. 271)
• Joe Murray (p. 271)
• Tor Myhren (p. 272)
• Matt Tolmach (p. 272)
• Kelly Trudell (p. 272)
• John van Osdol (p. 273)
• Jim Zoolalian (p. 273)
• Resources (p. 274)
• DGA (p. 274)
• AICP (p. 274)
• WheresSpot (p. 275)
• Shots Magazine (p. 275)
• Shoot Magazine (p. 275)
• 'boards Magazine (p. 276)
• Adweek (p. 276)
• Advertising Age (p. 276)
• Post Magazine (p. 276)
• Group 101Spots (p. 277)
• FastChannel (p. 277)
• AdCritic (p. 277)
• Source TV (p. 277)
• LA 411 and NY 411 (p. 278)
• Technology Glossary (p. 278)
• Avid (p. 278)
• Frozen Moment (p. 278)
• Green Screen (p. 279)
• Helium Balloons (p. 279)
• High Definition (HD) (p. 279)
• Motion Capture (p. 280)
• Motion Control (p. 280)
• Photosonics (p. 280)
• Previz (p. 280)
• R1 Rig (p. 281)
• Remote (Stabilized) Head (p. 281)
• Repeatable Heads (p. 281)
• Russian Arm (p. 282)
• Snorkel Lenses (p. 282)
• Swing and Tilt Lenses (p. 282)
• Techno Crane (p. 282)
• Wire Cam (p. 283)
• Commercial Director's Sample Contract (p. 283)
• Index (p. 291)