You can write your own script and direct the actual shooting of your infomercial, but you should never
shoot and edit your own informercial unless you have all the necessary equipment and knowhow.
Home systems simply do not work. Never shoot your infomercial with a camcorder. It will never get aired!
Production Takes place in two stages: The Actual Shoot and Post-Production
During the actual shoot stage, all the footage that will form part of your infomercial is shot. Your
responsibilities should focus on selecting and hiring the camera crew. After all the footage is shot, you
enter the post-production phase. It is time to edit your infomercial, taking out the bad cuts and putting all
the good shots into one coherent presentation, adding music and special effects, and more. During this
stage, you will be responsible for selecting and hiring a post-production facility with the right editing
system and a competent editor.
Hire the same company to shoot your infomercial and then do all the editing and post-production work makes sense for three reasons: (1) The post- production people are already familiar with your project
and how it was shot; (2) Rates are usually cheaper for a packaged deal; (3) If you worry about confidentiality, you’ll only have one supplier to worry about.
Finished Length
From the first frame to the last, your infomercial should be 28 minutes and 30 seconds long. Your first
frame should actually be the standard disclaimer stating that ‘this is a paid program’ from your company.
Your last frame should state that ‘the preceding was a paid program’ presented by your company.
This is the part ofthe production process where you create the tone of your infomcercial, so we’ll review
what’s involved.
This portion of the production process is usually considered the editing stage, although it involves
much more than just editing your footage. Text, graphics, background music, and video and audio effects
are all added during post-production.
How you cut, fade-in, fade-out, insert, roll, and merge one scene with the next lends to the overall tempo
of your show. This is where you can run wild with animation, 3-D graphics, split screen, multi-screen, and
much more. With today’s technology, your infomercial’s ultimate look is limited only by your imagination
and your budget.
DESKTOP LEVEL. For rock-bottom, basic post-production work, you can use a studio with a system built
around a desktop video system. Popular desktop brands like Video Toasters and Matrox will give you
basic broadcast quality. (Average rate – $75 per hour.) integrated simultaneously in a variety of ways,
using a wide assortment of effects. Although some companies using desktop-level video editing systems
have A-B roll capability, most post-production houses with this capability use more sophisticated, top-of-the
line editing systems. (Average rate – $125 per hour.)
NON-LINEAR. This is the future of post-production. It is called non-linear because your program is edited
without using a tape. Instead, the hard drives of a computer store and manipulate the images you’ve shot.
The system is highly digital and usually comes loaded with effects. And since it edits at the speed of a
digital hard drive, your work is finished faster and with more creative flare. (Average rate – $250 per hour.)
Article by www.contentmart.com
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