Yes. Both. They’re the cheapest part of the whole process and they save money everywhere else.
Why the script matters so much
The script is what Clearcast checks first. It’s what the voiceover artist reads, what the director shoots and what the editor cuts to. A line changed on paper costs nothing. The same line changed after the shoot can mean a reshoot.
A good TV script is short. A 30” ad holds about 60 to 70 spoken words. Fewer is usually better, because the pictures need room to breathe and the phone number needs time on screen.
What a strong script does
- Opens with something the viewer recognises. A problem, a situation, a question. Optegra’s ad opens on “Struggling to see without your glasses or contacts?”
- Makes one point. Not three. If you’re trying to say everything, nobody remembers anything.
- Works with the sound on and with it off. People listen while making tea. People watch without sound on their phones. The voiceover and the on-screen words should both carry the message.
- Ends with one clear action. Call, visit, book. One.
The storyboard
A storyboard is the script in pictures, shot by shot. It doesn’t need to be art. Sketches, reference stills or even a rough animatic all do the job.
What it gives you:
- Everyone agrees what the ad looks like before anyone books a crew.
- The director can plan the shots and the schedule properly.
- You can see what’s missing, like an end frame with enough space for the number and the legals.
- It lets you plan every version from the same shoot: the TV master, the cutdowns and the social formats.
Who writes it?
We usually write the script with you. You know the product and the customer. We know what works in 30 seconds, what Clearcast will query and what’s possible on the budget. The best scripts come out of that conversation.