For small, local commercials you can get by with iMovie or Windows Movie Maker, but serious video editors should use a professional program for full control of their movie. Adobe Premier, Avid, and Final Cut Pro have the titles, controls, and effects that free programs don't, which will help your commercial stand out. That said, these programs are large, complex editing packages, and it will be easier to get a clean, coherent commercial with free software if you are an inexperienced editor.


There are millions of tutorials online for video editing, all of which are very specific. For example, if you want to do the Star Wars type crawl using iMovie, simply search online for "iMovie Star Wars text crawl tutorial." A video or page will usually show right up.
Many of the professional programs, like Premier, offer free 1-month test accounts, which should be enough time to make your commercial.
 No matter how funny your joke, how great your story, or how cool the footage is, you need to make sure you are still getting your message across. When editing, there are a couple ways to make sure your message is at the center of the finished commercial:



Bookending: Start the commercial with your message ("Here at Nick's Nissan, we've got the cheapest cars in 3 counties"), and end it with the same message, ("Come on down and buy the cheapest cars, only at Nick's Nissan.")

Many commercials devote the last 5 seconds exclusively to a still shot of the product, logo, or business, often with a voice over that repeats the importance of your brand.



Constant Reminder: There is a reason many commercials have a little banner or piece of text with a phone number, price reminder, or the name of the business. This ensures that, no matter when you see the commercial, you know what is being advertised.

Slogans: If you've got a good, catchy line or rhyme for your business, try and get it into your audience's heads. This is especially important if you have multiple commercials.

Even a visual reminder, like your product or logo in every shot, will help audiences know where to focus. You can also have the actors constantly mentioning your product.
 Again, simple is almost always better. If you have multiple scenes, such as two or three different people talking in different locations (such as around a car dealership) try and use your B-roll to fill in the gaps. One of the easiest, and most professional, cuts you can make is called a "J-cut." All this is is when the audio comes in before the video. For example, you could have a shot of new cars, and hear "We have many financing options available." You then cut to the salesman, sitting at their desk, "we just want to get you into the new car of your dreams, today."


Avoid any crazy effects or transitions. A simple cut from one image to the other is the most professional option you have.
The editor may cut several versions of the commercial, each at a different length. It is common to produce several spots from the same shoot.
 Voice-over is, hands down, the most common commercial technique. It lets you get your point straight into the audience's ears. Luckily, all voice-over requires is a quiet room and a microphone. Once the video is cut to the correct timing, record your voice over to fit in the allotted time.


Think of all the biggest slogans in modern advertising -- "15 minutes or less could save your 15% on car insurance," or "I'm lovin' it." None of the commercials have to feature these lines. Instead, the commercial tells its story or joke, then someone comes on and says the slogan.
 Contact your local broadcast affiliates (ABC, NBC, FOX) about getting ad time on their network. Ad time is usually sold in flights, meaning you order 10-15 weeks of your ad at a time. Some important considerations include:


The time of day. Ads get more expensive, usually, the later in the day they run. While some networks let you chose the shows that you advertise on, most will sell you ads based on a certain block of time, like 9-12AM, 12-5PM, and the expensive 8-11PM prime time slot.
What is your demographic? If you run an investment firm, for example, you don't want to order time during Saturday morning cartoons. Do your research to see what programs air during your time slot.
You likely need a credit check to get ad time. The TV station will then charge you whenever the ad airs.
Import all of your footage into a video editing program.
Make sure your message is the heart of the commercial.
Cut together your footage with simple transitions.
Record a voice-over to get across a lot of information easily.
Buy some ad time on a local network.
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