03 Jan Acting Industry Terms: Commercial Copy
If you are starting out as a commercial actor, you may have heard the word “copy,” which specifically refers to commercial copy. In short, copy — in the case of an advertisement for TV, radio, internet, or any form of media — is the actor’s script! “Copy” = the words on the page that you, as an actor, read when marketing a product via a commercial.
As a commercial actor, you will train to become adept at reading commercial copy. There are specific strategies for learning and reciting commercial copy, and we teach them here at 3-2-1 Acting Studios in Los Angeles. But, before you start training, it’s important to understand where copy comes from in the first place!
Here are some interesting facts about commercial copy:
Commercial copy is written by an advertising copywriter.
There is a specific job for a person who writes scripts for commercials — that of an advertising copywriter! Copywriters tend to work at ad agencies, or, in some cases, as “in-house copywriters” at certain companies that opt to produce their own commercials (vs. hiring an ad agency). Some copywriters work as freelancers.
Have you ever seen the TV show Mad Men? For a copywriter working at an ad agency, it’s sort of like that. Well, not so much anymore. We’ve evolved as a society since the 1960s (when Mad Men is set), and women are now holding positions of leadership at ad agencies! But, you will definitely see advertising copywriters on the show Mad Men. The show could provide some insight into the history of the advertising industry.
Ad agencies labor over commercial copy for weeks, even months.
By the time you as an actor get your copy on the set of a commercial, it’s been written by a copywriter — and reviewed and revised by many individuals — usually at an advertising agency! Commercial copy can go through dozens of edits before it is approved and sent to you. And the fact that you booked the commercial means that these individuals working behind-the-scenes felt you were the best person for the role. What a compliment! You were approved to work on the commercial not just by the casting director and the director, but by people working directly with the brand, who developed and revised the copy themselves! A commercial booking is thus a HUGE win. Well done!
Commercial scripts look different than film and TV scripts
The format of a commercial script — filled with commercial copy — is different from that of a film script. Usually, for a commercial, you will get a script that has two columns: one column with words and a second column with visuals and descriptions of shots. Here is an example of a commercial script with commercial copy. It’s important for you, as an actor, to become familiar with this format.
You can take classes to learn how to read commercial copy
Commercial acting is its own special skill set. Here at 3-2-1 Acting Studios in Los Angeles, we train our students in the art of commercial acting. Training is so essential! If you have any questions about commercial acting classes, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to have you. We have Zoom classes now for those who are not based in Los Angeles!
We hope that you learned from this video and article about commercial copy. We are wishing you the best in your commercial acting pursuits!
