Online commercial

What this is about

Free of broadcast slots, the online commercial trades fixed lengths for a different constraint: it must work in several places at once — pre-roll, feeds, landing pages — each with its own ratio and attention span. Where the TV spot locks one master, the online spot plans a matrix: which scenes exist in 16:9 and 9:16, which openings serve as alternative hooks, which version carries sound-off. The shoot itself is often leaner than a broadcast production, small to mid-sized, but the shot list is wider, because every variant that is not captured on set becomes a compromise in post.

The format determines scope, crew and timeline — before the first location has been scouted.

What runs differently here

In planning terms, that means:

• The version matrix comes first: lengths, ratios and hook variants define the shot list, not the other way round
• Scenes intended for vertical delivery need vertical-safe staging on set — action centered, headroom protected, text zones clear
• Sound-off viewing is a planning fact for feed placements, so key information needs a visual carrier in the shots themselves
• Alternative openings are cheap on set and expensive later: schedule hook variants while the lighting is already standing

What the plan has to deliver

A production plan is useful to this role when it provides the following:

• A deliverables matrix that lists every version with length, ratio and platform before the shot list is written
• Shot-level flags for which setups must be captured vertical-safe or in both orientations
• A schedule that clusters hook variants with their parent scene so relight time is spent once

Common pitfalls

What most often goes wrong in practice:

• Shooting a 16:9 master and hoping the 9:16 falls out of it in post — it rarely does
• Writing dialogue that carries the message, then delivering into placements watched on mute
• Counting versions as an edit cost while the real cost is the uncaptured footage

With TillyGen

TillyGen plans the online spot from the deliverables matrix down: every version's length and ratio flows into the shot list and the day plan, so no variant is discovered missing in post.

Change one constraint and the consequences travel through the whole plan: affected shots are flagged, the call sheet is regenerated, and nobody keeps working from yesterday's version.