The five stages of a TV spot
Five stages. Pre-production decides the budget, post decides the result.
- 1
Brief and script
One message, one audience, one action. A 30-second spot holds about 75 spoken words.
- 2
Pre-production
Casting, locations, crew, permits, storyboard and shot list. Most of the budget gets decided here.
- 3
The shoot
A day or two on set for most spots. Cover every scene wide enough to cut a 15, a 30 and vertical versions later.
- 4
Post-production
Edit, color, sound mix, music, graphics, supers. Mix to broadcast loudness and caption it.
- 5
Delivery
Masters for broadcast, files for each streaming platform, and cut-downs for social. Plan these before the shoot, not after.
Production company vs agency vs AI vs done for you
A production company makes the spot you wrote. An agency writes it too. AI makes it cheap and fast. Done for you replaces the whole process for social video.
| Route | What they do | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| TV commercial production company | Crew, cast, shoot and post for a script you bring | One spot with a clear idea and a real media budget |
| Creative agency | Strategy, the idea, the script, then hires production | Brand campaigns where the idea is the hard part |
| AI TV commercial | Generated footage, voice and music, edited into a spot | Tests, regional spots, and brands without a shoot budget |
| Director by Sprites | Finished video ads every week, reviewed by a human | Paid social video at volume, not a broadcast spot |
What TV commercial production costs
From $1,500 for a basic local spot to $8 million for national work, and airtime on top.
- Basic 30-second local spot
$1,500 to $3,500 to produceSource: Beverly Boy Productions, New York, updated March 2026
- High production value local spot
$20,000 to $30,000 to produceSource: Beverly Boy Productions, New York, updated March 2026
- National TV commercial
$100,000 to $8 million to produceSource: WebFX, cost to advertise on national TV
Can you make a TV commercial with AI?
Yes, and brands do. AI handles footage, voice and music; a person still writes it and edits it.
An AI TV commercial is generated shot by shot with video models, then edited like any spot. It removes the shoot, which is most of the cost of a local commercial. It does not remove the script, the edit or the judgement about what to cut.
Where it holds up: mood, product beauty shots, environments, stylized worlds. Where it still breaks: real people talking to camera for long, hands, text on packaging. We test the leading models on real ad briefs in the Creative Arena, and the brands that already aired one are in AI-made TV commercials.
Most of these spots are cut down for social anyway, which is where the volume is. More on that on video ad pricing.
Video ads from brands that buy TV
National TV advertisers run the same campaigns in social video. Five to study, with what each does.
VideoProgressive“See if you could save”The savings number does the selling. "Drivers who save by switching save over $900."
VideoState Farm“State Farm Automobile Insurance”One message on repeat: the agent. Brand recall over novelty.
VideoLexus“THE LEXUS RX”The car, the name, a line. Product-as-hero, shot like a TV spot.
VideoMiller Lite“It's Miller Time, Mariners Fans!”Localized to the team and the city. One campaign, many markets.
VideoDirecTV“Tired of jumping through hoops to find the game? DIRECTV brings all your football to one place.”Opens on a frustration every sports fan has had, then the fix.
How to choose a TV commercial production company
Watch their reel for your category, ask what is in the quote, and own your footage.
A reel in your category
Food is a different craft from cars. Ask for spots like yours, not their best work.
An itemized quote
Crew days, talent, locations, post, music licensing, usage. Fixed bids hide where the money goes.
Usage and buyouts
Talent and music are licensed by medium, market and term. A spot cleared for local TV may not be cleared for streaming or social.
Cut-downs in scope
The 15, the 6 and the vertical versions should be in the quote, not change orders.
Raw footage
Get the selects. Next quarter’s social ads are sitting in them.
For the social side of the campaign
A TV spot is one asset. The social video around it needs a new batch every week.
Director by Sprites is a full creative team for your startup, in private beta. Every Monday you get finished, on-brand video ads, reviewed by a human.
Strategy, hooks, scripts, shooting and editing, end to end. You never write a prompt. You pick the winners. Sprites ships the campaigns.
Every video is checked by a person before it reaches your inbox. No endless revisions.
Questions
How much does it cost to produce a TV commercial?
A basic local 30-second spot runs $1,500 to $3,500 and a high-production local spot $20,000 to $30,000, per Beverly Boy Productions. National commercials run $100,000 to $8 million, per WebFX. Breakdown on TV commercial cost.
How do small brands make CTV and streaming TV ad spots affordably?
Shoot once for several cuts, keep it to a 15 and a 30, and use the self-serve streaming platforms, which start around $50 a day per Vibe. Some streaming platforms offer creative tools for a first spot. Footage from your best social ads can often be recut to 16:9.
How long does TV commercial production take?
Two to six weeks for most spots: a week or two of pre-production, one to two shoot days, and one to three weeks of post. AI-generated spots can take days.
What is the difference between a TV commercial and a CTV ad?
The creative can be identical. A TV commercial airs on broadcast or cable; a CTV ad streams on a connected TV through apps like Roku, Hulu or Prime Video, bought by impression. See CTV ad examples.
Do I need an agency or a production company?
If you have the idea and the script, a production company. If you need the idea, an agency. If what you actually need is a steady flow of video ads for social, neither: a done-for-you service fits better.
Keep going
Your campaign needs more than one spot
Every Monday you get finished, on-brand video ads, reviewed by a human. You never write a prompt. You pick the winners. Sprites ships the campaigns.