SSP 037: This is How to Break Into the World of Commercial Advertising w/ Raj Dhillon

Do you ever find yourself watching TV, and when a commercial for a big national or even international brand comes on, find yourself thinking, “I could’ve shot that.” Many of us believe we have what it takes to produce that same quality of work, but we have absolutely no idea about what it takes to break into the world of commercial advertising. If that sounds like you, do we ever have a treat for you today. Raj Dhillon is a freelance commercial TV producer from Toronto who works with some small brands you might have heard of like Heineken, Toyota, and oh, yeah McDonalds. Today she joins us on the podcast to walk us through everything we need to know if we would like to get established in the world of commercial advertising. She breaks down the entire process from concept to finished product, the people involved, and where we fit into the puzzle. She also lets us in on who exactly we need to be networking with, what producers like her are looking for in the reels we submit, and she also shares her story of barging her way into the advertising world. Trust me, you’re going to want to be paying attention to what Raj is sharing with us today. What’s your experience with commercial work? Have you managed to land any clients big or small? Is this something that you aspire towards, and if so what do you see standing in your way? Let us know in the comments! In this episode: What large agencies are looking for in your demo reel Exactly who you need to be networking with in the ad space The entire process of creating a TV commercial, and where video producers like us fit in Some incredible tips on how you can develop an applicable reel even if you’ve never been hired to shoot a big commercial Quotes: “I finally just was like, ‘This guy’s never going to hire me unless he meets me.’ Because he just kept kind of dragging it out. So I booked a flight, flew out, stayed with an uncle and just showed up at their office basically, and forced myself into an interview.” [20:53] “You could edit together a beautiful 2-minute or 5-minute reel, but it doesn’t really necessarily show me that you can tell me a story in 30 seconds.” [32:54]