DIRECTOR-LED COMMERCIALS
Commercial video production for TV and online advertising
Cinematic ads without the big spend
Story-led adverts developed, directed and produced through one creative lead.
MJ Films creates director-led commercials for businesses and brands that want something closer to a proper TV, cinema or paid-social advert than a conventional corporate video. Short narrative ideas can use actors, models or real contributors, planned locations, deliberate cinematography, performance, music and sound design to make the message memorable.
You can arrive with a finished brief, a rough thought or simply a business objective. Mark Jury can lead the concept, direction and edit, bringing in the cast and specialist crew the idea actually requires. That keeps the creative route clear from the first treatment through to the finished master and campaign cutdowns.
DIRECTOR-LED PRODUCTION
One creative lead, the crew the advert needs
Producer, director and editor can remain under one lead, with camera, lighting, sound, art department, wardrobe, makeup and other specialists added when the treatment calls for them.
Concept · Direction · Casting · Production · Edit · Campaign versions
HOW TO COMMISSION A COMMERCIAL
START WITH THE IDEA
CREATIVE PLANNING
Start with the idea before deciding what to film
Bring the brief. We can develop the advert.
You do not need a finished script or an agency treatment. Tell us what you sell, who the advert needs to reach, what you want people to remember and where the finished film will run.
MJ Films can turn that into a practical creative route, script or treatment and production plan. A simple idea may need one performer and one location; a larger concept can add casting, art direction, additional crew and specialist production support.
Define the audience and the response
Start with who needs to notice the advert and what should happen afterwards. That gives the story a clear job before we start choosing shots, locations or performers.
Give us the product, service or offer
A useful starting brief can be very simple: what you are selling, why somebody should care, any offer or key message, the intended audience and the campaign deadline.
Let the idea decide the production
The advert does not have to become an interview with B-roll. It might work better as a short scene, a character moment, a visual gag, a model-led sequence or a small story with little or no dialogue.
Plan the master advert and cutdowns together
Tell us whether you need 10-, 15-, 30- or 60-second versions for TV, cinema, paid social, websites or online advertising. We can plan framing and coverage for those versions from the outset.
Come direct to MJ Films: for many SME campaigns, there is no need to pay a separate advertising agency to develop the idea and then pay a production company to make it. We can develop the concept and produce the finished advert as one joined-up process, so more of the budget goes into what actually appears on screen.
DIRECTOR-LED COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION
A clear creative point of view without automatically building a huge production around it
The director stays close to the idea from development through filming and post-production. That makes it easier to protect the tone, performance, framing and pace of a short advert while keeping the production team proportional to what will actually appear on screen.
One lead from idea to edit
For focused productions, Mark can act as producer, director and editor. The creative intent is not handed from one company to another between stages.
Specialists where they matter
A camera assistant, gaffer, sound recordist, production designer, makeup artist or other specialist is added when the shot, performance or location genuinely benefits from that role.
Built shot by shot
A short commercial is planned as a sequence of purposeful images. For a 30-second narrative advert, a treatment might call for roughly 15–20 distinct shots, depending on pace and concept.
STORY-LED COMMERCIAL EXAMPLES
Short adverts built around an idea, performance and a payoff
These concept adverts show the kind of narrative approach this service is built around: a small story or scene designed as an advert, rather than the usual interview-and-B-roll structure.
National Lottery — concept advert
A character-led short built around anticipation and a simple reveal, using performance, location and pacing to carry the idea rather than an interview or explanatory voice-over.
Cadbury Roses — concept advert
A compact two-character scene using performance and timing to turn the product into the payoff. It is deliberately structured like a short commercial rather than a general promotional film.
FROM IDEA TO FINISHED ADVERT
One creative and production process from the first thought to the final cut
You do not need to arrive with a script. Start with the product, service, audience, offer and the response you want the advert to create. We can then build the creative and production around that.
01 — Creative development
Develop the core idea, script or treatment, tone, audience and visual approach. Storyboards or shot references can be added where the concept benefits from them.
02 — Pre-production
Cast actors or models, secure locations, plan wardrobe and props, schedule the shoot and assemble the crew required for the idea and budget.
03 — Production
Direct the performance and scene coverage with deliberate lighting, camera movement and sound, filming for the finished commercial rather than simply collecting footage.
04 — Post and campaign versions
Edit the story, grade the images and build the soundtrack, then create the agreed 10-, 15-, 30- or 60-second versions and social formats.
BUILT FOR THE SCREEN IT WILL APPEAR ON
Plan the master advert and the cutdowns together
A strong 30-second idea can often be adapted into shorter paid-social versions without turning them into random extracts. We plan the essential beats before filming so each duration still makes sense and important action can survive landscape, square or vertical framing. A narrative 30-second treatment may contain around 15–20 planned shots, so aspect ratio and crop safety need to be considered before the camera rolls.
10–15 seconds
Fast brand or product ideas for paid social, pre-roll, retargeting and short digital placements. The concept needs to land almost immediately.
30 seconds
A classic commercial length with enough room for setup, idea, payoff and call to action. Depending on the pace, it may be built from roughly 15–20 deliberately planned shots rather than a handful of long takes. Suitable for many online campaigns and, subject to clearance, broadcast.
60 seconds
More room for a mini-story, character or sequence of vignettes while still behaving like an advert rather than a general corporate film.
TV, cinema, paid social and online
The same creative can require different masters, aspect ratios, captions, end frames and technical delivery. These outputs are agreed before production wherever possible. For square paid-social work, see our Facebook video ad production guide for the 1:1 format and how we plan the framing.
Running the advert on Facebook? Our Facebook video ad production page explains the 1:1 square format and how the shoot can be composed specifically for paid social rather than relying on an awkward crop afterwards.
BUDGET & PRODUCTION SCALE
Commercial production from £1,500
Our filming and post-production fee typically starts from £1,500 for a small, straightforward commercial. The complete production budget depends on the concept.
Actors or models, casting, locations, props, wardrobe, set dressing, specialist crew, travel, music licensing, visual effects and broadcast requirements are costed separately where needed.
The aim is not to make the production look cheap. It is to put the money into the cast, location, design, lighting, cinematography and post-production the viewer can actually see and hear, instead of automatically increasing the headcount.
What can a smaller production include?
A focused concept may use one or two performers, a carefully chosen location and a compact crew, with the budget concentrated on cinematography, performance, edit and sound.
When does the crew get larger?
Additional production support is added when the script needs more cast, several locations, complex lighting, art direction, specialist sound, makeup, controlled movement, visual effects or tighter production logistics.
Can the budget be shaped around the idea?
Yes. We can separate essentials from optional production choices and adjust the treatment before filming, so the creative ambition and available budget are considered together.
MORE OF THE BUDGET ON SCREEN
Creative and production in one place
Working directly with MJ Films means the quote does not automatically carry a separate agency layer or an oversized crew structure. For a focused advert, producer, director and editor can remain under one creative lead; specialists are then added deliberately when they improve what appears on screen.
COMMERCIAL VIDEO FAQ
Questions businesses usually ask before commissioning an advert
Do I need to hire an advertising agency first?
No. For many small and medium-sized business campaigns, you can come straight to MJ Films. We can develop the idea, treatment or script and then produce the advert, so you are not paying an agency to create a concept before handing it to a separate production company. If a bigger campaign genuinely needs a dedicated producer, strategist or other specialist, we can bring that person into the team.
Can I come to you without a script?
Yes. A product, service, target audience, offer, budget range and a few reference adverts are enough to start a useful conversation. We can develop the concept, treatment, script, storyboard or shot plan from there.
Can you provide actors, models and locations?
Yes. Casting, performers, locations, props, wardrobe and production design can be coordinated around the concept and quoted as production costs. You can also use your own people where that suits the idea. See how we provide actors for video production for commercials, training films and other scripted work.
Does it have to be an interview with B-roll?
No. This service is specifically suited to adverts that work through story, performance, character, humour, atmosphere, visual metaphor or short scenes. An interview can still be used if the concept genuinely calls for one, but it is not the default structure.
Can you produce a genuine television commercial?
Yes. Television advertising needs compliance approval and technical delivery beyond ordinary online video. Where broadcast is planned, the script and production process should allow for the relevant UK clearance stages before filming and final transmission.
Can one shoot create social cutdowns as well?
Yes. The 10-, 15-, 30- and 60-second versions, vertical crops and end frames should be planned before filming so the shorter edits still feel intentional rather than like leftovers from the main film.
How large is the production crew?
It depends on the idea. A focused advert can use a small director-led production unit, with producer, director and editor under one lead. More ambitious scripts may add camera crew, sound, lighting, art department, makeup, drone or other specialists. The team is assembled around the treatment rather than a fixed crew list.
What should I send with an enquiry?
Send the product or service, intended audience, where the advert will run, preferred dates, location, deadline, approximate budget range and any references you like. A finished creative brief is useful but not essential.
What is a director-led commercial?
It means the director remains closely involved in the creative decisions from concept and treatment through production and post. For smaller campaigns, that can also mean the same lead handles producing and editing, while additional crew are brought in for specific production needs.
Do I need a commercial or a brand film?
If the idea depends on actors, a scripted scene, a visual gag, character or a tightly controlled advertising payoff, this commercial service is usually the better fit. If the story is strongest through real founders, customers, staff and workplaces, see our brand film production service.
COMMERCIAL VIDEO PRODUCTION ACROSS THE UK
Regional production where the idea needs to happen
MJ Films works across the UK, building each commercial around the locations, cast and crew the concept actually needs. These are some of the areas we regularly cover.
London & the South East
Commercial and brand-film production in London and the wider South East, with casting, locations and crew scaled around the brief.
Oxford & the Thames Valley
Commercial production for businesses across Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley, from compact scripted pieces to broader campaign shoots.
Birmingham & the Midlands
Story-led commercial filming across Birmingham and the Midlands, with creative development and production handled as one joined-up process.
Manchester & the North West
Commercial and campaign production across Manchester and the North West, with local logistics planned around the script and schedule.
Bristol & the South West
Commercial video production in Bristol and across the South West for brands wanting scripted, performance-led or visually designed advertising.
South Coast
Advertising and brand-film production along the South Coast, including Southampton and Hampshire, with the shoot shaped around the chosen location.
Yorkshire
Commercial and brand video production across Yorkshire, with Leeds as a practical base for shoots across the wider region.
Scotland
Commercial production across Scotland for UK and international brands, with travel, locations, crew and campaign delivery planned around the script.
ORGANISATIONS WE HAVE WORKED WITH
Production experience behind the creative work
Examples from wider MJ Films production work across commercial, public-sector, education, healthcare, construction and media projects.
HAVE AN IDEA — OR JUST AN OBJECTIVE?
Tell us what the advert needs to make people think, feel or do
You do not need a finished script. Send the product or service, audience, where the advert will run, preferred timing, location, approximate budget and any commercials you like the feel of.
Come directly to MJ Films and we can shape the concept, develop the script and production plan, assemble the appropriate crew and deliver the finished advert and social cutdowns — without requiring a separate advertising agency in the middle.
Prefer to speak first?
07857 639 260
hello@mjfilms.co.uk