COMMERCIAL VIDEO PRODUCTION UK
Scripted comedy adverts.
Story-led brand films.
Original characters. Unexpected turns. A clear selling idea.
We develop and produce cinematic adverts for independent brands and marketing agencies. From dry British humour to imaginative short dramas, your product or service has a part to play.
From the first idea to the final cut.
Concept, script, casting, filming and agreed campaign edits.
National Lottery — concept advert. Character-led storytelling.
THE MJ FILMS ADVANTAGE
Why choose MJ Films?
Original stories, direct collaboration and a production shaped around your brief—not a fixed crew list.
01 / ORIGINAL IDEAS
Story, not a template.
A script built around your product, with characters, comic timing and a clear payoff. Not an off-the-shelf montage with your logo added.
02 / FOCUSED PRODUCTION
The right-sized crew.
We plan the story around the budget, then bring in the people it needs. Cast, lighting, sound and locations are chosen for the film.
03 / DIRECT COLLABORATION
Direct to the filmmaker.
Work directly with your director on the concept, shoot and edit. One creative lead keeps the story intact from first conversation to final cut.
04 / AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS
Your agency’s film team.
Bring your client’s brief or develop an idea with us. We supply specialist creative and production support while you retain the client relationship.
SCRIPTED COMEDY & CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
See how an idea becomes an advert
Request an example creative pitch with the story, draft script, visual references, storyboard and proposed filming approach. For brands and agency teams considering a scripted campaign.
SCRIPTED COMMERCIAL CONCEPTS
Short stories. Character. A product-led payoff.
Two concept adverts showing how performance and a simple reveal can give a product a role in the story.
CHARACTER-LED
National Lottery — concept advert
A character-led short built around anticipation and a simple reveal. Performance, location and pacing carry the idea rather than explanatory dialogue.
TWO-HANDER
Cadbury Roses — concept advert
A compact two-character scene using performance and timing to turn the product into the payoff. Built as a commercial rather than a general promotional film.
Need cast for your own commercial? We can shortlist actors, presenters and character roles around the script and intended audience. See actors for video production →
A starting fee, not an all-inclusive campaign price. Cast and usage, location hire, props, specialist crew, music and broadcast delivery are scoped separately where needed. The quotation sets out the agreed production costs before booking.
COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION PRICING
A cinematic advert. A practical production plan.
We develop the idea around your budget from the start. A contained story can make good use of a small cast and a suitable location, with additional crew brought in where the production needs them.
STARTING POINT
From £1,500 to £15,000
Concept development, filming and post-production for a contained commercial. Cast, locations, additional crew and campaign versions are scoped to the brief.
Need scripted performers? See actor casting and usage guidance →
BEFORE WE QUOTE
Four quick questions make the first commercial quote much more useful
You do not need a finished script. These are the things that tell us what kind of production the idea actually needs.
What should we know first?
Send whichever answers you already know. We can develop the rest with you.
Casting can be part of the quote. We can shortlist performers around the role, playing age, accent, tone, location, budget and intended usage. See actors for video production →
FROM IDEA TO FINISHED ADVERT
From first idea to final cut
Agree the selling idea, develop the script, then bring the performances and pictures together.
01 — Creative development
Audience, selling idea, concept, script and visual treatment.
02 — Pre-production
Casting, locations, wardrobe, props, schedule and crew planning.
03 — Production
Performance, lighting, camera movement and sound for the finished advert.
04 — Post & versions
Edit, grade, sound design and agreed campaign cutdowns.
BUILT AROUND YOUR CAMPAIGN
One story. The right versions.
We plan the main advert and any agreed shorter edits together. Framing, captions and end cards are considered before filming, whether the campaign is for your website, Facebook and Instagram ads, or other agreed placements.
Plan for the final screen before filming. Shorter versions work better when they are designed rather than cropped as an afterthought.
10–15 seconds
A short visual gag, a product reveal or one clear selling point. These versions are planned around the campaign brief, rather than simply taking the first few seconds of the main film.
30 seconds
Room for a setup, a turn and a clear product payoff. We plan the dialogue, visual story and end card together so the idea fits the running time. Broadcast delivery is scoped separately when required.
60 seconds
More space for a character, a relationship or a developing situation. A short narrative brand film can use comedy, drama or visual storytelling while keeping the brand message clear.
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.
COMMERCIAL VIDEO FAQ
Questions businesses ask before commissioning an advert
Do I need to hire an advertising agency first?
No. Independent brands and small and medium-sized businesses can commission MJ Films directly for creative development and production. We also work alongside marketing and creative agencies, supporting an existing campaign or developing a scripted idea together. The roles and scope are agreed from the start.
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.
Do you make scripted comedy adverts?
Yes. We develop scripted comedy adverts built around dry British humour, visual gags, characters and comic timing. The joke needs to serve the product or service, not distract from it. Where humour is not the right fit, we can develop a dramatic or imaginative story-led brand film instead.
FOR INDEPENDENT MARKETING AGENCIES
Your client. Your relationship. Our production.
Need a film production partner rather than another full-service agency? Bring your client’s brief or involve us from the first idea. We handle the scripting and production elements you need, working alongside your team with responsibilities and client contact agreed in advance.
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?
This service covers scripted commercials and narrative brand films: stories built around characters, performances and a clear brand message. The approach can be comic, dramatic or purely visual. For films led by real founders, customers, staff and workplaces, see our brand film production service.
COMMERCIAL VIDEO PRODUCTION ACROSS THE UK
Regional production across the UK, where the idea needs to happen
Locations, cast and crew are planned around the script rather than a fixed production template.
The script decides the geography. Locations are chosen for the idea, then the crew is scaled around what actually needs to happen there.
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.
RECENT CLIENTS
Organisations we have worked with
Commercial, public-sector, education, healthcare, construction and media work across a wide range of production environments.
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 and any commercials you like the feel of. We will shape the scope around the concept, intended use and production requirements.
Come directly to MJ Films and we can shape the concept, develop the script and production plan, cast actors where the idea needs them, assemble the appropriate crew and deliver the finished advert and social cutdowns.
Prefer to speak first?
07857 639 260
hello@mjfilms.co.uk