When people think about commercial production, the areas that they immediately head to are cameras, lighting, locations or finished ads in the ad breaks.
We think that the real differences are far less visible. What we’re referring to is production judgement.
Production judgement is the experience that then goes on to influence production decisions before and during every campaign. The decisions themselves are never consciously noticed by the audience, yet they do shape the finished campaign.
It’s deciding to consider broadcast requirements while the scripts are still in progress. It’s planning campaign versioning before for the future. It’s building out the right production team for the brief. It’s investing in workflows and professional equipment that create better outcomes.
It might be making a creative decision before a shoot—like monitoring production through a black and white LUT so everyone can see much closer to the finished creative vision while filming.
They’re a series of what may seem small choices but collectively, they influence the way a production flows and the way a campaign concept can be realised. That’s why great commercials aren’t just the result of ideas or equipment.
They are the direct result of a series of carefully considered production decisions. Production judgement isn’t something you can just pickup from the corner store, it’s developed through real world experience. It’s a skill that’s strengthened every time a new production comes along and teaches you something.
It’s one of the most rewarding parts of this industry and it’s in the DNA of Ottico Lab.
Customer audiences might not notice the production judgement that went into building an ad, but they do experience the result.