18 !!Chapter 1
this is borne out by research. Any good, successful advertising
will really connect the message to the product.
MZ: Is there any advice you would like to give to young composers
who want to write for commercials?
Joel: I would say, listen to the creative people when you meet with
them, but don’t be afraid, don’t be intimidated by them. Be
strong. If you’ve got a good idea, don’t keep it to yourself, don’t
be afraid of offending them, because if they have anything going
for them, they will listen. These creative people are really not
music people; they may have some instincts, as I alluded to
before, but when you get into that room, you’re going to size up
pretty quickly what could be the right and best solution. Don’t
be afraid for a give-and-take because in so many cases, they lis-
ten to you... you’re the mavens, be strong, be bold, and don’t
be afraid.Art Director
Art directors work with copywriters to create advertising concepts and
commercials for broadcasting, print, the Internet, and other media. Art
directors are responsible for the visual ‘‘look’’ of commercials. Most com-
mercials are first portrayed in a series of drawings called storyboards,
which are either drawn or supervised by art directors. Each frame (picture)
of a commercial is drawn and has visual and audio instructions (dialogue,
camera angle, audio effects, and so on) below each drawing. A well-drawn
storyboard is usually a very close visualization of how the final film will
look.
After the writer and the art director have presented an idea(s) to their
superiors and the idea(s) has been accepted, the art director usually over-
sees the visual part of the presentation to the client. The following is my
interview with art director and creative director Arthur Meranus:
MZ: What does an art director do?
Arthur: An art director usually works with a copywriter. When
you are talking about newspaper advertising, the art director
actually lays out the ad’s position elements, supervises photog-
raphy and typography, and works with the writer to come up
[with] the most cogent advertising possible. In television, the art
director works more as a storyboard artist. They work with a
writer to develop an idea and then transfer that idea to a story-
board. Most often they will supervise the production of the tele-
vision commercial. Art directors usually have some graphic
design training, go to art school.
MZ: How much influence does the art director have in choosing
music for a commercial?