In the next month or two, I am planning on doing a commercial for a friend of mine.

In this newbie-styled question, I would like to know if there are any resources out there that can help with this.

I am unfamiliar with what needs to be on the tape I submit (such as if there are any set amounts of identification/color bars and tone I need).

I have a Canon XL1S and Bogen tripod and that's about it. I'm in need of cheap lighting, and doing smooth shots (like shots of merchandise) without a Steadicam.

I'm also pretty broke.

Any help with this would be appreciated.

TV commercials are pretty easy.

At the head of the master tape you want to lay down at least 30 seconds of bars and tone for the convenience of the engineer who dubs in the spot, then about 5 seconds of black, then 5 seconds of slate, then 2 seconds of black and the your spot.

The slate is just a still frame that states the title of the spot, the length, the client name, then the director, producer, editor, etc. It should also be tagged with your company logo.

Also, try not to let any dialog or voice over begin right at the beginning or right at the end of the spot. Try and leave a one second pad on each end, otherwise you risk the vo being cut off.

Eddie