TV Commercial Production in Perth: How a TVC Is Made and Cleared for Air
Picture a Perth business owner who has just booked a spot in the evening news break. The airtime is sorted and the offer is ready. Then comes the obvious question: who is actually going to make the ad?
In this guide we walk you through how a TV commercial comes together, from the first idea and the script to the shoot, the edit and the approval it needs before it can go to air in Australia.
Along the way, we share real examples from our own TVCs for WA brands, so you can see what each stage looks like in practice.
Short Answer
A TV commercial (TVC) is made in six stages: discovery, script, pre-production, shoot, post-production and clearance. In Australia, every TVC that airs on a commercial free-to-air network must first be classified by ClearAds, formerly known as CAD. Birdhouse Media is a Perth video production company that handles each of these stages in-house, from the commercial script and casting to editing, voice over and submission.
Key Facts
- Classification is compulsory: all television commercials broadcast on Australian commercial free-to-air networks must be classified before they air, under the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice (ClearAds).
- CAD is now ClearAds: Free TV Australia launched the ClearAds name in June 2019 for its Commercials Advice division, previously known as CAD (Free TV Australia).
- Review time: at the time of writing (September 2026), ClearAds lists two business days to review a television commercial, with Fast Track options available (ClearAds).
- Networks need a number: a ClearAds number is issued when the final ad is approved, and networks require it before airing any commercial (ClearAds).
- Birdhouse Media’s turnaround: a first draft is standard within two weeks of the filming date, with two rounds of revisions included (Birdhouse Media).
What Is a TVC? The TVC Meaning Explained
TVC is short for television commercial. A tv commercial is a paid video advertisement made to run in the ad breaks of a TV channel, and advertisers, agencies and production companies use the two terms to mean the same thing.
A TVC differs from other business video in three ways. It has a fixed length, it plays to viewers who didn’t choose to watch it, and it must pass classification before a free-to-air network will broadcast it. In practice, tv commercials production often includes shorter versions of the same ad for social media or cinema.
How Does the TV Commercial Production Process Work?
Birdhouse Media runs each commercial through the same six stages. The order holds from project to project, even when the size of the job changes.
| Stage | What happens | Example from Birdhouse Media |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Discovery | Goals, audience and budget | Every project starts here |
| 2. Script | Words, visuals and timing | Planet Now scripts written in-house |
| 3. Pre-production | Casting, extras, locations | Norfolk Hotel extras organised |
| 4. Shoot | Filming, lighting and sound | 14-person crew for Real Good Honey |
| 5. Post-production | Edit, colour, music, voice over | Kalgoorlie edit and colour grade |
| 6. Clearance | Classification before airing | BODHI TVC for network TV |
For anyone asking how to make a tv commercial, the first two stages matter most. A clear goal and a tight script shape how long the shoot takes, how many versions are needed and how smoothly classification goes.
Stage 2: writing the commercial script
A commercial script can be laid out in two columns: what the viewer hears on one side and what they see on the other. ClearAds asks for this two-column format, called a vision script, when an ad is submitted for classification, so writing it this way from the start saves work later.
Birdhouse Media’s script writing service covers TV commercials, corporate video, social media and live broadcast. For the Planet Now series, every script and creative idea was developed in-house, and the app’s founders gave the team room to try funny concepts.
Stage 3: TV commercial casting and talent
Casting decides whose face and voice represent the brand. On the Planet Now series, the team handled talent casting across multiple filming days. For the Norfolk Hotel, the team organised a group of extras to fill the venue.
Some commercials feature business owners rather than actors. The team’s directing service helps non-professionals feel comfortable on camera. On the Buccaneer Pools TVC, Hans Bruechle delivered to camera himself.
Stage 4: the shoot
Shoot size varies widely. The filming team uses high-end camera and lighting gear with cinematic lenses. The Norfolk Hotel cinema ad took a few hours at the end of one day to capture the sunset light. The Real Good Honey launch needed a 14-person crew, including a director, director of photography, gaffer and food stylist, filming among beehives in Gingin, north of Perth.
Stage 5: TVC post production
This stage covers the edit, colour grading, sound design, music, graphics and voice over. Birdhouse Media does its video editing in-house, with revisions included as part of the process.
Voice over is recorded and mixed in the team’s own studio setup through its voice over service. On the BODHI Christmas TVC, the voice over came from the in-house team, who also did the sound mix.
What Approval Does a TV Commercial Need in Australia?
Anyone researching TV advertising Australia-wide meets the same rule early on. According to ClearAds, a TVC or infomercial can’t go to air on an Australian commercial free-to-air network until it has been classified.
People still search for cad approval because ClearAds used to be called CAD. Free TV Australia announced the ClearAds name in June 2019 as the new brand for its Commercials Advice division.
Here is how the ClearAds process works, based on its published FAQ.
| Step | What ClearAds says | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Precheck | Reviews scripts, storyboards, concepts | Catches issues before filming |
| Submission | Vision file plus two-column script | Needed for classification |
| Review time | Two business days (TVCs) | Fast Track options exist |
| Approval | A ClearAds number is issued | Networks require it to air |
Birdhouse Media has extensive experience in the submission process for commercial television. Rules, file formats and turnaround times can change, so check the current ClearAds requirements when a project starts.
How Long Is a TV Commercial, and How Do Cinema Ads Differ?
Length is agreed before the script is written, because it limits how much the ad can say. A 30 second tv commercial has room for a short story. A 15-second spot suits one idea, which is why the Norfolk Hotel ad was shot as a simple ‘mood’ piece. We found no single Australian source that sets one length as the standard, so this guide doesn’t name one.
Cinema ads are made for a much bigger screen. Birdhouse Media’s 15-second ad for the Norfolk Hotel in Fremantle was shot in 4K, mastered for 5.1 surround sound and submitted to CineAds Australia before it screened.
| Detail | TV commercial (BODHI) | Cinema ad (Norfolk Hotel) |
|---|---|---|
| Where it plays | Network TV | Before selected films |
| Submitted to | Commercial TV process | CineAds Australia |
| Technical focus | Slow motion at 50 fps | 4K and 5.1 surround |
| Extra versions | Social media cut-downs | Not stated |
TV Commercial Examples From Birdhouse Media
The following local tv commercials were produced by Birdhouse Media. Each detail comes from the project’s page on the Birdhouse Media website.
- CBH Group: two TVCs, Passionate People and Community Strength, marking 10 years of CBH’s Grass Roots Community Grants program for grain-growing WA. Filmed in the wheatbelt. See the CBH Group TV commercial project.
- City of Kalgoorlie Boulder: several commercials aimed at young families, young professionals and the mining industry. The crew spent about a week in Kalgoorlie, and the agency Marketforce supplied the final branding graphics. See the Kalgoorlie Go BOLD campaign.
- MIRA Residential: a TVC edited from footage MIRA supplied, with slow motion and title graphics designed to match the company’s logo. See the MIRA Residential TVC.
- BODHI Cottesloe: a Christmas television commercial for network TV plus short cut-downs for social media, filmed at 50 frames per second for slow motion. See the BODHI Cottesloe project.
Other commercial work on the Birdhouse Media portfolio includes a series for the Planet Now app, launch commercials for Real Good Honey featuring Nick Cummins, and a TVC for Buccaneer Pools.
What Do These Australian TV Ads Have in Common?
Looking across these projects, the commercials share four habits. This is Birdhouse Media’s own observation from its work, not the result of a study.
- One audience per spot: Kalgoorlie made several commercials for different audiences instead of one ad for everyone.
- A tone that fits the brand: Planet Now used tongue-in-cheek humour, while BODHI aimed for calm and elegant.
- Local people and places: CBH’s commercials were built around the communities of rural WA.
- One call to action: BODHI’s Christmas ad was built around the line “give the gift of wellbeing this Christmas”.
Who Works on a TVC at Birdhouse Media?
Birdhouse Media was founded by Hans Bruechle and Andrew Hooper, who both worked in video and commercial television production before starting the business. Its TVC production is handled by a small in-house team.
- Hans Bruechle, Creative Director: writes scripts, directs, produces and provides in-house voice over. His background is in commercial television directing, and he still presents on Channel 7.
- Andrew Hooper, Chief of Operations: oversees on-set production and heads up the post-production department. He has many years of experience producing commercial television programs and international documentaries.
- Joshua Craig, Producer: the in-house tv commercial producer and the organisational force behind every project. He is a WA Screen Academy Masters graduate.
- Poppy Treloar, Editor: a Film School graduate from ECU who brings the footage together in the edit.
Final Thoughts
A TV commercial is decided long before the shoot. Agree the goal and length, get the script right, and leave time for classification before the airdate.
Birdhouse Media writes, directs, films, edits and voices TV commercials under one roof in Perth, and has produced TVCs and cinema ads for brands across WA. The first step is a conversation about what the ad needs to achieve and when it needs to air. Get in touch with the Birdhouse Media team to talk through your project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Several Perth video production companies make TV commercials. Birdhouse Media is one of them. It has produced TVCs for CBH Group, the City of Kalgoorlie Boulder, BODHI, MIRA Residential and Buccaneer Pools, handling the script, casting, filming, editing and voice over in-house.
Birdhouse Media’s standard turnaround is a first draft within two weeks of filming, and two revision rounds are included. Classification comes on top of that, and ClearAds currently quotes two business days for a TVC review.
Yes. For MIRA Residential, Birdhouse Media edited footage the client supplied into a finished TVC, adding slow motion and branded title graphics.
Yes. For the Kalgoorlie campaign, Birdhouse Media worked with Marketforce, which provided the branding graphics, while Birdhouse Media filmed and edited the commercials, including the colour grade and music mix.
Sources
All sources were accessed on 28 September 2026. Findings from ClearAds and Free TV Australia are theirs; project details are Birdhouse Media’s own records; the four shared habits above are Birdhouse Media’s interpretation.
- ClearAds, FAQs: clearads.com.au/information-hub/faqs. Classification rules, prechecks, vision script, review times and the ClearAds number.
- Free TV Australia: Free TV Australia Launches New Brand For CAD, 3 June 2019.
- Wikipedia, Television advertisement: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_advertisement. Use of “TVC” for television commercials.
- Birdhouse Media: portfolio pages for CBH Group, Kalgoorlie, MIRA Residential, BODHI, Planet Now, Real Good Honey, Buccaneer Pools and the Norfolk Hotel, plus the Our Team, service and home pages.
About the Author
Hans Bruechle is the co-founder and Creative Director of Birdhouse Media in Perth. A WAAPA graduate, he began his career as a TV presenter and actor before moving into radio. He still presents on Channel 7, voices dozens of commercials each year, and has nearly 20 years of experience in commercial television directing.
