Thirty seconds to tell a story.
TVC scripting is a specific craft. What works in print doesn't work in broadcast — timing, the interplay of visuals and dialogue, the discipline of storytelling in thirty seconds. I've written for broadcast across categories for decades.
Commercials where characters interact — lines that sound like real conversation while carrying the brand message and fitting the clock.
Narration that adds something the visuals alone could not — context, emotion, a perspective, not just description.
Spots with minimal words — pacing, imagery, and knowing exactly where the few words that appear should land.
60-second brand films down to 15- and 20-second cutdowns where every frame counts.
The idea and creative approach before the script — or writing to a concept already approved. Either way works.
Understand the single message — and the feeling the film has to create.
Write for the ear and the eye at once, in standard format everyone can read.
How the words and visuals work together, frame by frame.
Tight and focused — through feedback, and again into pre-production.
Proof, not promises
All work →
Creative insights, an eye for detail, quality execution, broader perspective and timely deliveries. That's what you can expect from Nabina.
Commissioning television, through an agency or directly with a production house? I can develop concepts from scratch or write scripts for ideas your team already has — and stay involved through production if that helps.
TVC scripting is often agency work, with production houses, directors and stakeholders involved. I understand that workflow and can fit in at any stage — a pitch, a campaign moving into production, or senior writing on a tight timeline.
How many words fit in a 30-second spot?+
Roughly 75 words of dialogue or voiceover — less than a short paragraph. Every word costs screen time, so the discipline is knowing what to say, what to show instead, and what to leave out entirely.
Do you write the concept too, or just the script?+
Both. Sometimes I start at the concept stage and develop the idea before writing; sometimes I write to a concept your team has already approved. Either approach works.
Will the script actually be producible?+
Yes. I think about locations, casting, effects and budget as I write — not as an afterthought. An idea that's brilliant on paper but impossible to shoot, or ruinously expensive, isn't a good script.
Developing a television commercial?
Whether you're at the concept stage or ready to script, send the brief and I'll come back with how I'd take it on.
Start a brief