Media Production · Advertising Films
Scripted advertising films for paid social, YouTube, broadcast and screens, planned from the media plan backwards so every cut fits the placement it is bought for.
An advertising film is bought space. Every second on a Reels placement, a YouTube pre roll or a mall screen in Dubai has a cost attached, so the commercial has to say one thing clearly, early and in the shape that placement expects. Our commercial videography for brands in Dubai and across the UAE is planned from that end: where the ad will run, who is watching, and what they should do next.
You receive a finished master film plus the cutdowns and aspect ratios your media plan needs, with Arabic and English versions where required, subtitle files, and a delivery sheet that lists each file against its placement. If your campaign is an event recap or a product launch reel rather than a scripted ad, promo videography is the better fit.
Pre production
In commercial videography for Dubai, most problems in an ad shoot are decided long before the camera rolls. These are the documents you review and approve before production day.
One core message, a hook that works in the first seconds with the sound off, and a clear end frame. The script is timed to the longest cut, then marked up to show which lines survive in the shorter versions.
Frame by frame drawings or reference stills showing composition for both horizontal and vertical crops, so nothing important ends up outside a 9:16 frame when the film is reframed.
Talent is cast to the audience you are buying, then booked with usage terms written down: which platforms, which countries and for how long the footage may be used.
Shortlisted locations are checked for light at the planned hour, noise, power, parking and whether the owner will issue written permission. Outdoor summer shoots in the UAE are scheduled around heat.
Filming permits in Dubai
Under Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 16 of 2012, the Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC) is the only body authorised to license filming for media production in the Emirate, and it coordinates approvals with the government and private entities that manage locations. Its published guidance is direct about scope.
We build the permit into the schedule of every Dubai shoot, and shoots in other emirates are checked against that emirate’s own authority.
Deliverables
In commercial videography for Dubai brands, a single horizontal film squeezed into every placement wastes media spend. We plan the frame for each ratio at storyboard stage.
| Cut | Ratio | Where it runs | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master film | 16:9 | YouTube, websites, presentations, many digital screens | YouTube Help names 16:9 as the standard ratio on computer |
| Vertical cut | 9:16 | Instagram and Facebook Reels, Stories, TikTok, YouTube Shorts | Meta recommends 1440 by 2560 pixels for Reels ads and keeping about 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% of each side clear of text and logos |
| Feed cut | 4:5 or 1:1 | Instagram and Facebook feed, LinkedIn | Titles pulled away from the bottom and side edges |
| Short edits | Any of the above | Retargeting, bumper slots, story sequences | Lengths set per placement in the media plan |
| Screen and broadcast | As specified | Cinema, TV, out of home screens | Technical specs come from the media owner and are confirmed before the edit |
Platform specifications are taken from Meta’s Ads Guide and YouTube Help, checked on the date listed in the sources.
In commercial videography, Dubai’s bilingual campaigns are far easier to plan than to patch. When both languages are in the brief from the start, dialogue scenes are staged so either voiceover can sit over them, product shots are filmed without printed English that would clash with an Arabic version, and supers are designed with room for Arabic to read right to left without crowding the logo. The edit is then locked once, and each language version is conformed from the same timeline, which keeps the cuts identical across both audiences.
Production and post
Objective, audience, placements, languages, deadline for launch. You receive a written scope with the cuts, versions and licences listed.
Script, storyboard, cast, locations and permit status approved in writing before production spend begins.
Filmed to the approved shot list, with extra coverage for the vertical frame and cutaway shots the short edits depend on.
Offline edit for structure, then colour grade, sound mix, voiceover, supers and end frame. Captions are burned in or delivered as a separate file depending on the platform.
You review a watermarked link with time coded comments, then receive final files named by placement and language.
Around the film
In commercial videography for Dubai, the film is the expensive asset, so it pays to connect it to the media buy early. Our social media advertising and Google Ads management services can run the placements, ad design produces the matching static creatives, and Arabic and English translation handles scripts and subtitles.
If the idea works better as animation than live action, look at motion graphics. The full range sits under media production services.
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Read the articleStraight answers
A commercial is a scripted advertisement made to be placed in paid media, so it is written around one message and one call to action. A promo covers a real moment, such as an event or launch, and is built from what happens on the day. We cover promos on a separate page.
In most cases, yes. The Dubai Film and TV Commission states that permits are required for advertisements on all media platforms, including online, whether the location is government operated or private. The permit is applied for through a UAE licensed production company and is planned into each shoot.
Yes, if it is planned that way. We write the script so on screen text and voiceover can be swapped, record both voiceovers, and leave space in the layout for Arabic text, which usually needs different line lengths.
You receive a fixed written quote, scoped to your brief, once the script direction, number of shoot locations, cast and versions are agreed. Changes to scope after approval are quoted separately before any work starts.
That depends on the licences agreed before the shoot. We list the music licence terms and the talent usage terms, including platforms, territories and duration, in the proposal so you know exactly where the ad can run.
Sources
Fixed price, in writing
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