Infomercial Glossary

ADO: An acronym for an Ampex digital video effects system. (DVE)

ANALOG: The collection of audio and video which is presented in a uninterrupted form as voltage measurement.

ANALOG EDITTING: An editing system which manipulates audio and video which is presented in an analog form.

BETA: This refers to Sony's half-inch professional quality video tape format and its equipment which can shoot and record, as well as edit format.

BICYCLE TAPE: When an infomercial which is recorded on video tape is reused One infomercial video can be distributed to various broadcast stations for the purpose of viewing or broadcasting, which drastically reduces the cost of having to duplicate tapes. The bicycle tape practice is used primarily for demo infomercial tapes.

B-ROLL: This is footage which is shot specifically as an interview or narration. Audio from B-roll footage is typically used in the background or as 'sound under, as it is with 'cover shots'.

CALL CENTER: An infomercial call center is a facility that answers inbound, or places outbound, telephone calls.

CALL NOW MOTIVATORS: Specific incentives such as premiums, discounts, bonuses, and sweepstakes which are offered as a bonus to go along with a main product to encourage viewers to call and place an order immediately These motivators can double the sale of an item, but marketers need to be prepared to fulfill every claim. Offering huge bonuses, such as '$10.00 off to every customer calling in the next hour' may bring in a lot of customers, but may be financially difficult to substantiate.

CALL TO ACTION: Displays of price and/or installment payment terms, special "act now" promotional incentives and ordering information, all usually couched in an air of urgency to stimulate immediate response.

CAMPAIGN: This is a description of a product's advertising plan in terms of how it will be developed and executed with the use of production and media placement.

CHIP CAMERA: A type of video camera, considered technologically advanced, which records images with the use of chips This more stable form of video does not drift or burn as older tube cameras do.

COLOR CORRECTION: This is a technical procedure using electronic manipulation of video, transferred film or color. This is done to improve the color of a product which appears off-color during shooting caused by lighting or equipment problems.

COMPARABLES: This is a media time slot which has aired a similar infomercial in the past of a product which has the same basic appeal as a product currently being analyzed.

COMPONENT: When the individual color, chroma characteristics and luminance of a video signal is recorded and transmitted without being first combined, as they are in a composite signal.

COMPOSITE: When a video signal's luminance, chroma characteristics and color are combined and recorded into one transmission signal.

COMPOSITION: The general demographic description of a particular viewing audience.

CONTINUITY PROGRAM: An infomercial offer involving systematically- scheduled purchases over time of a set of products or of product replenishments.

COPY: This is a term referred to by agencies and advertisers to indicate the written words, or words spoken in a commercial. Traditionally, a 'copywriter' is referred to as a person who wrote the copy. But with an infomercial, a copywriter is typically called a 'scriptwriter' because the length of infomercial copy is longer than regular commercials, sometimes 30 or 40 pages.

CREATIVE: A way of describing various production processes such as the concept and scripting phases. The Creative Department describes the person or people responsible for the creative processes.

DEMO FORMAT: This refers to an infomercial program structure that puts the product in the center stage. It's typically shot in a studio and may or may not have a studio audience present. But it always has a product demonstrator who talks about the product while giving a demonstration. This demonstrator may talk directly into the camera or talk with a companion interviewer. A classis demo formatted infomercial is the "Amazing Discoveries" video.

DIGITAL: This refers audio and video recordings which are represented by digits, typically in the binary system.

DIGITAL EDITTING: This is a type of editing which uses equipment to translate analog video into digitized video so that it can be manipulated quicker. Digital editing, which is also referred to as non-linear editing decreases as much as 2/3 editing time.

DIGITAL VIDEO EFFECTS (D.V.E.): This is a procedure, also referred to as A.D.O. or D.V.E., which digitizes video so that it can be manipulated within the frame Common digital video effects are; image flipping, page turns, zooming, sparkle trails, squeezing, and exploding images.

DOCUMERCIAL: This is an infomercial programming format that utilizes production and creative techniques originally used in traditional documentaries. This includes an on-camera spokesperson, multiple location shooting, interviews which are live or taped, voice-over narration, and real people features which are edited into a continuously flowing half hour. The format, which is based on actuality, mirrors that of television news shows like '20/20' or '60 Minutes, and there are not elements of fiction presented in this format unless specified as 'dramatizations'.

DR MEDIA AGENCY: This is a company that buys infomercials or short form media for clients, and charges those clients a billing fee (usually 15%) A DR Media Agency typically reports to their clients the profit potential of each infomercial airing or flights of short form commercial airings being considered. These companies also deliver tapes to the broadcasters. Additional services that are sometimes offered by DR media agencies include scripting, consulting and production.

DRTV: DRTV means Direct Response Television. DRTV is based on using TV infomercials or spots to permit or encourage consumers to directly respond to the advertiser.

DUBS / DUBBING: When video of a DRTV commercial is duplicated with the intention of distributing it to television stations and cable networks to be aired.

EDI: An acronym for Electronic Data Interchange, a method of trading documents such as orders, invoices and delivery schedules, by electronic means from one corporate system to another, rather than in paper form.

ERA: The Electronic Retailing Association, "the trade organization for the infomercial marketplace."

FEATURE: This term is used by infomercial directors and produces to describe a long profile of a person (up to 10 minutes) It's typically a profile of a product inventor or a testimonial from a satisfied consumer. A feature is typically presented in a 'news fashion' and intends to tell how a product has had a positive impact on a person's life.

FILM LOOK: This is an electronic filming technique intending to give video a softer look, appearing more like a film than a newscast.

FILM TO TAPE TRANSFER: This is when film images are transferred to video tape using a video camera The film is first projected into the video camera and then it is edited electronically instead of cutting and reattaching the film which is how traditional film editing is done.

FORMAT: This is the basic creative concept of an infomercials' overall structure.

INFOMERCIAL: A 30-minute TV program the object of which is to motivate the viewer to respond directly by purchasing the featured product or service.

IMC: Infomercial Monitoring Service, Inc. A media service that reports the number and volume of infomercials aired on networks monitored and issues weekly reports ranking the leaders.

KITTING: aka contract packaging. The physical task of collecting and assembling materials that serve as components of an assembled presentation, product or package.

LECTURE FORMAT: This is a type of infomercial that is often features a charming speaker who addresses a studio audience about his or her product. Examples of successful infomercial speakers are Susan Powter, Gary Cochran and Covert Bailey.

LINEAR EDITTING: This is a form of editing, also referred to as analog editing, where one image is strung together with another image until there is one long string of video cuts. The disadvantage to this form of editing is that a change required in the middle of a video would require everything after that change to also be re-edited.

LIGHT TABLE: This is a transparent table that has an "L" curve, which displays infomercial products in a favorable light. The see-through table allows for effective lighting techniques to be used to best show off a product.

LOGGING: This refers to a process in the first stage of post production of an infomercial where a record of all of the good takes and shots, as well as the start and stop points of their time codes are kept. This may require hours of sifting through tons of field shot footage in order to find the best shots for the rough, off-line edit.

LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT: Negotiating with carriers and organizing packaging and shipping so that freight costs are minimized.

LONG FORM: A 30-minute infomercial. One of the two basic formats for direct response TV advertising.

LONG FORM INFOMERCIAL: This refers to a 30 minute infomercial. This is the general format for direct response TV advertising.

MASS RALLY FORMAT: This is an infomercial programming format that is like a mass rally. It's typically shot in a large auditorium with thousands of enthusiastic people in the audience. The first to use this format with success is 'Herbal Life' in 1984. Top sales people and enthusiastic dieters preached about herbal life in front of an appreciative crowd.

MASTER: The Master is the finished edited version of a completed infomercial.

MASTER DUB: This is the dub of a master infomercial version with a particular 800 number edited in, and other dubs with the same 800 number will get sent to different market TV stations.

MEDIA BUY: The TV or radio time, or print space, purchased to communicate an offer to potential customers.

MERCHANT ACCOUNT: An account at a bank that allows a direct marketer to accept payment in the form of credit cards.

M.O.S.: This means 'without sound' It describes the lack of audio during a particular part of a script.

NON-LINEAR EDITING: This is also called digital editing. It is the ability to manipulate images and sound in a random order. If you make an editing change to a shot 5 minutes into a 30 minute infomercial, the rest of the film isn't affected.

OFF-LINE EDITING: This is when infomercial audio, images and graphics are electronically assembled in a rough manner. It is a less expensive way of making an infomercial, because the equipment is cheaper and it takes less time.

ON-CAMERA: This is a notation in an infomercial script which indicates that a person or an object needs to appear in the taped or filmed image.

ON-LINE EDITING: This is the final stage of putting an infomercial together using top quality, high-end equipment and paying high hourly rates. The infomercial's off-line edit is usually translated onto the on-line edit for a final master tape on 1 inch video tape.

PAYMENT PROCESSING: A system that enables secure, real time processing of online credit and debit card transactions, including authentication and verification.

PER INQUIRY FEE (P.I.F.): This is when a station accepts a percentage (typically 20 to 35% of the total sales generated) of the sales from DRTV commercial as payment. Smaller cable networks and stations may accept this form of payment, which is also referred to as per order, and they basically become a partner with the direct marketer. This practice was used more in the 80's. The problem with a per inquiry fee is that there's typically not enough time available to allow for a strong campaign.

POST PRODUCTION: This is when video, graphics and audio are electronically assembled using both on-line and off-line editing.

PRE-PRODUCTION: This is a stage of organization that happens right before the infomercial production, which requires research, set design, location scouting, hiring of the crew, pre-interview testimonials as well as production scheduling.

PRODUCER: The producer is the person responsible for organizing, managing and executing an infomercial production. The responsibilities of a producer include the hiring of freelancers, budgeting and scheduling.

PRODUCTION: Production refers to the actual process of filming or video taping a DRTV script.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: A production company is the company that actually does the taping or filming of a commercial production.

PRODUCT SHOTS: Product shots are display shots of the product in a complimentary fashion, like a beauty shot for the product.

RESPONSE: Response refers to the results of an infomercial telecast.

ROLL-IN: Roll-in refers to a video segment (anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes long) that has been pre-taped and then played back and put into an airing of a live telecast.

ROLL-OUT: Roll-out is when an infomercial has been deemed a success and is ready for regional or national distribution. A roll-out can result in the purchase of $2 million worth of media each month, having telecasts in almost all of the 211 markets. The maximum media spending often gradually meets its expansion in 2 to 4 months.

RF SCANNING: RF Scanning is an essential part of an inventory control system, RF scanning makes it possible to locate every item in a warehouse with complete precision.

RUN OF STATION (R.O.S.): Run of Station refers to media time that is bought on discount because the station keeps the right to insert the commercial wherever it sees fit, within set time periods (like between noon and 4 PM). The run time is determined by the station.

SAVE-THE-SALE: A call center function wherein the agent attempts to deal with a complaint in such a way as to reassure the customer and avoid the return of the product.

SHORT FORM: An infomercial TV format utilizing one or two-minute commercials.

SIGNPOST: This is a term that describes an on-camera spokesperson that does the introduction of a storymercial fictional segment, and then reappears occasionally throughout the infomercial to remind viewers about the main product benefits.

SIT-COMMERCIAL: This is a style of infomercial programming that imitates a situation comedy.

60'S, 90'S AND 120'S: These are the lengths (in seconds) of short form commercials. The 60's and 90's are easier media to purchase than the 120's. Commercials which are 10's, 15's and 30's are used mainly by image or awareness advertisers and they are not considered effective for DRTV.

SPOKESPERSON: A central figure in an infomercial or spot, usually a celebrity, athlete or original developer of the featured product. Spokespersons lend credibility and provide reassurance of quality by virtue of their charisma and reputation.

SPOT: This is an image/awareness commercial, typically 50 to 60 minutes long that is not a DRTV commercial. Advertisers who are not DRTV define a 'spot as a purchase of advertising on a local broadcast TV station, which is purchased market by market.

STORYMERCIAL: This is an infomercial that uses actors to perform a fictional story in order to showcase a featured product.

SUBMASTER: This is when video and audio tap is assembled so that it can later be used in the final edit of an infomercial.

SUPER: This refers to the text and the graphics which are superimposed over other film or video.

SWEETENING: This refers to a process which takes place post production where audio and music are mixed and added to the final edited version of an infomercial.

TALK SHOW FORMAT: An infomercial programming format the imitates a talk show.

TESTING: Running infomercials or spots on a limited basis prior to national rollout to evaluate the appeal of the product, the offer, the show content or the media strategy.

TEST MEDIA: This refers to a new time slot for an infomercial or a time slot that hasn't been used by the infomercial in the last 4 weeks.

TONALITY: This refers to the look and the feel of a commercial as a result of the setting, lights, camera angles, image quality, message and casting

TREATMENT: This is a 2 to 6 page description of what a particular infomercial will look like, and the message it will communicate. This is often the initial script.

UPSELL: Suggesting to the purchaser of an infomercial product that he could add to his original purchase in some value-enhancing way, such as with a useful accessory or a deluxe, more fully-featured model.

VIDEO MAGAZINE: This is an infomercial programming format that is like a documentary only with a lighter style. If often uses a male and female co-hosts and multiple on-location shoots, like "PM Magazine"