Commercial Production in Spain: From Brief to Delivery, Step by Step

If you want to shoot a commercial in Spain, most of the work is done before the camera rolls: a clear brief, an approved script and storyboard, the right local crew and film permits secured on time. The shoot day is only the visible part of that preparation. In this post I explain the steps I follow to take a commercial in Spain from idea to delivery, what goes into the budget and what to watch for on the legal side. Whether you are a brand coming from Türkiye or a business operating in Spain, the process follows the same logic.

Why shoot in Spain

Spain is one of the most popular countries in Europe for commercial and series productions, for a few practical reasons. The light is good for shooting most of the year. Within short distances you can find coastline, mountains, historic old towns, modern architecture and countryside. Major cities have experienced technical crews and equipment rental infrastructure. For a brand, this means being able to create very different visual worlds in a single country.

There is one more advantage from my side: throughout the process I speak with you in Turkish and with the local crew in Spanish. Nothing gets lost in translation during the brief, revision and approval stages. This bridge is the foundation of my video production in Spain service.

Brief and concept: where it all starts

A good commercial starts with a good brief. The first thing I ask for is not a long presentation but clear answers to these questions:

• Who is this video speaking to, and what should the viewer do at the end?
• Where will it run: TV, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, in-store screens, trade shows?
• Which lengths do you need: 30 seconds, 15 seconds, a 6-second short version?
• What is the brand's visual identity, what should be avoided and what sets it apart from competitors?
• What are the delivery date and budget range?

From these answers we develop one or more concepts. A concept is the one-sentence idea and tone of the video. The approved concept becomes the script.

Script, storyboard and shooting schedule

The script is the written version of the scenes, the dialogue or voiceover, and the text that will appear on screen. In a commercial every second counts, so we tighten the script to fit the running time. The storyboard is the script drawn frame by frame or built with reference images. It's the document that gets the client, the director and the director of photography picturing the same film.

Next comes the shooting schedule: which scene is shot where, at what time and with how many people. In Spain, the position of the sun, the location's opening hours and the time windows stated in the permits shape this plan directly.

Budget line items: what you're paying for

Every project is different, so I don't quote figures here, but when you get a quote, these are the line items you should usually see:

• Pre-production: concept, script, storyboard, location scouting, casting, permit applications.
• Crew: director, director of photography, camera assistant, lighting crew, sound recordist, art director, hair, makeup and wardrobe, production assistants.
• Equipment: camera, lenses, lighting, grip equipment, sound gear and, if needed, a drone.
• Talent and model fees: the shoot day fee and the usage rights fee may be separate line items.
• Location: private location rental and public space permit fees.
• Logistics: transportation, accommodation, catering, insurance.
• Post-production: editing, color grading, sound mixing, graphics, subtitles, versions.
• Music: licensed music or an original score.

The most commonly overlooked item is usage rights. Using an actor's face on Instagram for one year is very different from using it indefinitely in several countries, TV included. Discussing this at the start saves you from surprises later.

Building and managing the local crew

For shoots in Spain, I build and manage the crew. Depending on the project, that means a director, director of photography, lighting and sound crew, drone pilot, actors and models, makeup and a location manager. Working with local professionals instead of flying the whole crew in from Türkiye cuts logistics costs and gives you local knowledge on permits and locations. On your side, having one brand representative on set is usually enough.

Film permits and film offices

If you're shooting in a public space in Spain, you need a permit from the city council. Large cities have film offices that make this easier. In Barcelona, the Barcelona Film Commission acts as a go-between for productions and the relevant city departments and provides information on shooting conditions. In Madrid, the Madrid Film Office, part of the Ayuntamiento, plays a similar role. Nationwide, the Spain Film Commission is a network that brings together regional and local film offices and helps you find who to contact in each city.

The type of permit depends on the size of the shoot. A small crew filming on a sidewalk is not in the same category as a shoot that closes a road and parks vehicles. Applications usually require advance notice, location details and insurance. For private locations (cafés, hotels, shops, homes), you get written permission from the owner. Timelines and fees vary by city and season, so on every project I confirm the current rules with the relevant film office.

Drones, image rights and music licensing

Drones: drone flights in Spain are subject to European Union rules, and the competent authority is AESA (Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea). The pilot must be registered as an operator, hold the training required for the flight category and follow airspace restrictions. Flights in urban areas or over crowds also require prior notice to the Ministry of the Interior. That's why I always plan drone shots with a registered, insured pilot.

Image rights: in Spain, a person's right to their own image (derecho a la propia imagen) is protected by law, and commercial use requires explicit consent. That's why actors, models and anyone clearly visible in frame sign a written release form. A separate release is used for the location.

Music: to use a song in a commercial, you need licenses from the owners of both the composition (lyrics and music) and the recording. The faster, more predictable route is a licensed music library or an original score.

The information in this section is a general overview. For your own project, verify the current rules with the relevant film office, AESA and, if needed, a lawyer.

How the shoot day goes

The shoot day starts with a call sheet sent out the day before: who, what time, where. On set, the director runs the scene, and I keep track of the production as a whole, the schedule and communication with you. You watch the scenes at the monitor and give feedback on the spot. That way, when we move into editing, we say "I wish we'd shot that too" as rarely as possible.

Post-production and delivery formats

Once the shoot wraps, editing, color grading, sound mixing, graphics and subtitles begin. I cover this stage in detail in my post on video editing in Spain. For delivery, we don't hand over a single file but a package tailored to where the film will run:

• TV: a master version that meets the broadcaster's technical specs, plus short versions.
• Digital: 16:9 for YouTube and the web, with cutdowns in different lengths.
• Social media: 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Stories, 1:1 or 4:5 for the feed, and subtitled versions that work with the sound off.

Once the film is ready, distribution begins. To get the ad in front of the right audience, ad management in Spain and my post on Instagram and TikTok ads give you a roadmap. If you're looking for a longer film about your brand, read my post on corporate videos; if it's an artist project, check out music video shoots in Spain.

Setting a realistic schedule

One of the questions clients ask most is "how long until it's ready?" Giving an exact date without seeing the project wouldn't be honest, but the factors that drive the schedule are the same on every project. How many rounds it takes to approve the concept and script, whether there's casting, whether a public space permit is needed and how many locations we shoot in determine the length of pre-production. The number of shoot days depends on the number of scenes and the distance between locations. Post-production time is tied directly to the number of versions, languages and revision rounds.

My advice is to plan backward from the launch date. First we lock in the day the film goes live, then we place the delivery, editing, shoot and pre-production dates around it. We also factor in that permit applications have to be filed a certain time in advance, and that in Spain many institutions and suppliers slow down in summer, especially in August. Holidays, vacations and major events in the city can also bring surprises on the location and permit side.

Common mistakes

• Booking locations and crew before the script is approved.
• Setting a shoot date without allowing time for permits.
• Shooting only horizontally and trying to crop social media versions later.
• Licensing talent and music without defining the scope of use.
• The decision-maker not being on set or reachable during the shoot.

If you're planning a commercial in Spain, send me your brief and I'll put together a roadmap that clarifies the process, the crew and the budget items. For details, see my video production page.