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Your 30-Second AI Ad

The capstone project for AI Film Ads: from Brief to 30-Second Spot — a free AI & Emerging Tech course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.

Start the course free Download the project workbook

The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.

What you will submit

One shared folder link (set to 'anyone with the link can view') containing the 30-second ad, the 15-second cut, the 9:16 version, and one document with the brief, the script, the shot list, the prompt sheet, the disclosure line, the rights note and the results plan.

What to do, step by step

  1. Part 1. Choose a product: an invented one (give it a name, a logo and colours of your own) or a real one whose owner has given you written permission. Do not use a real brand's name or logo without permission, and do not hand back the course's Second Hand trailer example.
  2. Part 2. Write a one-page brief with the seven parts from the course: objective, audience, the one thing to say, why they should believe it, mandatories, budget and deadline, and deliverables.
  3. Part 3. Write a script for about 30 seconds in two columns, SEE and HEAR, with the seconds for each line. It must have a hook in the first 3 seconds, a problem, a turn where the product changes things, and a payoff with the brand.
  4. Part 4. Write a numbered shot list: for every shot give the seconds, shot size, angle, movement, what happens, and the source (real photo or footage, or which AI tool). Then write a prompt sheet: the prompt for every AI shot, and the fixed character and product descriptions you pasted into them.
  5. Part 5. Make the 30-second ad in 16:9 (or 1:1 if it is only for social media, with one sentence saying why). Use free tools and, for key shots, Higgsfield or another paid tool if you have one. Add the logo, pack shots, on-screen words and end card in your editor, not in the prompt.
  6. Part 6. Make a 15-second cut that works on its own (keep the hook and the brand ending, cut whole beats) and a 9:16 version for phones with everything important inside the safe zone and captions for every spoken line.
  7. Part 7. Show a disclosure line in the ad (for example "Made with AI"), and say which platform AI labels you would switch on. Write a short rights note: where every voice, music track, sound effect, face and logo came from, with the licence or permission. Write one paragraph on what you would measure and what would count as success.
  8. Put everything in one folder (Google Drive or similar) with the three videos and one document, and submit the link with access set to 'anyone with the link can view'.

Files to work with

Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 7 KB

How it is graded

CriterionWeight
The brief is clear and the ad delivers its one message: the story has a strong hook, the product is the turn, and the payoff lands with the brand30%
Craft: shots are planned in film language, characters, props and the product stay consistent, and the brand assets are correct and readable20%
The 15-second cut works on its own and the 9:16 version keeps faces, product, text and logo inside the safe zone, with captions20%
The script, shot list and prompt sheet match the finished ad and are complete enough for someone else to remake it15%
Disclosure, rights and results: a visible disclosure line, a rights note covering every voice, track, face and logo, and a sensible results plan15%

You need 65% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted once free; further attempts come with the All-Access Pass or as a paid retake.

Before you submit: make your link public

If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to finish AI Film Ads: from Brief to 30-Second Spot before submitting the project?

Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in AI Film Ads: from Brief to 30-Second Spot is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.

How is the project graded?

An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 65% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.

Can I resubmit if I fail?

Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.

What do I actually submit?

A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters) plus a public link to your work — a Google Drive folder, Google Doc, spreadsheet, GitHub repository or video. The link must open without sign-in; a private link cannot be graded. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 8 steps.

Is the certificate real?

Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.

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Ready to earn this certificate?

AI Film Ads: from Brief to 30-Second Spot is self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.

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