FINAL MAJOR PROJECT; LO1 BRIEFS.

Task 1: Comprehensively describe why working to a brief is important in the media sector for
both company and client (100 words) (P)
A brief is important because it gives the company and the client an agreed understanding of what is
required for the production. The brief outlines the background providing the big picture view, it
enables the company and the client to agree the main objective, the target audience and what the
most important message is to get across. It forms the basis for the production ensuring that the is fit
for purpose and avoids future waste and possible rework. The brief also helps the company and the
client understand and agree the schedule.
Task 2: Discuss each of the above Briefs in your OWN words (please do not cut and paste or
plagerise) and discuss the pros and cons for each brief within the Media industry (give
examples where possible)
Informal Brief:

An Informal brief is not usually documented and it is usually verbal. This is where the client and the
company simply discuss the requirements for the product or production that they will be making. An
informal brief does not allow the company or the client to agree a documented view of the big picture
and objectives and as a result this that can lead to wasted effort and costs and a fall out between the
client and the company. An informal brief does not help the company or the client check
understanding and can lead to disputes. An informal brief might allow is a speedy start within the
progress of the production, or if you have worked with the client before and had a good understanding
of the client requirements this can enable the company to save costs.
Example below:
http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/docs/pdfs/informal-brief-(other-pro-se-cases).pdf?sfvrsn=6


Tender Brief:

A Tender Brief is where a client would advertise their brief and a production company would bring
together a proposal that will pitch to the client, within this there could be multiple pitches to the client
from many different companies, it is then that the client is able to choose the proposal that think will
best suit their brief and offer the job to the production company. The pro of this brief is that the
company is able to produce a proposal and pitch the idea to the client, there would also be many
different pitches, and the client is able to hear a lot of different ideas/proposals and can then chose
the one which would then best suit their needs, although the cons for the company is a lot of the time
pitching within its own cost and end up losing a lot of money. Another con is that if that client has not
worked with the company before there is a risk that the company cannot deliver against the proposal.
Example below:
http://www.missionmodelsmoney.org.uk/sites/default/files/CFTenderFINAL.pdf



Formal Brief:
A formal brief is where the media company has been given a brief where the client has outlined a brief
description of the their requirements. This brief is very open and will only give enough information to
be able to make the product, if there are any issues or information that the company would want to go
over this can be discussed during the negotiations with the client. Both the client and the company
employed by them would then formally agree on the project and the brief but it is not always legally
binding which can lead to lengthy disputes further on in the process.
This type of brief sets the goals that need to be achieved. The brief would then get straight to the
point and doesnt contain any unnecessary detail or information. This type of brief is mainly aimed
toward a group of people or a business company rather than individuals. The cons of this is that it can
be legally binding, although the pros of this brief is that it wont contain any unnecessary details and it
would get straight to the point.

Contractual Brief:

A contractual brief is an effectively a contract where a media company is employed by the client in
order to completely a project in specific guidelines which would be set for them. It is very important
for the media company to follow these guidelines and to do exactly what the client states within the
brief and failure to do so could result in the client suing the company for breach of contract. A
contractual brief can also protect the company from spending more as a result of the client changing
their requirements during the production process. Contractual Briefs normally tend to include legal
constraints and consequences if the company does not follow the exact instructions stated. It is
usually the big media companies who tend to this sort of brief like the BBC.

Example below:
http://beach.silcom.com/~tomjolly/contract.htm



Commissioned Brief:
A large media company would employ other independent media companies to create and produce
the project for them, after the product has been made, the larger the company might use the
product for a client who will pay the independent company for making the product and they would
even get a cut of the royalties as well. The brief is not negotiated between the company and the
client, but between the two media companies. There are risks in this as the independent company
could spend a great deal of time and effort on a production that never gets used. The advantages
for the larger media company is that it has had to spend a great deal of money on production and
can make use of the independents that best meet the needs of its clients.
Example below:
http://www.standard.co.uk/londonlive/london-live-commissioning-brief-2014-9077808.html
Cooperative Brief:

Within this type of brief there would usually be two or more companies that are hired by the client
to work on their brief. After both companies have received the brief. If there is a disagreement or
conflict in ideas there can be a negotiated brief which can be put in order to resolve these issues. It
is able to share costs, and is able to create joint creative thinking which is where the two companies
are able to work together in a creative manner.

Negotiated Brief:

A Negotiated brief is when the two sides would have different ideas but they would need to make an
agreement. There will almost always be a negotiated brief between clients. The final brief will
compromise both ideas and needs. A pro of this type of brief is that the team are able to work out
and agree with different ideas.





Task 3:
Detail which briefs you will be creating and working to for your final major project and why.
(You will need a negotiate brief and at least one other) (P,M,D)
The brief I will be working toward would be a negotiated brief, this is because I will have a few ideas
and I would need to be able to choose the best idea out of them and perhaps adapt the final idea
made. I would also do a tender brief, which is where I would advertise my brief put together a
proposal and then pitch it, they would then be multiple pitches within different companies it is then
that the I am able to choose the proposal that think will best suit my brief and offer the job to the
production company.
I will be using the negotiated brief and formal brief and I think that they would be good toward my
final project. The reason why I am choosing these two briefs is because with the negotiated brief I can
have three or four ideas and choose the best out of them and adapt them to be better with the client,
and with the formal brief, since I am an individual I would not be able to afford to spend any money on
lawyers preparing contracts. However I do want guidance as to the requirements so I do not spend
too much money in the wrong direction. I also would like to get the formal brief signed off for me and
the client, so as we both have an agreed view on what the main picture is, what the purpose of the ad
is, who the target audience is going to be, and what the single most important thing to say, what
schedule we will be working to, and what I need from my client to make the production a success.
The main and important parts of my brief will be my Target Audience, my target audience I want to be
aimed toward the middle to upper class, aged 25+ because of the product I will be using, the target
audience are able to afford the product. The length of my production will be 30 seconds long, and my
music will not be royalty free, this is because I want the music to be dramatic and the band Two
Steps from hell creates the music I had in mind for my production. I will be keeping to my
requirements and aspects of my brief by making sure that when filming my advert I still have the
target audience in mind and this will also be the same when editing.
For my music, to make sure that I keep to the requirements of my brief, I will find the music before I
start filming to make sure that when I do start to film, the shots I use will fit with the music I have
chosen. To make sure that my advert is 30 seconds long for the length of my production, I will make
sure to keep the requirements as when I edit, I can mark the 30 second point, and then each short
piece of footage I import into the editing programme, will ensure that my production (advert) does not
exceed this time limit, also, to ensure that I keep to the initial length of my production, when filming, I
will make sure that the clips I have are lot of short clips to make sure that the length of the production
does not exceed limits.