Unit 5

Understanding the requirements of Working to a brief

introduction
This document will be explaining the different types of briefs in the
creative media industry. Each brief will be explained using my
knowledge and understanding of each one as an individual.
Contractual brief
A contractual brief is a legal contract which explains the expectations
between the client and the producer. It will explain to the client what is
exactly is included. These types of briefs contain elements like
timetables, pay, deadlines etc. It is when a media company is employed
to do a project for a client and will have to follow a strict set of
guidelines and if not followed could result in the client wanting to take
legal action. An advantage of this type of brief is the producers will
know exactly what is expected of them. An example of contractual brief
would be a company like marvel hiring a production company to make
a movie.
Negotiated brief
A negotiated brief is when the terms of the brief are negotiable. If there
are some issues between the client or the production company, it can
be discussed and there can be a range of changes made. This is a major
advantage of this type of brief. The production company can give their
opinion or ideas more freely. A disadvantage of this could be if the
product is a flop, it could then affect the reputation of the company.
Formal and informal
Formal: A formal brief is a document which will give you detailed
information about what the client wants, this outlines what the
production company needs to do. It is usually easy to understand and
will not include unnecessary information. A good advantage of this type
of brief is that its easy to understand which make it easier for the
company to get the job done more sufficiently. On the other hand, a
disadvantage is that the media company might want the client to give
them more information.
Informal: An informal brief is when there is no contract involved or any
form of documentation. It is a lot more casual and would be discussed
between the client and the producer verbally. An advantage is there is
no contract restrictions, so the media company can improvise and work
more freely. However, a disadvantage is there are no legal
requirements which means no proof of any work done. An example of
this type of brief would be making a short video with your friends.
Commission
A commission brief is when a large company commissions a smaller
media company to work with them on a project. It is negotiated
between the two companies, as opposed to having an external client.
An advantage of this is the fact it gives smaller companies the
opportunities to work on projects. The downside of this is the two
company’s working side by side, this could come cause some conflict.
Tender
A tender is when a client advertises that they need a product to be
created then production companies will make a pitch for the
opportunity. Then the client will choose one of the production
companies to do the project. An advantage of this is that the client has
more options, but the disadvantage is it could waste the time and
resources of the production companies that were not chosen.
Co-operative
A co-operative brief is when two or more production companies are
hired to work on the same project. When they receive the brief from the
client they can begin working (as a team). This can allow for faster
completion time, since there are two companies working on it.
Competition
A competition brief is a document that is given to competitors, that
outlines the instructions and the entry criteria which needs to be met.
This is usually a great way to get some exposure, which can provide
showcase your work. A disadvantage is that the reward might not equal
the effect or input.

Reading a brief
It is obviously very important for a producer to read through the brief,
otherwise they may finish the project with a lot of problems. It may not
be what the clients has requested. This could mean that the client will
not pay if the final product is not what they wanted. If it is not followed
properly it could cause problems and they could struggle to finish it to a
high standard. It is also important to discuss the brief with the client
prior to the production just so they can discuss any queries they may
have before its finalized.
Negotiating a brief
It is very important to discuss the brief with the client before you start
the project. So the client can answer any questions you may have about
the brief, because if you do not understand what the client wants and
continue with production it will increase the chances of the product not
being what the client wanted. This could mean that the production
company will not get paid. Ending in a waste of time and money.
While Negotiating with the client you can discuss your own ideas for the
project and if the client likes your ideas it will give you the go ahead to
go forward with them.
The topics you may need to negotiate would be the quality: of the
product and what the client is expecting from it. The budget: sometimes
the budget will not fit in with what the client wants, and that would
need to be discussed. The conditions: like wages, again needs to be
discussed it is important that you know the amount you are going to
get paid before you sign the contract, this would be bad if the project
cost more than you thought meaning this could end up costing you.
Opportunities
Self-development: it will allow the producer and the client to learn new
skills while working on a brief. By learning teamwork, negotiation skills
and learning new ideas for the future.