Task 1: Final Majors Project

Contractual:

A contractual brief is a form of legal document set out by a client that outlines a specific project they’d like the employee to carry out and the guidelines they must follow. Within the media industry the employer will most likely be some form of production company hired by a clientele in order to meet there needs which will be set out within the brief. You may be asked to create a radio advertisement for example- the contract will outline specific expectations from the end product, what they may and may not want to see, an agreed budget, payment methods and deadlines. Failure to meet the guidelines will result in a breach of contract which in turn may lead the client to fire or terminate the contract and even take legal action. The employer will agree to the contractual brief- and sometimes sign for it- if they agree with everything set out.

If I was to carry out a contractual brief project making a radio advertisement I’d be able to utilise my skills in the following four categories in order to expand on my own self-development.

Communication: Communication surrounding a contractual brief will be a lot more formal since you’re agreeing to a legal document; therefore I’d be meeting with the client face-to-face in order to discuss the brief and ask any questions or bring forward any concerns.

Time Management: Contractual briefs are typically used in formal situations and therefore involve strict deadlines which must be adhered too in order to avoid legal action. This means I’d have to use my time effectively; the best way for me to do this would be to create a schedule and update it weekly so that I can manage the project and keep myself on track. A contractual brief would also allow me to develop my time management skills and working under pressure.

Technical Skills: Producing a radio advertisement will allow me to gain more experience working with in a recording/sound studio. I’ll be able to expand on my existent knowledge of using recording equipment, whilst access to a vast sound FX’s and music library will teach me how to source music more effectively. With the help of the editor I’ll be able to gain a more indepth knowledge in using the sound board and editing software such as AviPro tool or reaper.

Career Progression: If I was working as part of a small production team and the client that hired us knew that we were capable of meeting there guidelines and producing work that meets their expectations, then there’s the possibility of them re-hiring us and recommending us to other clients rather than wasting resources in trying to find somebody else.

Negotiated:

When a brief is put forward there may be aspects that the employee- and sometimes client- do not agree on, therefore through negotiation they’ll make changes to the brief and come to an outcome that suits everyone and still follows the guidelines. A negotiated brief means that the project is open to a lot more ideas and suggestions that may initially not have been thought of, however it can cause an unnecessary delay in production. A negotiated brief typically involves compromise from both parties in order to come to a fair and appropriate decision and to avoid incomplete work for the client, firing of the employee and a waste of money and time.

If I was to carry out a negotiated brief project capturing photos for music based magazine, however did not agree on the chosen style, I’d be able to utilise my skills in the following four categories in order to expand on my own self-development.

Communication: Communication surrounding a negotiated brief will be slightly less formal that a contractual one, however it will still consist of face-to-face meetings in order to come to a compromise more easily. E-mailing may further complicate the matter and lead to further confusion and upset; you’re also able to voice your opinion more easily in a face-to-face dilemma and show that you’re listening to the clients opinions and taking them in, without sounding rude.

Time Management: This may be slightly more flexible if you’re able to negotiate it, however you still want to stick to the deadline they’ve given you if you want to be hired by the client again and receive recommendations. This means that I’d need to make sure I’m using my time effectively and following a project schedule that I update weekly to keep on track.

Technical Skills: A photoshoot will allow me to further develop and expand on my photography skills- composition, rule of thirds, f-stop etc. Whilst the editing aspects will allow me to further develop my existing knowledge of photoshop.

Career Progression: If I was a freelance photographer and produced photos that exceeded the clientele’s expectations, there’s the possibility of them hiring me again or recommending me rather than wasting resource looking for somebody else.

Formal:

A formal brief is a contract set out by the client for the employee that lays out all the rule and regulations they’d like them to follow and what project it is they’d like them to do. The brief is very similar to a contractual one in that it provides you with the exact information you need in order to carry out the project; however unlike a contractual brief it may not always outline the legal information which can be risky. The words used within the brief are carefully chosen so that exactly what the client wants is achieved. Both the client and employee have to agree on the contract.

If I was to carry out a formal brief project creating a trainee video for the clients future employees, I’d be able to utilise my skills in the following four areas in order to expand on my own self-development.

Communication: Information for a formal brief needs to be interchanged officially in a professional manner, therefore a face-to-face meeting will be required in order to make sure everything is understood and so that any questions can be asked.

Time Management: A strict deadline will be given in the brief that I must adhere to, therefore I’ll need to utilise my time effectively. In order to do this I’ll create a production schedule that’ll I’ll update and follow on a weekly basis to keep me on track.

Technical Skills: The project will allow me to further develop my camera skills and teach me a new style of filmmaking, whilst the editing process will allow me to further expand my knowledge on adobe premiere pro.

Career Progression: The video will be seen by a number of people, therefore there is the possibility of someone seeking out for me to carry out a project for them. If I meet the current client’s expectations then they may hire me again as to avoid wasting time, money and resources searching for someone else. A brief of this nature also shows that I’m able to work within under formal conditions and follow rules.

Informal:

An informal brief is usually set out in a casual situation verbally and not documented. The client will simply tell the employer what it is they’re after and ultimately leave the employee to carry out the project. This type of brief allows the employee to asks more questions and get a better understating of their client which in turn allows for an end product that meets there standards and expectations.

If I was to carry out an informal brief creating a music video for an aspiring artist, I’d be able to utilise my skills in the following areas in order to expand on my own self-development.

Communication: Just like the brief name suggests, communication will be very casual, therefore I can contact the client over email, telephone or in a casual setting and note take.

Time Management: Although there will be no strict deadline to meet, I’ll ask the client for an indication as to when they want it complete so that I can create a project schedule and keep track of my progress.

Technical Skills: Extensive planning needs to take place beforehand- research, ideas generation, proposals, storyboards etc. These are all skills that will forever be usefull to me within the media industry. Producing a music video for an informal brief will allow me to experiment with different filming styles whilst also allowing me to expand on my own camera skills. I’ll gain a more indepth knowledge on lighting, composition and sound. Whilst the editing aspects will allow me to further expand my editing skills on adobe premiere pro.

Career Progression: Carrying out an informal brief is a chance for you to showcase your skills to both the client and product consumers, therefore allowing you to be noticed by others- particularly other media based companies and future clients.

Commission:

If a larger media corporation- such as the BBC for example- were to hire an independent media company to produce a project for them this would be a commission brief. The brief will be negotiated and talked about between the two media based companies; however the BBC may then decide to hand over the end project to an external client; whilst the independent company will be paid for producing the product, they may also receive some of the money generated once it’s been distributed.

If I was to carry out a commission brief creating a short comedy segment for a larger corporation, I’d be able to utilise my skills in the following areas in order to expand on my own self-development.

Communication: Communication for a commission brief will need to be done face-to-face, over an online video call or telephone in order to discuss negotiations since two media companies working together will have different ideas. We’d need to discuss whether the brief is flexible or whether it can be developed together.

Time Management: They’ll want the final product to be in for a specific date- especially if there selling it on to another company- therefore I’ll have to ensure I follow a specific timeline and meet any of the key dates they may have provided me with. In order to do this I’ll have to ensure that has a production company we have some form of structural production management that includes a production schedule.

Technical Skills: A project of this nature will allow me to expand and develop my skills in a variety of areas, whether its tasks that I’m carrying out or ones that I pick up and help with along the way. These include filming, lighting set up and control, sound, electrical work and editing- adobe premiere pro, after effects.

Career Progression: If as an independent production company we complete the project to the highest of standards there is the possibility of the larger media corporation hiring us again rather than wasting resources looking for someone else.

Tender:

This is when a client- in some cases a larger media corporation- will advertise their brief to smaller production companies who will then bring forward a proposal and pitch it. The client will then offer the job to the company that best suits the brief and what they’ve asked for. The description within the brief advertised is very rough and simply outlines a description of the product they’re expecting and in some cases a budget, its then up to the production company to come up with an idea that stands out from the rest.

If I was to carry out a tender brief which asked of our company to produce a radio news programme aimed at young children and teens, I’d be able to utilise my skills in the following areas in order to expand on my own self-development.

Communication: Communication for a tender brief would be done through a pitch, therefore I’d be developing both my presenting and oral skills.

Time Management: By showcasing a production schedule during the pitch, it shows how committed and prepared we are to the project. Updating it weekly allows us to stay on track and use out time effectively whilst also having some form of structural project management.

Technical Skills: A project of this nature will allow me to expand on at develop my skills in a variety of areas with a recording studio/radio station, whether it’s tasks I’m carrying out or ones that I pick up and help with along the way. These include sound- recording, music, sound effects-. Editing- sound boards, AviPro Tool, Reaper.

Career Progression: If our pitch was chosen and we produced an end product that exceeded the expectations of the client, there’s the possibility of them hiring us again rather than wasting money and resources searching for another independent production company.

Co-Operative:

Co-operative briefs are put in place when a client hires two or more media based companies or freelance workers to produce a product for them; if there is a disagreement between the two parties working together, a negotiated brief can then be drawn up. The brief will outline exactly what it is they’re expecting from the end product, it’s then up to those involved to come up with the ideas.

If I was to carry out a co-operative brief working with another freelancer in order to produce the graphic content for a print based advert, I could utilise my skills in the following areas in order to expand on my own self-development.

Communication: Communication will need to be face-to-face in order to discuss my own ideas as well as the other parties and come to a conclusion; this can be done in an informal situation.

Time Management: A production schedule will need to be made beforehand in order to ensure that we know who’s doing what and when and so that the project runs smoothly; it also means that fair blame can be placed on the person holding the project behind.

Technical Skills: By producing the graphical content for a print based advertisement I’ll be able to expand on both my photoshop and adobe illustrator skills; this includes both the creative and technical aspects of the software- style, colouring, font sizes, placement and effects, whilst also increasing my knowledge of the use of different tools.

Career Progression: Whilst there’s the possibility of working for the client again the other party you’re working with to produce the product may ask for your assistance in a future project.

1) The clientele for the brief is ‘The Big Lunch’- a not for profit lottery funded event that happens once a year in cities across the UK. The aim of the event is to bring

neighbours together, make them stronger and to build community spirit. The form of brief is a competition and open to anybody within the UK.

2) The client asks that you produce your own 60 second interpretation of the original ‘Big Lunch’ TV advertisement which aired on the 11th May 2009. The only three requirements that must be abided are that you include the title card/big lunch logo, tag-line and website URL, the film must be a minute long or less and that you abide by legal rules; some of these include being over 16, a UK resident, a release form being signed from all involved and appearing in the project and no material of illegal nature.

3) Since the brief is for a competition it’s up to you to come up with a time scale, however projects will only be considered if they’re submitted by midnight the 5th July 2009.

4) Since the charitable organisation that organises the yearly event aims to bring neighbourhoods closer, the target audience is every community of all ages, ethnicities, religions and gender across the UK. It therefore needs to appeal to a mass target audience.

5) Master card have obtained a rights cleared basis on a few select samples of song which can be used within the advertisement only, however if you wish to use a song of your own choice you must legally obtain clearance- this includes copyright, usage rights and performance rights- in order for you to be eligible for the competition. Since the advert must aim to appeal to a wide range of people, certain ethical issues must be avoided- this includes prejudice, bigotry, discrimination and illegal, explicit, sexual and violent nature towards any community or person.

6) Due to the nature of the brief there are no constraints other than you must meet the requirements of no more than 60 seconds and have it submitted by the deadline of midnight the 5th July 2009 in order to be considered. It can be filmed and submitted in any format as long as you’re able to provide good quality footage and as no budget or money is provided this is solely up to the creator.

1) The Clientele is Fourwalls, however they’re in partnership with the London Short Film Festival as they’ll be the ones showcasing the winning work. The winning entry will be chosen by housing and film industry experts and chaired by David Lammy MP. The form of brief is a competition, although it does not state who its’ open too, I believe it to be anyone within the London area due to the topic and theme.

2) The client asks that your produce a 3 minute short films that looks at the London housing situation through your own experiences; hence why I believe it to be aimed at London citizens. The film can be of any genre as long as it’s within the time frame and follows the topic of the brief.

3) Since it’s a competition brief it’s up to you to come up with a time scale of when you’ll carry the project out, however to be shortlisted or considered as a winner you must have it submitted by the 31st December 2014.

4) The purpose of the project is too allow people to give their opinions on the current London housing situation. The advertisement designed to support the brief and the questions asked within the brief suggest to me that they’re trying to appeal to the younger generation- those who it will affect the most. This can be gathered from the fact they tell us when you’re most likely to buy your first house as well as asking who you live with as one of the views you can express. Therefore I believe that the client want the products to appeal to other young adults and those higher up such as MP’s who may listen.

5) Legally you must have permission to use any copyrighted music within your short film as well as permission from all that appear with the product. Due to the nature of the project there are certain ethical issues that must be avoided- this involves blaming a minority of people for the situation, bigotry or prejudice.

6) Due to the nature of the brief there are no major constraints other that the theme of topic and the length of product. Since there is no budget provided it’s up to you how little or a lot you spend.

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