A contractual brief explains the duties required of an employee and payment terms. It is a legal contract between companies and clients. A commission brief provides artists an opportunity to develop and realize ideas for a commissioner within an agreed budget and timeline. It allows for collaboration between artist and commissioner. A competition brief explains the guidelines and prize for a competition run by a company to advertise a new product or deal. It provides instructions for participating and what must be produced to enter.

1. Joe Hayes
Different Types of Production Briefs
Contractual Brief
A contractual brief is between the client and employees. The contractual brief explains the
duties required and how the company's schemes its work. The contractual brief explains how
the much an employee will receive. The contractual brief includes areas such as what the
employee is agreeing before signing it. A contractual brief must also include the general liability
insurance. It is a legal contract between advertising companies and its client which describes
the duties required as well as the price and payments terms. Producers mainly use Contractual
briefs within the Media industry.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_contractual_brief
The layout of a contractual brief is easy and clear to read meaning it allows the client to
complete their details with no confusion. The client would be asked to include personal
information and certain formalities that are acceptable and necessary to allow them to
complete what they need to do.If I were to do this type of brief for a client, hypothetically
I could do a company logo. In order to successfully do this, I would be required to use
good communication skills to thoroughly listen to what has been asked of me and to
portray it to the clients. Contractual briefs are usually quite formal so I would require
good time management to arrive on time to briefings and meet deadline dates. To help
me create a successful company logo I would need the aid of programmes such as Adobe
Photoshop and/or Illustrator in which my technical skills would need to be applied. If I
were to create a logo, upon succession the company may choose to advertise it and other
companies would pick up on this and could select me to do something of a similar sort for
their company, thus leading onto a progression in my career.
Commission
A commission will lead to a contract for you, as an artist, to create something to a specified brief.
That brief is set by the commissioner and can be very loose or very specific.
A Commissioner will:
Create an opportunity for an artist to produce something new AND specific which will be
detailed in the brief
Will agree with the artist that they can deliver the brief
Will agree to work in collaboration with the artist
Provide an opportunity to bring criticality to an artist's practice
A commission for an Artist provides the following:
An opportunity to develop and realise an idea
A paid job
An opportunity to situate work in the public realm, with different communities and
audiences
An agreement to work in collaboration and partnership with the commissioner from
conception to completion
An agreement to work within the budget and timeline
http://www.artquest.org.uk/articles/view/briefs-and-contracts
A Commission brief is wrote to production companies and you have to make sure that
you state in your brief the main things about your certain product so the target audience,
purpose and messaging. You also need to include both the budget and deadline of the
product. It’s kind of like the client is telling the company their ideas of the product and
wanting them to partner up and help. In commission type briefs you should go into detail
about the feelings of your product and all the different points. Also areas are needed to
be compromised on for instance if the specific product needs to be produced within a
budget. If I were to do this type of brief for a client, hypothetically I could do a Broadcast

2. Joe Hayes
Different Types of Production Briefs
Radio Station. In order to successfully achieve this I would first of all be expected to have
good communication skills such as in the contractual brief, which involve listening
closely to the contractor, as contractual briefs can be very loose or specified briefs. I
would also be required to attend meetings regularly so I would of course be expected to
be on time and meet deadline dates set by the commissioner. My technical Skills would
apply on a project like this because the equipment used is tricky to master but once
you’ve practised it all falls into place and becomes natural to use. In order for your career
to progress within this type of environment you would have to start off at the bottom
(working for free) and then hopefully at some point a company would see your broadcast
slots and offer you a contract.
Formal
A formal written document containing specific and precise details about the goals that needs to
be achieved. The brief gets straight to the point and doesn't contain any unnecessary detail or
information. This type of brief is mainly aimed at a group of people or a business company
rather than individuals. A formal brief is not always a legal document.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_formal_brief
Aformal brief is the type of brief that may change during the process of it. This is usually
due to other requirements, although it does sometimes change though it is still usually
more one of the relaxed type of briefs for the clients. The layout of a formal brief is
usually very calm and easy to read than most. Plus it will always allow the client to
understand more and this means that the client will be able to create the product with no
fuss and in less time. If I were to do this type of brief for a client, hypothetically I could do
an NHS quit-smoking leaflet. This type of brief requires precise communication skills as
like mentioned, formal documents contain ‘specific and precise details about the goals
that need to be achieved’. This leads us onto good time management because formal
briefs are straight to the point so one cannot afford to turn up late to a meeting or a
deadline date because you need all the information you can from the start so you don’t
miss any important aspects of creating the leaflet or product of some sort. In order for my
career to progress I would have to rely on the company I’m working for to use my final
produce and hope other companies seen the potential of me and asked me to do
something of a similar sort for them.
Informal
Informal brief: This type of brief is done face to face through a meeting, all aspects of the brief
must appeal to all members from the client list, the advantages of doing an informal brief is that
it can create a relaxed environment and therefore be created a lot quicker, the disadvantages of
an informal brief is that it can be seen as unprofessional and unclear.
http://sophiehunit5workingwithabrief.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/contractual-formal-
negotiated-informal.html
Informal briefs are generally quite open and done face to face with the client. This usually
makes the client feel a little more relaxed. An informal brief is usually a quicker way to
get the briefing to the client(s). If I were to do this type of brief for a client, hypothetically
I could create a TV Sting. Informal briefs are usually a relaxed style of brief which still
require good communication skills from both the client and the producer to produce a
good outcome of what’s been asked of you. My technical skills would be required whilst
creating a TV sting as I’d be required to use programmes such as REAPER and Adobe
After Effects. If the sting ended up on the television then this would lead to great

3. Joe Hayes
Different Types of Production Briefs
opportunities in progressing my career as other companies would see the sting due to
the TV being a huge industry.
Tender Brief
Tender brief: This is the type of brief you would receive if you are new to the company and
where you would develop your ideas amongst others and from there the company would decide
if you should be the client. The advantages are that it is very relaxed and easy however the
disadvantages are that you may not be chosen as the final client.
http://sophiehunit5workingwithabrief.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/contractual-formal-
negotiated-informal.html
A tender brief is the type of brief in which you would receive if you were a new company
and where one would develop your own ideas amongst a group of others and from there
the company would decide if you should be the client or not for this particular project. If I
were to do this type of brief for a client, hypothetically I could create a TV series ‘pilot’. In
this style of brief it is very important that you are well spoken and communicate clearly
as you are trying to get the company to choose your idea. It is important to be on time, if
not to be early for meetings as this will lead to impressing the company and give good
standing for further progression in your career. I would need to be familiar with software
such as Microsoft and Adobe Illustrator. After producing the TV series ‘plot’, the only
hope in it leading to progression in your career is by it being successful and actually
being broadcasted on the TV.
Negotiated brief
Almost the same as the formal brief except that this kind of brief can have input from both sides
of the creation both the client and the company, this type of brief is normally created over the
phone.
http://sophiehunit5workingwithabrief.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/contractual-formal-
negotiated-informal.html
Negotiated briefs are more relaxed with more room for the negotiation between the
client and the production contractor. If I were to do this type of brief hypothetically I
could do a music video. In order to successfully complete this I would require good
communication skills like any other briefing would require, this includes good listening
and speaking to make sure I correctly fulfil what has been asked of me or what I am
asking clients to achieve. Although negotiated briefs are a relaxed style of brief I would
still require excellent time management as would most things in the professional world,
this includes meeting deadlines and causing no delays that have been unaccounted for.
My technical ability would also be put to use for using software such as Adobe After
Effects to edit and piece together my music video. Negotiated briefs involve much
discussion among clients and contractor, which in the end could result in a good
relationship between you and the company, resulting in more work and career
progression.

4. Joe Hayes
Different Types of Production Briefs
Competition
A competition brief is basically what a company or business will do to advertise certain things
whether it’s a new product or a new deal that they are planning on starting. The brief will
explain all about the certain competition and what you could receive if you do enter and end up
winning this, it will also talk about the company and what they are aiming to do. The brief will
then also give you some information of the certain instructions that you will need to follow in
order to enter this particular competition, plus what you will have to produce in order to take
part in the competition.
http://www.slideshare.net/leeanne123/brief-14633707
Competition briefs normally have something to gain, usually a prize. It lists the strict guidelines of
the competition but at the same time leaves room for the creative interpretation. If I were to do
this type of brief, hypothetically I could create an advertisement for the television.For a brief like
this I would have to make a good impression on the company, this could include being early to
meetings, showing good enthusiasm, taking regular notes so you don’t miss important factors of
the brief and also asking lots of questions to make sure you thoroughly understand what is being
asked of you. It is also extremely important to meet set deadlines, as there will be other people
competing with you and no company would look twice at somebody whose time management is
poor. To create a good advertisement I would be using professional software such as Adobe
Premier and After Effects. As advertisements are a constantly on-going factor within the television
industry, upon succession of creating a good advertisement other companies could pick up on this
and sign me to do an advertisement for them too.
Co-operative brief
A co-operative brief is where you are working with some else, therefor if you are working with
somebody else and not just yourself then you are co-operating. When you are working alongside
somebody else then this is when you will both discuss the brief together having your own
thoughts and opinions and then delivering them to each other in order to put them in to the
brief.
http://www.slideshare.net/leeanne123/brief-14633707
2 creators will come together in a meeting in order to create ideas and finalise some sort of
product. Co-operative briefs are usually held in a location where both creators can meet to discuss
ideas. If I were to do this type of brief for a client, hypothetically I could create an advertisement
for a billboard. As I would be working with somebody else, the first most important thing is
excellent communication and a good relationship between you and your partner(s) to achieve
maximum potential. Time management is also another important factor in Co-operative briefings
because you and your partner would have to plan meetings etc and make sure both are available
for the specified date and time. In order for your career to progress you could hope that the
partner you are working with is already a big name and can help lead you onto bigger companies
etc.