This document discusses different types of client briefs that can be used for media projects, including contractual, formal, informal, cooperative, negotiated, commission, tender, and competition briefs. It provides definitions and advantages and disadvantages of each brief type. Key points covered include the importance of thoroughly reading the brief to understand requirements and constraints, discussing the brief with the client to ensure shared understanding before production begins, and potential legal/ethical issues or need for amendments. Opportunities discussed include developing new skills and multi-skilling by working on the project.

1. WORKING TO A BRIEF
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Tom Armstrong

2. CONTRACTUAL BRIEF
Definition
Contractual consists of a media company signing an agreement
to complete a specific task within a set time and a set fee.
Advantages
Having a specific brief will allow to find out what you need to do
without the unnecessary information.
Disadvantages
If the brief is broken then legal action will be put in place
therefor its very important you read everything carefully to
ensure you don't agree to do something you don’t want to do.

3. FORMAL BRIEF
Definition
A formal brief contains the necessary information needed to
complete a project. It provides a media company with a brief that
simply establishes the product they want.
Advantages
The brief contains only the information that you need (it gets
straight to he point and allows for you to have a clear
understanding of what needs to be done.
Disadvantages
A formal brief isn't always legally binding therefore if someone
doesn't follow the contract they may be able to get away with it.
This could be crucial for you.

4. INFORMAL BRIEF
Definition
A informal brief Is a contract that isn't documented and is
usually a verbal agreement.
Advantages
As the client and company discuss the contract and project, you
can be very free to do what you want with the project. This
consists of deciding on the completion date and what you can
add to the contract in your favor.
Disadvantages
This can be risky as there is no documentation of the contract.

5. CO-OPERATIVE BRIEF
Definition
When two or more companies are hired to work on a brief. This companies
will be required to work together to solve any problems. This is the only
brief where there is more than one company working together.
Advantages
With more than one company working on the project (more staff available)
you will be able to complete the task in the set time. Also with more
company's working on the project you will have a wider skill range working
to complete the task.
Disadvantages
If a disagreement occurs a negotiated brief would have to be filled out by
both companies. Another disadvantage would be that because there is going
to be two or more companies working on the project, there will be more
staff required to complete the project. This means you are going to have to
pay more people complete the project.

6. NEGOTIATED BRIEF
Definition
This relates to the co-operative brief. If one or more companies
working on a project comes to a disagreement they will have to
fill out a negotiated brief. Through this negotiation the brief
would be changed in order to please all company's.
Advantages
The advantage to this would be that your side of the
disagreement will be followed up, this meaning that the other
companies will have to accept and compromise with what you
want.
Disadvantages
If your company disagrees with the other companies that your
working with, you will have to compromise to allow for the
project to continue.

7. COMMISSION BRIEF
Definition
This is where a large company hires an smaller independent media
company to create a product for them.
Advantages
The product may then be used by the larger company for an
external client.
Disadvantages
This contract requires the larger company to pay the independent
media company the majority of the profits made by the product
(every time the product is sold, broadcasted and published the
independent company will be paid). This means the large company
wont make the full amount of money made from the product.

8. TENDER BRIEF
Definition
A client will publish that they need a media product made for
them. A production company will then create a proposal that
will be displayed to the client.
Advantages
You may receive a wide range of proposals that you could
choose from.
Disadvantages
As there is multiple company's sending in their proposals, only
one may be picked. If your proposal isn't picked then your work
would've been for nothing. So this process may potentially be
time wasted.

9. COMPETITION BRIEF
Definition
A competition brief is given to all participating production
companies, each company will then compete the brief. The briefs
are then judged and the best one is rewarded with the project. A
competition brief can be seen as a free to enter competition.
Advantages
If your company does win then you will be rewarded with the project
and you will be paid by the client. An advantage if you were the
client would be that you would receive a range of briefs for you to
choose from.
Disadvantages
Only the winning company is paid, so If your company doesn't win
then you have wasted time, resources and possibly money of your
own.

10. MY BRIEF
Which structure/structures will your client brief use?
Reference your reasons for choice/choices
A formal contract will be used by my client. The reasons for this
choice include the facts that the client is willing to trust me as I
well know them therefor no legal constraints need to be put in
order. Another reason for this contract being used would that
the client only wants to instruct me on what to , and therefor
by using this contract they are able to get straight to the point
and inform me on what needs to be done.

11. READING THE BRIEF
Why is important to thoroughly read your brief?
Its important to thoroughly read the brief for many reasons. The first
reason being, you want to ensure that you have fully acquired all the
information you will need. This is important because there may be
guidelines or regulations/constraints that you will have to follow.
A second reason would be that there may be legal constraints that could
be included in the brief. If you don’t thoroughly read trough the brief
and you miss these legal you constraints you could be facing legal
action.

12. READING THE BRIEF
What is the nature and demand of your client brief?

13. NEGOTIATING A BRIEF
Why is it important to discuss the brief with your client prior to
production?
Its important to discuss your brief to ensue that you and your
client are both on the line. By this I mean that you both
understand what needs to be done, for example, you will be
able to discuss the schedule, deadline, legal constraints etc.
This way you wont do anything that the client does not approve
of.

14. NEGOTIATING A BRIEF
What are the advantages and disadvantages of employing discretion
with a brief?

15. NEGOTIATING A BRIEF
Are there any potential legal/ethical/regulatory issues with the brief’s
proposed product?

16. NEGOTIATING A BRIEF
Amendments you have considered to:
The Product
The Budget
The Conditions

17. OPPORTUNITIES
What opportunities could this brief allow you to explore?
Self Development
Learning new skills

18. OPPORTUNITIES
Multi-skilling
Contributing to a project