The document discusses different types of client briefs that can be used between media companies and clients. It defines and compares the advantages and disadvantages of contractual, formal, informal, co-operative, negotiated, commission, tender, competition, and my brief structures. The key types discussed are contractual briefs, which are legally binding, formal briefs which provide written details but are non-binding, and informal briefs which involve only verbal agreements and carry risks. The document also notes how different structures suit different needs of clients and media companies.

1. WORKING TO A BRIEF
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Amelia Browne

2. CONTRACTUAL BRIEF
Definition
Where a contractual agreement to complete a set task within a certain
time frame is signed by a media company, this set task will also have a
fee set. The contract must be read thoroughly before being singed to
ensure that you are not agreeing to anything which you do not want to
do. Once this contract is signed the media company needs to stick to
what had been agreed otherwise this would be classed as a breach of
the contract, which may result in legal action being taken against the
media company.
Advantages
The other party must stick to what they agreed in the contract otherwise
legal action could be taken place, this is beneficial as it creates certainty
that the brief is to be followed out exactly as neither party would want
legal action to be taken.
Disadvantages
However if you do not follow the brief then legal action can be taken
against you this could involve not meeting a deadline etc. this would put
additional pressure on the media company, and also restrains creativity
as there is no room for interpretation. The contract also makes it harder

3. FORMAL BRIEF
Definition
This is similar to a contractual brief in the sense that both the client and the
media company will formally agree on the project and its terms, this brief
contains only the necessary information to complete the project, any
additional information needed will need to be gained when negotiating with
the client. Formal brief is however different from a contractual brief as it is
not always legally binding.
Advantages
This form of brief is not legally binding meaning that, if any issues arise
such as the media company is unable to complete the work on time the
client wont be able to take legal action against them.
It will provide written information about what the client requires, this is
useful as unlike with an informal brief the media company is able to get a
more solid idea of what the client requires. They can also refer back to this
information, to aid in the production
Disadvantages
The brief only contains the necessary information needed to complete the
project, Therefore any additional information will need to be gained during
negotiations with the client this is a disadvantage as this is not clearly set
out beforehand, making the production process more time consuming
Another disadvantage is that the contract is not legally binding meaning that

4. INFORMAL BRIEF
Definition
An informal brief is where No contract or written documentation is involved
throughout, therefore a verbal agreement is likely reached between the
client and the media company to undertake work, this can be beneficial as
requirements can be fairly open as things such as a completion date may
not be set. however there are risks involved due to the lack of written
contract.
Advantages
Things such as a completion date may not be set in an informal brief,
therefore removing pressure form the media company in regards to the
production of the product.
The client and company discuss and agree upon the project, this is
beneficial as it ensures that both parties are happy with the set brief, as
they both have a say in what is to be undertaken.
Disadvantages
This brief can be risky due to not having a contract involved as, the client
can easily back out of prior negotiations on aspects such as the price, and
the lack of contract mean that the media company can take no legal action
as there is no proof of these agreements.
The lack of written agreement also means that the media company don’t

5. CO-OPERATIVE BRIEF
Definition
Where a client hires more than one production company to work
together to complete a specific brief provided by the client. More than
one media company will work together as they will provide different
skill sets which the other company doesn't have for example a graphic
designer and a videographer may work together if a client wanted a
print campaign and a promotional video
Advantages
This is good for the client as they are able to have a greater diversity of
media product (e.g. print advertising and TV adverts) helping them to
reach a greater audience and catch attention in different ways
This benefits the media companies as working with other media
producers often sparks new ideas and presents refreshing challenges
Disadvantages
However If a disagreement occurs a negotiated brief would have to be
submitted to appease both companies, meaning that all parties may
not be completely satisfies with the outcome of the work and the brief.
Also the organisation of the project is more complex due to the
additional people which need to be dealt with.

6. NEGOTIATED BRIEF
Definition
If there was more than one media company working on the brief, they may have to
negotiate the brief with the client and each other if they had conflicting ideas in
regard to the project. It is necessary that all parties are happy with the changes
and the new brief, compromises will therefore have to be made by both parties.
Changes could involve ensuring that the product of the brief will stay within legal
or ethical boundaries or could simply involve changing the visual style or
content.
Advantages
The creative input from a number of parties could result in an improved idea
rather than the one initially given as beneficial elements can be taken from each
party, therefore improving the product/s
The changing of the brief due to legal/ ethical issues would benefit the client as it
prevents future issues from arising, saving future time and money for the client.
This also prevents the media producer from being held responsible if any of
these issues where to occur as they have already been dealt with.
Disadvantages
Both parties have to compromise to allow for the project to continue, meaning
that neither may be completely happy with the work that they are undertaking,
this could prevent creativity resulting is a worse final product.
The necessary negotiations will also take up production time as this cannot start

7. COMMISSION BRIEF
Definition
This form of brief is negotiated between two media companies rather than a
client, and is where a large media company hires an independent media
company to create a product for them; usually because the large media
company doesn't specialise in the area which they want the product for. The
large media company may then use the product for an external client. The
smaller company will be paid for their work, and may also receive part of
the profit each time the product is sold etc.
Advantages
Beneficial for the larger media company as they are able to have a media
product to use from an area which they do not produce media in, meaning
that they can have more diverse products even though they are not able to
create them all.
This is also beneficial for the smaller media company as this form of brief
provides them with the opportunity to produce work for larger projects
which they would of otherwise been unable to participate in.
Disadvantages
The larger media company has to pay an external company for production
which likely costs more than if they were able to produce the work
themselves.

8. TENDER BRIEF
Definition
Where a client published that they need a product made. A media company
then having seen this will create a brief, budget and proposal which they will
then pitch to the client. Often more than one media company may provide a
brief to the client, meaning that the client has a greater amount of choice for
which brief they want to go ahead with this however creates competition
between the companies as they may not receive the project. Once briefs are
submitted the client will decide upon the best proposal and offered the
project to that production company.
Advantages
The client has a number of briefs to choose their favourite from, meaning that
they are able to have a brief that they are most pleased with, rather than one
which they are not completely happy with, due to the greater selection.
This is also good for the media company as they are able to write their own
brief, meaning that they are going to be completely happy with what they are
going to produce, this will then result in a better quality of work being
produced as they are likely to be more driven to produce the work.
Disadvantages
Not writing the brief themselves could be a disadvantage for the client as they
may be presented with a number of briefs which they are not completely
happy with.

9. COMPETITION BRIEF
Definition
Where a brief is released to a number of companies participating in the
competition to win the project. Each of these companies will then fully
complete the brief (including production) once all products are completed they
will all be judged and the best will be awarded the project and have it
published. These competitions are free for the media companies to enter
however the client will only pay the winning company for their work.
Advantages
Any media producer can enter the competition meaning that smaller producers
are given the chance to get their work out there, and produce for larger clients
which they may of otherwise been unable to do.
The client has a number of finished products to choose their favourite from,
meaning that they are able to have a piece of work that they are most pleased
with, rather than one which they are not completely happy with, due to the
greater selection. They are often presented with a great diversity of work.
Disadvantages
A disadvantage for the media companies is that they will of taken time to
complete the brief and it not been selected by the client meaning that they
spent time on a project (wasted time) for no gain.
Even if the media company won the competition they may not receive payment
dependent on the competition as some competitions do not provide payment

10. MY BRIEF
Which structure/structures will your client brief use?
I am going to use the formal brief structure for this piece of work. I
have decided that this would be the best format for the brief for a
number of reasons.
Firstly it will provide me with written information about what the
client requires, this is useful as unlike with an informal brief I am
able to get a more solid idea of what the client requires. I am also
able to refer back to this information, to aid me in the production
of my work as information about the company is provided; this
helps me to gain a greater understanding/ idea about the
production I am going to undertake.
Secondly this form of brief is not legally binding meaning that, if
any issues arise such as I am unable to complete the work on time
the client wont be able to take legal action against me.
Another benefit to this brief structure is that I do not have to
compete against other media producers for my work to be used
meaning that the work I create has a definite end purpose.
Finally this structure doesn't involve working with another media
producer, this means that I don’t have to coordinate and
compromise with another company, making the production
process simpler and allowing me to create what I intend rather
than having to compromise.

11. READING THE BRIEF
Why is important to thoroughly read your brief?
Reading a brief thoroughly is important for a number of reasons, it could also
be helpful to read through your brief through more than once. This could be
useful as it allows you to notice details which you may of missed the first
time, relating work to these small details helps you to create a product which
the client is likely to be more pleased with as it shows that you have really
listened to what they wanted from the brief.
Thoroughly reading the brief also allows you to gain a greater understanding
of the clients requests and gain a greater feel for what they want from the
product you are going to create, yet again allowing you to create a piece of
work more tailored to the clients requirements.
It also allows you to gain a greater understanding about the client as they will
often include information about their business within the brief. Having a
greater understanding of this allows you to produce work that more
accurately represents the client, therefore making it more likely for them to
like what you have produced.
The brief could also include useful additional information such as the brand
colour or recourses (e.g. images) which the client could provide. This
information could be useful for production, and is therefore another reason

12. READING THE BRIEF
What is the nature and demand of your client brief?
The brief which I received from Ügot is fairly open as
they are simply asking for “a campaign to capture the
audience of young people across North Yorkshire” in
the brief they mention that social media plays an
important role in advertising to this audience, and
that they also found traditional media enhances this.
As a result of this information I am going to create
both images for social media and traditional style
posters to advertise to the requested student
audience.
Other information provided in the brief includes the
Red brand colour and the mission statement being
“to educate young people on the wonders of health
food without being pushy or pretentious.” With this in
mind I am going to try to incorporate these aspects
into the advertising campaign for example making
red an accent colour within my adverts using it for
aspects such as logo.
There are two weeks available for production for this
project meaning that restrictions are going to have to
be made in production as this is quite a short time
scale, therefore I am going to produce a lesser
number of products of the campaign (4/5 for each
style) this means that I will not have to compromise
on quality; which I believe is more important than
quantity.
I intend to be the only person undertaking

13. NEGOTIATING A BRIEF
Why is it important to discuss the brief with your client prior to production?
There are several reasons why discussing the brief with the client before
production is necessary. Firstly it is useful as you are able to go over the
requirements with the client and check that understand all of them,
preventing errors being made in production by not creating what the client
wanted as the brief was misunderstood.
It also provided an opportunity to ask them any questions about things in the
brief you don’t understand, or any additional questions about things which
may not of been covered in the brief.
Discussing the brief with the client also provides you with the opportunity to
gain ask questions about the company to gain extra information, to help
you further target your work to the correct audience and fit in with the
company’s pre existing work.
Finally speaking to the client before production provides you with the
opportunity to gain feedback on your initial ideas from them, ensuring that
you are carrying forward the correct thing to production. It is useful that this
is checked before you begin production as if not you could end up wasting
your time by producing something which the client is completely unsatisfied
with.
This also puts the client as ease as they are able to see your understanding
and progress with the brief.

14. NEGOTIATING A BRIEF
What are the advantages and disadvantages of employing discretion
with a brief?
The majority of briefs allow a level of discretion allowing the media
company producing the work. This allows them to come up with their
own interpretation of the information which has been provided to
them. Discretion comes when the information in the brief is vague or in
the form of an open brief. The lack of strict guidelines means that you
are able to interoperate the information as you please, adding aspects
which you may find interesting or trying something new out. However
you do need to ensure that your interpretation doesn't conflict with the
brief you have been given.
Advantages or this are that it provided the media producer more free
reign meaning they can create something which they want/ like. This
often leads to a better quality of work being produced as the producer
is more driven as they are able to do something that they want to do.
Disadvantages to this is that it has room for error as the media
company's interpretation of the brief may end up not being exactly
what the client wanted making an unsatisfied client and a greater
amount of additional adjustments which have to be made or even
restarting the project which creates wasted time for both the client and
the media company.

15. NEGOTIATING A BRIEF
Are there any potential legal/ ethical/ regulatory issues with the brief's
proposed product?
As a fairly simple idea there are not a great deal of legal and ethical
issues to consider, as there are not other personnel involved in the
production. Therefore I only need to ensure that I do not breach
copyright, this is both in regards to the fonts and images used. Firstly I
intend to use 100% free fronts meaning that they are free for
commercial use, this is ensured by checking the font details available
with the fonts which I will get from “Dafont.com” if it says the font is
100% free it is fine to use. I will also need to make sure that the images I
am using are not copywriter, to ensure this I will be taking my own
images, I will also be using images taken by Ügot, as this is the
company I am making the adverts for using their own images will not be
a breach of copyright.
I won’t encounter any regulatory issues when producing my adverts as
there are no controversial topics being covered in them. The adverts
simply promote healthy food to a student audience. However as
advertising to children is often frowned upon within the censorship
debate, I will target the older student audience in order to avoid any
issues.

16. NEGOTIATING A BRIEF
Amendments you have considered to:
The Product
There are two weeks available for production for this project meaning that restrictions
are going to have to be made in production as this is quite a short time scale, therefore
I am going to produce a lesser number of products of the campaign (4/5 for each style)
this means that I will not have to compromise on quality; which I believe is more
important than quantity. Not breeching copyright will also need to be kept in mind
during production particularly when finding fonts. (I need to ensure that they are free
for commercial use)
The Budget
There is no budget provided by the client therefore all production costs must be free or
either covered by me. Therefore in order to do this I will be using pre owned equipment
either owned by the college or me. Therefore I will only be able to use a DSLR, mac
computer and Photoshop software, however I feel that this will not greatly limit me as I
intended to only use this equipment anyway. I could pay for additional equipment such
as stock images however I decided not to do this as I would have to spend my own
money, due to having no budget.
The Conditions
I am undertaking production for free for the company as I am simply a student producing
unpaid work for my college project. Therefore no amendments to the conditions are
necessary as both Ügot and myself understand that the work is to be undertaken for
free. However if I was receiving payment adjustments could still be made later as I am

17. OPPORTUNITIES
What opportunities could this brief allow you to explore?
Self Development
Firstly it will allow me to improve my idea development, by finding more effective
ways of undertaking this. Resulting in me coming up with a greater number of
ideas, and effectively looking at the suitability of theses ideas. This is a
particularly useful skill to have as no matter the form of creative work initial idea
development must be undertaken.
I will also be able to develop my rotoscoping. As this is a technique which I
intend to use for the adverts. This will greatly aid me in the future as it allows me
to produce a better quality of work in a style which I particularly like.
Page layout and design skills such as visual hierarchy are also areas which I will
be able to develop, allowing me to create stronger more effective design, an
important aspect for the future as I intend to study graphic design, making the
understanding of layout extremely important to me.
Learning new skills
This project will also teach me how to communicate with and handle a client (e.g.
communicating with), something which I previously had no experience with. This
skill is particularly important in the future as in a job you will constantly have to

18. OPPORTUNITIES
Multi-skilling
There are a number of skills which I will be able to undertake and develop in
this project. I will be able to gain a greater understanding of layout and what
makes effective design. I will be using visual hierarchy to create a stronger
more effective design; a technique I learnt in another project. getting more
opportunity to use this skill will allow me to improve my design and gain a
greater understanding of the technique.
I will also be able to develop the rotoscoping technique as I intend to use this
style of image, I will also be undertaking some photography and using this as
well as or instead of the rotoscoping technique.
Contributing to a project
This brief dose provide opportunity to collaborate with another person over
the production of the campaign, as I could work with a photographer to
produce the finished products, however for ease within the short timescale I
have decided that it would be better to undertake the production by myself as
it allows me to have greater control over the project and means I do not have
to rely on someone else making it easier for me to meet deadlines.
This project allows me to contribute to the marketing of Ügot as my work is
intended for use to promote the brand on their social media and reinforced in
print, this will hopefully create a positive effect and draw in a greater number
of people for the intended student audience.