Structure of Briefs
Contracted Brief
A contractual brief is a legal contract between a client and an employer that states the required duties ,insurance and more. If the employee fails to follow exactly what the brief states, this could result in legal action due to the breach of contract.An example of a contractual brief in the gaming industry would be in the creation of a game Activision is the client and they will require certain things to be included or left out. This will be written on a contract that both the client and employer agree to, and if the employee does not follow the guidelines they could face legal action.
Negotiated Brief
Negotiated briefs are a mutual brief that enables the client and employer to have equal input. This allows the employers to see exactly how the client wants the end result, and helps to sort out any differences.An example of a negotiated brief would be in the production of the music for a game trailer, ideas from the artist/band and the production company will be brought to the table – this can be from the genre of the music.
Formal
Formal briefs are really strict in regards to the clients input; the employee will state all of the requirements and the client will have to abide by these rules. This way the client is more likely to stick to the rules and regulations.An example of a formal brief would be in management of an upcoming game ,the company strict on the client in regards to what they are able to include in the game. An example would be if Activision hired Bungie to create a new rpg they would tell them to include all the major mechanics of an rpg
Informal
An informal brief is not documented and is usually of the verbal kind. It is where the client and the company which they have employed simply discuss the requirements for the product they will be making and ultimately agree upon the project.An example would be if I was to create a game with 4 of my friends we and we talked about it but didn't write down anything and in result to this I took all the money.
Commission Brief
Commission briefs involve two companies; the larger company will employ a smaller/private one for production purposes. The larger company can also use the product/service created for external clients, who will then pay the smaller company a cut of the profits.An example of a commission brief would be in the production of a game, the major company may employ a smaller company to create a certain mode like in Star Wars Battlefront. There are a range of different teams working on different mode
Tender Brief
Tender briefs involve the client initially advertising a brief. Production companies then have the opportunity to form a proposal to pitch to the client; there’s no limit to the amount of companies that can pitch, so the client can choose the one they feel is best.An example of a tender brief would be in the application of a sponsorship; a gaming company may look at a number of companies in order to find the best sponsor.
Competition Brief
A competition brief is given to all clients that partake in a competition; it states what they must do to enter as well as the rules and regulations.An example of a competition brief would be in a game mode competition; the clients will be told specific rules and regulations on the brief, which they will have to follow to be successful applicants.
Reading a Brief
When a company receives a new brief. They must read through the brief so they fully understand it. When reading the brief they must first understand the idea of the project because if they don't fully understand the idea then the project doesn't exist. After understanding the main context of the brief there are certain factors that will relate to the product such as;
-Demographics
-Geographic's
-Market Competition
-Use of the Product
(Marketing/Advertising)
-Style of the Product
-Technical Specifications (FPS,
Aspect Ratio)
Whats crucial?
-Timescales, Resources
-Locations
-Crew and Post Production.
Negotiating a Brief
Depending on the type of Brief that the Client and Production Company are working with, there will always be a Consultation with the Client. This will be either a formal or informal meeting between the client and the production company. The meeting will be used for discussing the brief, the ideas within the brief, and also if working with a Negotiated Brief there will also be a discussion and improvements to any ideas that the client has thought of. However when working with Contractual Brief, this is not the case, as although there will still be a consultation with the client, there is no input to be had by the Production Company, which in some cases is an advantage as the brief will be detailed and will be easy for the company to create the product, but then also if there are issues within the brief, these cannot be changed, which can affect the quality of the final product. In my opinion, it is always best to negotiate a brief, as it allows the creator to have their own input on the ideas that will be raised.
Amendments to proposed final product.
During the Production Process there can be many different stages at which ideas can be changed or developed. This is why all production companies use Sign Off Sheets. These are a form of security, which states that when something has been done, the client cannot change it. This makes the production process easier and more effective for the Production Company, as if the Client were to say that they wanted to change the product half way through Production, then the company would have to do so, but with a Sign Off sheet it makes it impossible for this occurrence to happen. In my opinion having a Sign Off sheet is vital for any production company, as it creates a sense of security for the production company, and also makes the job easier for them as the client cannot tell them that they want a part of the production changed half way through the production development.
Amendments to a budget
Amendments to a budget are normally brought into the project when certain prices have changed or there are new costs. These will be discussed with the client to ensure that they are happy to pay for these extra amounts. When this happens there will be an updated version of the pre-production that will state the amount that the prices have changed by whether it is an increase or decrease.
Amendments to a condition
hanging the conditions of the product will have an affect on the final product. For example, if the client was to change the target demographic for the product then there will be aspects that will have to be changed. This will affect the Production Company, as it will create more working hours on the one project. The only way for the company to avoid this situation is to have a detailed consultation that can be evidenced via Meeting Minutes or having Sign Off sheets to conclude when a part of the product has been completed and cannot be altered with afterwards.
Negotiating the fees
When it comes to the first consultation with the client, it is vital that all of the costs that will be involved in making the product are discussed to a high standard. This is firstly by the client, by them running through all of the costs that they will pay for, and then the Production Company will have a detailed list of all the costs that will be involved, in order to settle a final price for the product. This can only be done in a Negotiated Brief, and in my own opinion, think that the negotiating of the cost of the product should not be part of the process, as the company should have a detailed look at the brief, and then tell the client the price for that product to be made. This is due to the company at risk of losing money in the long run.
Opportunities for multi tasking
When working for any Production Company or as a Sole Trader there will always be more than one project on the go. This means handling and following multiple briefs at any one time, and therefore helps to improve any multi-tasking skills that you may have.
Contributions of a contract brief
When working on any brief, the creators of the product will normally be able to have their own input in to the project idea. However this is not possible when working with a Contractual Brief. However, being able to have the input that the producer has can allow for the idea to be further developed, and also discussing different methods of filming and planning can rectify any flaws within the idea. This can lead to bigger and higher quality products to be made, which will not only be good for the producer, but also it will please the clients, making them more likely to recommend the company to other potential clients.
