Working to a brief

Overview

What a production brief contains and purpose element of a brief.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   State what a production brief contains.

   Model answer

   A brief is the set of requirements a production must meet, stating the form, the audience, the purpose and the content required.

2. 2

   Why does working to a brief make a production more realistic rather than less creative?

   Model answer

   Professional media work is almost always commissioned to someone else's requirements, so meeting a brief is the actual skill of the industry.

3. 3

   How does a brief constrain the form of a product?

   Model answer

   It names the medium and the type of product, so the conventions the audience will expect are settled before any work begins.

4. 4

   How does a brief constrain the audience a producer may address?

   Model answer

   It specifies who the product is for, so decisions about tone, content and style have to be justified against that group rather than personal taste.

5. 5

   What is the purpose element of a brief?

   Model answer

   The purpose states what the product must do, such as sell a band's image, inform local readers or promote a programme.

6. 6

   Why should a brief be turned into a checklist before planning starts?

   Model answer

   Every stated requirement has to be met, and a checklist stops a requirement being noticed only after the product is finished.

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