Introduction

When creating a product and following a brief, there are an array of processes which need to take place in order to create a professional, high quality product along with creating a strong, efficient team. These are as follows:

PERSONNEL

When setting up a team for a project, it is crucial to have a team which work well together as a group along with playing to each of their strengths and combined make a high quality product. There is an array of job areas which need to be filled, these are as follow:

  • Camera man
  • Editor
  • Sound designer
  • VFX Artist
  • Etc.

DRAFTING IDEAS

When creating a product, it is important to draft ideas during the preproduction stages – this enables a greater creative understanding in order to create a higher quality product. This also enables a broader creation of ideas. Drafting ideas can come in many different forms, take for example the following:

  • Mind Maps
  • Storyboards
  • Mood boards
  • VFX/ANIMATION/GAMES tests
  • Synopsis of an idea

CONSULTATION WITH CLIENT

Consulting with the client on a regular basis is a prominent aspect when creating a product: it provides the company with a greater understanding as to what the client wants along with any changes that may need to be changed/removed upon client review.

DELIVERABLES

Understanding what the client expects from the brief in terms of deliverables is the most fundamental aspect of responding to a brief, it would simply be a waste of time and money if a brief requests an series of video advertisements and a leaflet is provided.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The target market is a crucial aspect of production, specific social groups have stereotypes which can be used to define a product to fit the group more and enable a direct market link, creating a more efficient product in terms of distribution. By doing this and creating a direct link to a market, it could save money and enhance a more positive reception in the final stages.

BUDGET

In order to actually partake in a project, finances must be made available/gained (these should be defined before production starts.) This can be gathered from either client payment, loans or fundraising and will be used for an array of assets such equipment costs, personnel costs, building maintenance, electricity costs and other potential costs.

CONSTRAINTS

All projects face constraints and limitations, ranging from ethical and the limitations of moral principles with slander, trust and privacy along with and the legal limitations such as health and safety, copyright and public liability.

UNIQUE SELLING POINT

Giving/defining the product a unique selling point creates a factor which differentiates a product from its competitors and makes the product stand out, this can also be used to create a personal brand, take for example Southwest’s claim to be the lowest-priced airline.

SWOT ANALYSIS

SWOT analysis is a method of defining the strengths and weaknesses within the product you have/intend on creating. SWOT refers to strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a product, this enables producers to uncover opportunities that can be exploited as well as creating an understanding of the weaknesses and eliminating potential threats.

There are also a series of questions which should be approached before production begins. These are as follows:

  • Why is this product being made?

Understanding why the product is being made enables full understanding of the various degrees of the brief and will thus also provide a more thorough product formed of precisely what the client is looking for.

  • Why do you want to work on this project – sell your idea

Bidding for a project requires a strong ability to communicate ideas and to sell the product that’s been created, especially during a creative brief.

  • When is the product due?

Knowing when the product is due being a seemingly obvious factor, by defining a deadline it enables production plans to be put in place along with aspects such as client meetings.

  • Is there a timescale where certain goals need to be met by certain dates?

Many clients may request bi-weekly meetings in which the client can review products and have more of a creative input towards certain aspects whilst also defining whether or not they agree with some assets before money or time is wasted. Time scaling certain goals also provides a more efficient work force and better understanding of the task at hand.

  • Are there multiple delivery dates?

Multiple delivery dates are preliminarily used when aspects that are to be released before the main product, these techniques are used more within blockbuster films such as Guardians of the Galaxy where the editing for the trailer takes place before the editing for the final film is finished.

  • When can you start?

Defining when a project can start could aid the client’s decision as to whom they chose to work with, this also enables a clearer schedule and understanding for the team working on the project as it means organising the separate work schedules for areas such as preproduction, production and post production.

  • How will the project be executed?

Understanding how the project will be executed enables a more thorough and direct set of plans to be put in place, whilst also creating a greater comprehension of what the various aspects of the projects and the main goal as to what the final project will be.

  • How will you manage time?

Time management will be a crucial aspect within any task, from ensuring the project is delivered to the client on time to creating a product of the outmost quality and professionalism (this process can be aided by the use of gantt charts)

  • How will you negotiate money (if you have too)?

During the production processes, many issues may arise in terms of finances and or with the product itself, this could lead to additional work hours being needed or extra funding needed for technical aspects. In order to combat this, there needs to be an understanding set up between the client and company as to what happens in case of certain issues.