1. Unit 21: Plan and deliver a pitch for a media product: An introduction
L.O. What do we have to do for Unit 21?

2. What do we need to do?
This unit requires you to generate ideas from a client brief
The client will give you an outline and it is your job to ‘flesh it out’ and come up with original ideas
You will create a proposal and client documentation to support your pitch
You create a formal pitch as if to TV executives
You will pitch the ideas to the client (this will be filmed for your blog!)
You will adapt your ideas according to the questions you get from the clients

4. Your client brief:
(Print off or save the ‘Assignment and checklist for Unit 21’ from the Netherhall Media website)

5. BBC3 Needs You!
You have been asked by BBC3 executives to plan ideas for a pilot episode for a brand new television drama aimed at a year olds.
The budget for the programme is quite low and they would like the programme to air at 9pm on Thursday nights.
Once you have created your ideas you will pitch them to the channel.
As a starting point you will need to:
Research the channel, programme type and target audience
Develop programme ideas
Develop a proposal and documentation for your ideas
Plan and deliver your pitch to the client
You should present your work using a range of mediums in the planning, production and post- production stages. This could include photographs, audio commentary or written notes to evidence your progression and development of your production in the production stages.

6. What is a client brief?
A client brief is given at the start of a production process
It usually gives an outline of the client’s needs and specific requirements
Information about the target audience and the commissioning company ethos is often also included
The client will also set out success criteria against which to measure the final product
Have you used them before? Which units?

7. Client requirements and audience considerations (put this in your blog as its first entry)
What are the client requirements?
What are the audience considerations? (look at BARB for statistics of channel and genre)
You can add to this when you find out more information

8. BBC3 Needs You!
You have been asked by BBC3 executives to plan ideas for a pilot episode for a brand new television drama aimed at a year olds.
The budget for the programme is quite low and they would like the programme to air at 9pm on Thursday nights.
Once you have created your ideas you will pitch them to the channel.
As a starting point you will need to:
Research the channel, programme type and target audience
Develop programme ideas
Develop a proposal and documentation for your ideas
Plan and deliver your pitch to the client
You should present your work using a range of mediums in the planning, production and post- production stages. This could include photographs, audio commentary or written notes to evidence your progression and development of your production in the production stages.

9. It is important to know the company you’re working for and the target audience of the media text. Why do you think this is?

10. Research questions (the answers should be highlighted in your blog tasks)
Who are the BBC?
What is BBC3? (write about its history in your own words, successful programmes etc.)
What is the definition of a television drama? Give examples of some popular ones (note: soap opera is serial drama, which you are not creating)
Who are the competitors for BBC3 and teen TV dramas?
What are the main conventions of a television drama?

11. How do your ideas conform or subvert the codes and conventions of TV drama and BBC3 programming?

12. Constraints and legal requirements
What financial constraints might we need to consider? (low budget means what?)
What legal requirements must we consider? (Ofcom, BBC remit etc.)

13. Generating ideas (see example)
What is a mind map? Why are they helpful when planning ideas?
Mind map the ideas that you have for your TV drama
Create a mood board that helps with your idea generation

14. You could focus on three completely different ideas
Mind maps ideas
You could focus on three completely different ideas

16. Genre: TV drama
Subgenre: Action/ Superhero

17. Genre: TV drama
Subgenre: Crime

18. What else could we add to make this a better mind map?
Characters
Stereotypes
Narrative
Genre: TV drama
Subgenre: Teen
Narrative
Other

19. Key ideas – and how they’ve been shaped
You need an explanation of three key ideas complete with documentation to support ideas generation
What are your three key ideas for your programme? (Programme ideas/content, written synopsis, key themes/storylines, characters, storyboarding important sections of the programme, settings etc.). This could also be three completely different programme ideas that you investigate and then choose the best later
How will you explore ideas? Mind maps, mood boards, discussions, focus groups, questionnaires/surveys, visits to industry practitioners?
Go and do it!

20. M1 – Merit criteria
You need to provide a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the different ideas you have created for the show
Why might they be effective? How will they be effective? (link back to your client brief, channel, target audience and codes and conventions)
What areas might be considered a weakness? How can you ensure they are not? Is it a risk worth taking? Why? Use examples to support your ideas