The appointment in 2004 of Andrew Lane Fox led to a substantial increase in the level of production that in turn led to an increase in the number of Producers. This document was provided to all staff and freelance producers. It also now provides an insight into the was productions were organised.
Moving Image Production at COI
A Guide for Producers
COI Moving Image – An Overview
Structure
Moving Image is part of the Moving Image and Audio Content division of COI, MIAC also includes Audio Content, producing radio ads and other audio pieces, as well as a marketing team for the marketing of TV and Radio Fillers and a centralised admin function.
Moving Image has traditionally been broadly split in to two specialisms with Producers working on either Commercials or Corporates, to one of two Deputy Heads of Television who in turn report to the Head of Moving Image. The Head of Moving Image is responsible for all the department’s output and as such must view all films prior to the client. The Deputy Heads are responsible for the department’s work flow. We also produce fillers (aka Public Information Films), which are under the overall control of the DHoMI for Commercials, but are produced across the team. Increasingly there is more and more crossover between the two halves of the team as different formats and ways of working develop.
Moving Image also has a technical team, Moving Image Post, who offer a wide variety of services to the producers.
What we do
Moving Image’s output covers the entire spectrum of production from TV ads to traditional corporates. Along the way this encompasses digital advertising, virals, user generated content, video to mobile, broadcast TV programmes and advertiser funded programming, interactive TV VALs and DALs, rich web content, ambient advertising, web TV and much more. We work for any department, agency or body funded by the Crown and our work spans traditional advertising and marketing communications as well as recruit marketing, training, education and internal comms. We both help to realise an agency’s creative or generate creative concepts in house. We work both on stand alone projects and as part of wider campaigns where we will work in conjunction with other departments at COI. For non-commercials work we produce in-house and also co-produce with production companies. Our producers are expected to work using either model.
Producing at COI
In many ways producing at the COI will be no different from working anywhere else, but in as many ways it will be very different. We think it will also be better. For example we work not for profit, so our only concern is to put everything onto the screen, to make the best possible film. Our clients across government are our colleagues as well. We produce in-house and with production companies. We tend to do everything by the book. We offer a lot more support than some in the private sector, yet we also hope and expect producers to work a lot more freely and independently.
This document designed to give help and guidance to staff and freelance producers. The intention is not to tell people how to produce, but how to work in a way that allows all our work to conform to certain standards and procedures. To work out how things work here and what specific things you will need to do. This should enable us to be consistent to clients, and work as a team, whilst still permitting producers to work in a way that suits them.
The Brief/Pre-Production
Where do briefs/ scripts come from?
Most jobs will come from the Deputy Heads of Moving Image (or the Head of Moving Image) so that a fair distribution of work can be ensured. Occasionally jobs will come directly to Producers via the Client Account Team, another part of COI or direct from clients. In such cases please let the Deputy Heads know before committing yourself to the project as it enables them to ensure that work is distributed effectively and strategically.
Creating a job number
The first thing to ensure is that a job number is assigned and the job is opened on Livelink, the COI’s Knowledge Management System, and FJMS, COI’s Financial Job Management System. To do this, e-mail Eileen Newton with the following information: Client, Agency, Product/Campaign, Title, CAT contact and delivery date if known at this juncture. A job will be opened and the job number will be sent to you, with a Job Contact Sheet attached.
Contact sheet
The contact sheet provides a centrally stored definitive guide to clients, production companies and COI producers involved in the job, should an issue arise when the producer involved is out, on-leave, incapacitated by illness or no longer with COI. Please ensure that this is always kept up to date and saved in livelink. With corporate productions the contact sheet is combined into one document with the fact sheet (with parts for completion at the end of the job). At this stage you will probably not have all the relevant information, so please fill in what you can and add to the document as and when you have more..
Knowledge archive
When you have opened a job you will also receive an email asking you to fill in some Knowledge Archive information. This is a COI wide knowledge bank. Its only impact on you is that it needs filling in. Beyond that it will have no further impact on your production. This also needs to be filled in on the completion of the job – again you will receive notification via email.
Job number stickers
When a job is opened please ask Admin to the generate sheets of stickers with COI’s contact details and the job number – they will print them off and give them to you and then store the template in the relevant livelink folder so that you can print off more should you need to. Please distribute them as you go along to the relevant people to ensure that every tape, can, disc, drive etc is labelled with one. If you don’t receive them, please make sure that you chase them up and don’t go into production without them. Any material returned to COI without a job number on will be rejected by Moving Post. Should any or all of your rushes or masters need to be restricted, you will need to generate specific Restricted job stickers for each individual piece of restricted material.
The Client Account Team (CAT)
COI has a Client Account team, with account managers and directors assigned to different clients and client areas. They need to be made aware of all the work undertaken across COI for clients and be the principal point of contact for clients and COI staff in specialist delivery departments. CAT will become more involved on a day to day basis on advertising campaigns and projects involving a number of COI specialist departments. On projects where Moving Image is the sole department delivering a service they will not have such a direct involvement but it is just as important that they are kept in the loop, if they get any queries regarding the job, they are in a position to answer. The CAT team can prove a source of invaluable support or information concerning clients.
Involving the relevant CAT team member immediately and throughout the production process is essential. It doesn’t need to be much; an email or call will do to let them know the job has come in. Update them at key points in the process and once the film is finally finished, ensure they get a viewing copy. Please try to find out who the specific CAT person is for any given job. If you need help with this please ask. It is often a great help to the producer if you make contact as soon as the job kicks off, as CAT can be a valuable source of background information about your job. It is often a good idea to go and see them on the 2nd floor and find the relevant person and introduce yourself.
If you are producing commercials and CAT is involved, it is important that they attend the PPM.
The COI CAT team should always be kept fully informed as to the progress of a production, but some members of the group will be more involved in a project than others depending on the Client requirement. However the Producer should endeavour to build a close, direct relationship with the Client so that issues such as timings or costings can be discussed, thus avoiding third party interpretation. However unless there are particularly extenuating circumstances there should be CAT team representation at the Pre-Production Meeting. The producer should decide what (if any) further attendance is beneficial to the project.
Some Advertising Agency Account handlers may find it difficult initially to adapt to the COI Producer’s relationship with the Client if it is a new way or working for them. Usually these teething problems with go away. However feel free to discuss any difficulties with the head or deputy head of TV.
Other than our obvious difference of remit from an Advertising Agency producer, i.e. that we work to the Client and not to the Agency, our role is the similar to the Agency Producer. I.e. we support the Creative team in their endeavours to provide the best possible creative end product. Our responsibility is to the best possible communication of the message and the Client’s needs, however this does not mean that we cannot support a creative improvement even if the Client is doubtful. However it is important to remember that the Agency are directly responsible for the creative output and our responsibility is not to blindly support them in this, but equally not to advise against changes or input that will increase the communication of the idea and message.
The admin team will do production Company contracts and payments, please give them as much notice as you can. They will also liaise with the Advertising Agency admin team on playouts (which we do) and rotation instructions (which the Agency do). They will also pay repeat fees and buyouts where appropriate. You will need to fact sheets in the normal way and file in livelink together with final scripts (which the Agency should supply) and any other relevant detail.
Corporates vs Commercials & Fillers
If you are producing Corporates, most of the following information applies. If you are producing Commercials or Fillers the areas asterixed are the only ones with specific relevance to your work.
The written brief
Initial contact may come in written form, or orally at a meeting. It is important to have a written brief, whether the production is internal or external. Sometimes the client will produce a written brief that needs little if anything done to it. Other times it is a good idea to send them the pro-forma briefing sheet to fill in (which can be found in the templates folder in Livelink). Sometimes it is apposite to draw up the brief yourself, using information gleaned from the client. It is a good idea to get them to sign it off in its final form. Whichever way it goes it is advisable to meet the client face to face so that you can interrogate the brief fully before sending it out. If this is a new client, it is likely that the DHMI will want to come to an initial meeting, so please keep them in the loop.
It is impossible to over-communicate at any stage of production. Often it is a good idea to give a response to brief in the form of a side or two of comments about possible approaches, limitations, likely hold ups and cost issues, with caveats etc. Please use COI letterhead with appropriate address details for any external correspondence.
Internal vs. External Production
We produce programmes that are not commercials or fillers in two ways. We produce internally, or we co-produce with external suppliers. These are the only ways we work. We do not just appoint companies to work for us. The decision on how to proceed should involve a discussion with Andrew as to the best way to proceed on a case-by-case basis.
From the client’s perspective shouldn’t matter how we produce their film. Our aim is to assemble the best team to get the job done, whether that is with freelancers or in partnership with production companies. It might be the case that part of the production is produced internally and part by a production company – whatever best gets the job done. Our ability to make the decision as to how to proceed is part of the reason clients come to us.
How do we decide which of these routes to take? Each job needs to be assessed on its merits. Factors that might inform the decision include:
Timescale - the timeframe involved - is there enough time to run a pitch, which could add two or three weeks to the process.
Budget - if budgets are really tight, it might prove easier to produce in-house.
Sensitivity of job - is the subject matter or the client’s organisation of a sensitive nature?
Wishes or nature of the client - clients will often express a preference and though it is not for them to choose, their opinion or their expectations will often be taken into consideration.
Capacity/workload - if we are too busy as a department, or we have excess capacity
Please talk to Andrew about whether you are going to pitch your job or produce it in-house, and talk through potential directors with him if it is to be an in-house production.
How we work with production companies
When we work with a production company, the project is still a COI Moving Image production. COI is not ‘the client’. This must be reflected in/on all communications - verbal and written - with the client. The production company must be crystal clear on the nature of our relationship with them.
All the production companies on our list are given a copy both of our guidelines to working with COI as well as our technical standards. They should be fully aware of what we expect of them. It is their responsibility to work within them as part and parcel of their position on our preferred supplier list.
The COI producer will be involved in all key stages of pre-production - script meetings, casting, location recess - will attend the shoot and post-production and will be responsible for liaison with the client except in situations where, for practical purposes, he/she authorises direct contact between the production company and the client.
Your role as producer is to occupy the space at the centre of this production. You will have unique insight into how both sides of the production need to work. The validity of your position and the success you have in running the production will largely be down to how you position yourself, to what role you assume at its outset.
Production companies’ budgets COI Moving Image allows the production company a production fee of 15% on all bought-in costs. No other mark-up is accepted. Where a producer is included in the budget, no loading will be allowed on that element. No fee for executive producer or similar personnel will be accepted.
If a script or research is commissioned from the production company as the first phase of the project it becomes Crown Copyright and COI Moving Image has no further obligations to the production company in regard to its production.
For projects where a budget has been agreed on the basis of a particular script, but the requirements of the client prior to production subsequently change, the budget will be re-calculated on the basis of the individual rates already agreed. Allowances will be made for any liability for cancellation fees.
Terms of payment
Production companies should be aware of our terms of payment. We don’t pay for anything up front. 60% will be paid on completion of principle photography, 30% on completion of programme and remaining 10% on receipt of material and paperwork.
As a rule, you will not be able to pay suppliers up front. We can however pay almost immediately afterwards with a bit of planning, for special effects or art dept for example, or for a new supplier, so this doesn’t need to hinder how you produce. Please discuss the matter with Eileen or the relevant Deputy Head of Moving Image (DHMI). Accounts can be set up very quickly too.