Features Of A Proposal

What Should a proposal Cover? 

A proposal is a form of plan or suggestion which can be used to create something. In terms of digital media, it is essential that the proposal should have a clear purpose. This involves the 4 key aspects, which is known as IPEE. This stands for Inform, Promote, Educate and Entertain. This is very important when creating a proposal for a media product. This is because it looks at the main key areas which the media product needs to effect. It is important that all 4 of these aspects are met, in order for the entire proposal to be successful.

There is 3 main forms that media products can take:

• Audio
• Audio-visual
• Print based/graphic products

In this case, i will be focusing on Audio Visual media products. There is a range of different forms in which an audio-visual media product takes place. 

There is things such as: 

• Promotional videos - These can be used for things such as companies and organisations.

• Trailers - These can be used as a way to promote particular aspects of media such as new film's                 or TV drama's.     
• Advert - Tv commercial breaks can use these as a way to advertise other media products. This can also be used for a website promotion. 

Content and Genre

It is important that a proposal includes the consideration of many different aspects. It is important that editing is taken into account. Editing must be done at a high standard in order for the media product to be a success. If customers recognise the high standard quality of the media product, this will increase the chances and opportunities for sales to rise. This can also relate to the Camera Work which is carried out for the media product. If camera work is of poor quality, this will put the audio-visual media product at a disadvantage. This is because it will negatively stand out in comparison to other media products which include visual-audio forms. For example, if the camera work is unclear, customers are likely to lose interest in the media product, leading to the success of the media product being at risk. SFX is another aspect which has to be considered. This involves sound effects which can be created for the media product in order to enhance meaning. This is important as without sound effects, the media product has less of an impact, this is because the media product can come across as quite dull. Another aspect which links to SFX is GFX. This relates to graphic effects as a form of editing. It is important that this is considered, this is to help the product stand out from others, to create an impact on the media-product. Again, if the media product stands out from others, this will increase the attention of the media product, resulting in a higher success rate. Mis-en-scene is also included in the proposal features of content and genre. This is a french term meaning what is put into a scene or frame. This also involves the visual information infant of a camera. The main aim of mid-en-scne's is to communicate essential information across to the audience.
These are made up of elements such as:

• Setting & Props
• Costume, Hair and Makeup
• Facial Expressions and Body Language
• Lighting & Colour
• Positioning of Characters/objects within the frame/scene.

These elements all link together as a way of creating a hidden message within a film which sends signals to the audience about how they are suppose to feel as a certain point of the media product. 

Target Audience

Essentially, a target audience must be thought of when it comes to a proposal. This is because target audiences are a key part of any proposals, this is to ensure media products are effective. When it comes to finding the correct target audience, a challenge is then set to to grab the audiences attention, in order to make the media product a success. Marketing can be used as a way of finding information on what a media product needs in order to meet the needs of its target audience. This is important as if the needs of the audience is met, the media product is more likely to stand out and be more successful in comparison to its competition. By using the marketing mix, this includes looking at price, place, product and promotion, these features can link to the media product to ensure that the target audience are satisfied with every aspect which is interlinked with the product. However, if these are not satisfying, the media product could be at risk of not drawing attention to its target audience, leading to the media product having less of a significant effect. 

The marketing mix which was stated above also links to the other aspect of the proposal relating to the distribution and marketing methods. This is related to the intended use and purpose of the media product. 

Resources and personnel

The resources of the proposal related to the equipment and software used to create a media product. As well as this, the personnel of a proposal relates to who will be employed to take part in the making and production of the media product. This aspect is essential when it comes to a proposal of a media product. This is because these are the main points which help produce the media product. For example, if the media product is a film, without software and technology, the media product is unable to move forward due to the lack of resources. Therefore, it is important that these aspects are taken into consideration with deep thought.