TREATMENTS

Year 13 Media Communication

 WHAT IS THE TREATMENT?
The culmination of your research stage
Outlining your ideas in terms of content
and structure
Utilising examples from other media,
PowerPoint and your own verbal delivery
It will be then presented as an 8-10 minute
pitch to a group of other students from your
class to gain their opinions
 1) INTENTIONS
 What is your documentary setting out to achieve?
This could include, but is not limited to:
- I am challenging…
- I am exploring...
- I am investigating…
- I am proving…

Needs to be explained in detail:

- I will be doing this by…
- My angle on this will be…
 2) CONTENT OF IDEA
In detail explain the content of your
documentary.

-What is your topic?

-What is your angle?
-What is the Unique Selling Point of your idea?
-What arguments/debates around your idea will
your documentary explore?
-How will they do this?
 3) STRUCTURE & RUNNING
ORDER
In as much detail as you can, explain the structure of your piece

-What will elements will your documentary have?

-Who will you need to interview/what actors will you need to execute
your idea?

-Outline your narrative structure.

E.g.
Segment 1 – Intro (outside train station presented by me)
Segment 2 – Vox Pops with question ‘how has the recession effected
you?’ (Oxford Street)
Segment 3 – Interview with financial expert (Bank of England)
Segment 4 – Top 5 tips on saving money (Mostly done through
graphics with voice over)
Segment 5 – Interview with someone who lost their job because of the
recession (in their house)
ETC…
 4) PROFILE OF TARGET AUDIENCE
AND APPEAL OF YOUR IDEA
A detailed profile of the social group your piece will appeal to.
Explain, very clearly, who the person is who would want to watch your piece
-Age
-Gender
-Location
-Interests
-Ambitions
-Employment status/education
-Disposable Income
-Ethnicity
-Opinions
-Existing media consumption/favourite media texts
-Social economic
-Niche or mainstream?

For each of these factors you must explain why you have chosen to aim your idea
towards this type of person and how your idea will appeal to them.
5)EXPLANATION OF RESEARCH
& KEY FINDINGS
 For each piece of research you have done:

EXPLANATION OF RESEARCH
- What did you set out to find out?
- Was it examining content or audience?
- Why was that method was suited to the research you were
conducting?
- Was it qualitative or quantitative?
- Was it primary or secondary?

KEY FINDINGS
- Three key findings
- How the research has advanced the development of your research
 6) TECHNICAL VIABILITY
What equipment will you need for the
production?
What equipment will you need for post
production?
What crew members will you need?
Who will they be?
 7) PRACTICAL VIABILITY
Who will appear in your feature
(actors/interviewees)?
Where will you find them?
Where will your feature be shot?
Do you have access to these location(s)?
What props/costumes will you need?
Will you use archive footage? Where will you
find it? Will you need permission to use the
footage?
 8) LEGAL & REGULATORY
CONSIDERATIONS
 How do the following sets of guidelines
effect your piece?

- BBC editorial guidelines

- Media Law
- OFCOM’s Regulations
 9) COMMERCIAL VIABILITY
The Market
What texts are on the market that are similar to yours or compete for the same audience
as your documentary?
How will your product be sufficiently different/ unique/ niche to compete ?

Your Budget
How much will your feature cost to make? What will the money be spent on?
In what way would your documentary provide good value for money?

Distribution and Exhibition

 How will your product enable the BBC to fulfil its ethos of inform, educate and entertain?
What day and time will you broadcast the show on and why?
What other programs are on in the same slot?
 10) QUESTIONS FOR YOUR
AUDIENCE
 You should include a number of specific
questions here, primarily focusing on:

- Ways to improve your content

- Ways to improve your structure
- Ways to better appeal to your audience
 4 KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER
 BRIEF

 VISUAL

 CLEAR

 WHY DO YOUR AUDIENCE WANT TO

WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY?
 REST OF THE TERM
TODAY (2nd), THURSDAY (3rd), FRIDAY (4th) & TUESDAY (8th)
Work on your first draft treatment – must be finished by end of
Tuesday’s lesson.

WEDNESDAY (9th)
5 minute tutorials on treatments

THURSDAY(10th) & FRIDAY(11th)

Redraft treatments

LAST WEEK OF TERM (15th-18th)

Present treatments to class and complete a reflection on them for your
blog

OVER CHRISTMAS
Contact your documentary contributors