Lesson Element
Unit 3: Create a media product
Proposals
Instructions and answers for tutors
These instructions cover the learner activity section which can be found on page 4. This lesson
element supports Cambridge Technicals Level 3 in Digital Media.
When distributing the activity section to the learners either as a printed copy or as a
Word file you will need to remove the tutor instructions section.
The activity
Proposals are important pre-production documents that influence the production and postproduction stages of a media product. Before learners decide on what they want to produce
they need to plan the purpose, form and genre of the media product, content, target audience,
distribution and marketing as part of a proposal.
This lesson element supports learners in identifying and evaluating the features of a proposal
using existing examples. This is further developed by the learners demonstrating their
knowledge by producing a proposal for a new film based on the intro to a synopsis.
Suggested timings
Activity 1

Features of a proposal (1 hour)
Activity 2

Writing a proposal (1 hour)
ABC – This activity offers an
opportunity for English skills
development.
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Activity 1: Features of a proposal
The tutor could introduce the purpose of a proposal and why they are used in the media
industries. This could be in the form of a starter task or class discussion. Typical purposes
would include creating a proposal as part of a pitch to a client to secure funding.
In order for learners to write their own proposal as part of Activity 2, they need to be able to
know the features included in proposals that are made for different media products. For
example, the format of a proposal may also include a treatment (e.g. proposals for audio and
audio visual products) or a specification (e.g. proposals for print based and graphics
products).
Before undertaking the activity, learners will need to see examples of different proposals.
Internet sources may prove useful for tutors to find examples of different proposals to show
learners. http://www.wheresthedrama.com/thetreatment.htm has examples of treatments for
different existing TV dramas that could be used as part of a proposal.
For Activity 1, learners are required to identify and evaluate the features included in a
proposal for a TV drama and why they are included.
Learners will require:

2 examples of proposals.
Activity 1 requires the learners to:
1. Identify the common features/ headings included in a proposal
2. Explain why the features are important as part of a new proposal to a client
3. Justify other features to be included as part of a new proposal to a client.
For Activity 1, learners will use the treatment examples to make notes on the features that
are included.
The tutor should check that learners are able to identify and justify why the features of the
proposals are included.
Learners could use written notes to evidence their understanding.
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Answers to questions:
1. The common features included in a proposal are: title, log line, synopsis for each act,
character names and description.
2. These features are important as it depicts the narrative and characters involved for a
future script. Persuades a client to back a media product that they may be funding.
3. Other features to include as part of a proposal should include: target audience,
intended purpose, style and genre, personnel, milestones and launch date,
distribution and marketing, BBFC certification ( for film), scheduling/ broadcast times
(TV based media product).
Activity 2: Writing a proposal
In Activity 2, learners will use their learning from Activity 1 to write a proposal for a new film
based on the following information as the introduction to a log line:
A group of teenagers are on a road trip to a festival. They are almost there when….
Learners can use Microsoft Word to write up the proposal.
Tutors should make sure that the features of a proposal identified as part of Activity 1 are
included in the learner’s proposal for this task. Learners may find it beneficial to produce the
treatment section first and then add the additional features identified in Activity 1.
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Lesson Element
Unit 3: Create a media product
Learner Activity
Proposals
Proposals are used in the media industry to summarise and present new ideas for a media product
to a client.
Your task is to:
1. Investigate the different features of a proposal and why they are included
2. Write a proposal for a new film
Activity 1: Features of a proposal
In order for you to write your own proposal as part of Activity 2, you need to be able to know the
features included in proposals that are made for different media products. For example, the format
of a proposal may also include a treatment (e.g. proposals for audio and audio visual products) or a
specification (e.g. proposals for print based and graphics products).
Using the examples of treatments provided.
Answer the following questions:
1. What are the main features of the treatment(s) that you have looked at?
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2. Explain at least three reasons why these features are important as part of a new proposal
3. Based on the purpose of a proposal, apart from including a treatment, what other information
should be included in a proposal?
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Activity 2 – Writing a proposal
You will create a proposal for a new film based on the following log line:
A group of teenagers are on a road trip to a festival. They are almost there when….
Your proposal must include the features that you learned and identified in Activity 1
You can use Microsoft Word to write the proposal.
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