BBC - Commissioning - Publicity

Production and Delivery

• Delivery
  • Publicity
  • Transmission essentials
  • Programme duration
  • Programme numbers
  • Paperwork
  • The Basics
  • Online programme page deliverables
  • HD Production & Delivery
  • Commercial Availability
  • Red Button Commissioning and Delivery for BBC Television
  • How to deliver live/late programmes and OBs
• Credit Guidance
  • Online programme page deliverables
  • Credit Positioning
  • Full Credit Guidance
  • Talent as Executive Producer Policy
  • Credit Durations
  • Closing Credits
  • Opening Credits
• Branding Guidelines and Logos
  • Online programme page deliverables
• Open University
  • Online programme page deliverables
  • OU delivery requirements and publicity guidelines
  • OU branding and end credit guidelines
• Business and Production Guide
• Editorial Guidelines and Safeguarding Trust
• Programme Quick Checklist
• Nations' Production and Delivery

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Publicity

Publicity material is used by our Press, Publicity and Creative Services teams.

It provides information regarding what the programme is about, who presents it, who wrote it, etc. Examples of material could include a cast list.

This information is needed 6 to 8 weeks in advance of delivery in order to provide the best publicity/promotion for any programme but the earlier information is provided the better - even before pre-production if available.

Typical Network Requirement

• Production Notes/Press Kit comprising full cast list, full crew list, short synopsis (2-3 paragraphs), long synopsis (2-3 pages), location/interview production notes, biographies of principal cast and key crew
• Press Information
• Key publicity contact address list
• Beta SP and Promotional Preview DVDs (quantity to be confirmed in Commissioning Specification, typically 70 DVD for episode 1 of a drama and 30 DVD for subsequent episodes)

Additional Requirements for Network Drama

• One bound Post production script
• One Translation script 

Stills

Programme stills are used to publicise the programme in print, online, on air and across the BBC’s services. They are the shop window for programmes so it is essential that the quality of the stills matches the quality of the programmes.

BBC Pictures will advise you where to send your programme stills. Programme stills must be delivered no later than 10 working days prior to the Delivery Date. If the nature of the programme means this is unrealistic, please agree an alternative with the BBC.

If you have any queries about your delivery requirements please contact the following email BEFORE filming:

• For network productions: pictures@bbc.co.uk
• For Nations and Regions productions: the press office of the Nation or Region concerned.

You will be required to deliver 20 iconic images that best represent the whole series and, for each episode, 20 further stills of key scenes/characters.  All stills must conform to the BBC’s picture delivery guidelines. Please deliver a combination of landscape and portrait format images. It may be that the BBC only requires 5 iconic images and a further 5 stills per episode. Please contact headofpictures@bbc.co.uk for confirmation.

For more details, please see the BBC Pictures' guide to Publicity Stills in the downloads section of this page.

Stills must be accompanied by a completed Publicity Stills caption list also available in the downloads section of this page. 

All stills provided to the BBC must be shot to a professional standard and delivered in digital format at as high a resolution as possible - ideally JPEGs at 35Mb 300 dpi. Screen grabs are not acceptable unless agreed beforehand and only in exceptional circumstances.

Photographs should be fully cleared of copyright and artists' restrictions, including associated moral rights for non-commercial publicity use. Archive stills or artwork photography should be cleared for non-commercial publicity without restriction. All photographs involving children and young people should be accompanied with evidence of written consent from their parent/guardian.

The BBC may also commission its own photography subject to agreement with the programme’s BBC Executive Producer.  Copyright in these images will be retained by the BBC.

NB: You will be expected to keep copies of all your images as the BBC may not be able to retain them forever.

Compliance

All images supplied to the BBC must be factually representative of the editorial content of the programme they have been taken for.  They must also abide by editorial policy guidelines so please consult the Editorial guidelines for picture publicity for details (see downloads section top right of this page). No images can be released to publicise the programme without written consent from the programme’s BBC Executive Producer. 

• broadcast quality graded rushes - source of 'clean' sound and uncaptioned pictures 
• access to artists for filming/recording 
• a version of the complete programme (often before its sound dub) 

• Red Bee Media Playout Planning Unit who use the billings to collate the programme detail to produce the final transmission schedule 
• Broadcasting Data Services (BDS) for circulation to listings magazines (including Radio Times) with the final transmission schedule
• EPG Unit who supply billings to digital TV Electronic Programme Guides (EPGs) and the BBC's Programme pages.

• In-house programme-makers should complete the form via the P4A system.
• Independent producers should complete and submit the form via Mircosoft word template or via the P4A system as instructed.
• You will find help on completing the form and our full requirements on P4A or via the example for Independent producers (see downloads).
• Wording should be approved with your BBC Commissioning Editor.

• BBC One
• BBC Two
• BBC Three
• BBC Four
• CBeebies
• CBBC
• BBC Scotland
• BBC Northern Ireland

Details of Billings Due Dates are available at the BDS website. (Note - the BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.)