BBC - Commissioning - OU delivery requirements and publicity guidelines

Production and Delivery

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

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OU delivery requirements and publicity guidelines

The Open University (OU) works in partnership with the BBC to co-fund programmes from in-house and independent suppliers, totalling around 25 learning journey projects a year, across all BBC TV channels and radio stations. Find out more in the OU What we're looking for section

Note: Learning journey means the educational journey that enhances and enriches the broadcast experience that the viewer takes after watching or listening to the programme.

Production Process

The BBC and The OU wish to combine the best of both organisations’ resources and talents to reach the widest possible audience with innovative, exciting and inspiring content.

The OU, through its nominated academic/s, will provide regular input into the production process, including reasonable attendance at production team meetings.

All learning journey projects shall include a request made to the audience to continue the learning journey by accessing free complementary materials produced by The OU. The call-to-action will be collaboratively agreed in advance of the online edit. See OU Branding section for more information.

Programme makers should refer to the relevant BBC Knowledge commissioning team or the key contact for the Open University.

Notes for Production

1. All OU deliverable requirements should be met from within the production budget.
2. All deliverables set out below form part of the contract and should be provided in full within the allotted schedule period.
3. Production are responsible for planning for and incorporating the tape and publicity requirements in their post production schedule
4. All products and paperwork must be correctly identified using the following information:
   • Strand Title (as shown on P4A)
   • Programme Title
   • BBC Programme UID number e.g. FKA C161W/01 (TX Version)
   • BBC Programme UID number e.g. FKA C161W/50 (OU Learning Journey Version”)
   • Production Company
   • Final Duration
   • Date of Technical or QAR Review (for products only)
5. BBC unique identifiers (UIDs) will be issued for each programme by the BBC genre business co-ordinator, TV Management & Support Services.
6. Further information on the commissioning process and content opportunities can be found in the What We Want section.

Delivery Requirements

The Open University “Learning Journey” deliverables form part of the contract, these include tape, publicity/web and paperwork requirements.

Tape requirements for SD & HD

BBC TX Version

1xStandard Definition DIGIBETA Clone of SD or HD Master (OU archive copy of programme as broadcast – not for OU exploitation).

• No QAR necessary
• No BBC Technical Review for HD
• No clearances necessary
• Delivery to OU should take place on the agreed delivery date
• VISION: 16.9FHA, shot and protected for 14:9 viewer  
• AUDIO: Final Mix on tracks 1 and 2; Music and Effects on tracks 3 and 4 (final mix minus narration)

9xDVDs without timecode (OU library copy, OBU Library loan copies, OBU copy, OU Media Relations copies)

OU "Learning Journey" Version

HD Delivery

• 1xHigh Definition HDCAM SR Master (OU “Learning Journey” OU Version for staff, student and OU course use)
• 1xStandard Definition DIGIBETA Master (SD “Learning Journey” OU Version for staff, student and OU course use) 

SD Delivery

• 1xStandard Definition DIGIBETA Master (OU “Learning Journey” OU Version for staff, student and OU course use)
• 1xStandard Definition DIGIBETA clone of master as above (OU Safety Copy)

For the OU versions, the following applies:

• All references to call to action, trailer for following programmes and websites removed.  These versions should also have time-specific references removed.  (The programme should still work editorially).
• BBC Quality Assessment Review (QAR) - compliant to BBC standard with BBC recording report (except the Standard Definition DIGIBETA Master in HD delivery).
• Delivery to OU should take place on the agreed delivery date.
• VISION:16.9FHA, shot and protected for 14:9 viewer. 
• AUDIO: Final Mix on tracks 1 and 2; Music and Effects on tracks 3 and 4 (final mix minus narration)
• OU Learning Journey version will include clean elements (i.e. clean of English language text) to be placed on the end of tape after 1 minute of recorded black and silence on tape and supplied with at least 10 frames of surplus material either side of required sequence (handles). To include: 
  1. Title sequence clean of any English language text
  2. All sequences with captions/collage/idents etc in the lower third of the screen
  3. All graphic sequences that include English language text.
  4. Any in-vision subtitles wit the exception of bought in footage (ie commercial films). Please discuss with The Open Media’s Unit Broadcast Project Manager any programmes containing large amounts of sub-titling for foreign language translations.
  5. Sequence that contains “BBC” ID logo within the opening of the programme.
  6. End credits: the closing credit sequence should be clear of text when over pictures

2xDVDs* without timecode
1xDVD* with burnt-in timecode

*DVDs to include clock and programme only. No bars or cleans on the end. 

1xBROADCAST WAVS

AUDIO tracks to be provided by dubbing mixer

• M+E (stereo) undipped
• FX, Atmos and Foley (stereo)
• Music only (stereo)
• Sync Dialogue (mono)
• Commentary / VO (mono)

Please contact the IRMC with any queries regarding OU Tape requirements. 

OU publicity and web requirements 

• DVDS - OU Media Relations and OU Marketing will use the DVD copies delivered from the BBC UK TX Version detailed above.
• Programme/ Series Title Graphic supplied as high quality JPEG or TIF file to Broadcast Project Manager, OMU
  1. Series title logo on plain background
  2. Image grab of series title card as appears within finished programme
• Programme/ Series outline - Approx 300 - 400 words
• Individual Programme summary - Approx 250 – 300 words
• Publicity Stills 

Delivery within 4 weeks of completion of principle photography or upon delivery of materials, whichever is earliest.

Production will provide a minimum of 10 (unless otherwise agreed with production) high quality colour original images for each of the programmes, to include programme generic images and, where applicable, programme presenter.   Within the stills delivery some of the key images must be in portrait format.

The images must be provided digitally as JPEG files scanned at a minimum of
300dpi, along with the original prints or transparencies or TIF files at a minimum
size of 8mb.  If production is unable to supply to this standard then a professional photographer must be engaged to capture the images during principle photography. The stills should be individually captioned and accredited to the photographer.

Screen grabs taken from the master are not acceptable.

All photographs should be fully cleared of copyright and artists restrictions
including moral rights. The BBC or the OU may also commission its own photographer subject to agreement with the producer.

All names of presenters and contributors should be identified.

Paperwork requirements

These following are to be delivered 2 weeks following technical or QAR review unless agreed otherwise:

• PasCs via BBC P4A plus a web page of the form from the P4A delivery pack emailed to OMU's IRMC
• Music reporting films via BBC P4A plus a web page of the form from the P4A delivery pack emailed to OMU's IRMC
• Final Transcripts of the OU Learning Journey version in a Microsoft Word compatible document, with all speaker/s clearly identified and the programme credit list included and emailed to OMU's IRMC. A downloadable OU Final transcript template is available in the downloads section top right of this page.

These are to be emailed 2 weeks in advance of transmission

• Billings Form via BBC P4A plus emailed to OMU Programme Billings.

As all materials are delivered to OU fully precleared for OU educational use, no supporting contractual paperwork is required.

Key delivery contacts for The Open University can be found in the Who's Who.