I wrote this PNA as a front-end design for one of several projects I produced for Oxnard Adult School. Other than minor editing and changing names, phone numbers and email addresses, this is the version that was submitted and approved by the client—the school’s principal. Here’s a quick rundown of what it provided and why it was so important.
Client Contact Info/Dates
Basic, but important, information about the client and the deadline, all in one place. Phone numbers, email addresses, contact information for the
P r o g r a m I n c e P t I o n : t h e n e e d s a n a l y s I s 1 7 key decision-makers. I don’t know about you, but if these types of impor- tant details are not all in one place, I invariable misplace them and end up digging through stacks of papers to retrieve them.
Got a Problem?
Whether a client realizes it or not, every project is produced to solve a problem, and that problem is the basic premise behind the need for the program—the core purpose justifying its existence. If the client can’t pro- vide it, it’s up to you to figure it out. In this case, the client initially felt there was no problem. They simply wanted a video produced to celebrate their 75th anniversary and get word out to the community. I explained to her that community members, being unaware of the anniversary, including the school’s longevity and history, was the problem.
Audience
A brief overview of audience demographics is crucial for writing an effective script viewers will identify with. Included in the audience section are:
Size
The audience size often dictates, or at least contributes, to how much budget will be appropriated for the project. The more people (usually employees) who will see it, the more budget it may warrant. This is especially true in large organizations and companies.
Age, Demographics, Education, Knowledge Level
Because in this case the WASC team was strictly an academic group, not an audience that might consider enrolling at the school, we decided to focus the program on motivating community members who might actually enroll.
And just who are these audience members? If they are all young, say, in their twenties and thirties, that would probably call for a different approach
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than one for an audience of senior citizens? If they are all female that might call for a different approach than an all-male program. And knowing how they feel about a subject (their opinions and perhaps biases), can affect how a writer may present the information. If it’s a program on a new company procedure, is the procedure generally perceived positively or as just “more rules and regulations passed down from ‘the Ivory Tower’?” The Audience section of the PNA explores all of these audience elements and guides the writer, producer and director as the show is developed.
Objectives
Objectives give the program a clear direction and goal, or goals, to shoot for. They must be precise, (in most cases) quantifiable and achievable with the use of a video program. I often categorize them in one of three ways—
informational, instructional or motivational.
• Informational objectives should be clear and concise explaining what audience members will learn from the program.
• Instructional objectives should be specific and quantifiable explain- ing what audience members will be able to state or do, having viewed the program.
• Motivational objectives may be less precise because they are a gauge of feelings, not actions (we will clarify this shortly).
Utilization
Utilization describes how the program will be used, and that, too, is very important. If it’s a stand-alone program it must be effective with no other support materials or activities. For instance, if it’s a stand-alone program on sales techniques, it must describe, demonstrate and discuss those techniques in order to be effective. If it is not a stand-alone program, that means some- thing like a pamphlet or booklet—or perhaps a presenter—will provide some of the information.
I once produced a project that we designed as a series of sales demon- stration segments. Because each of the segments was to be introduced by a
P r o g r a m I n c e P t I o n : t h e n e e d s a n a l y s I s 1 9 live instructor and discussions would take place after viewing, there was no need for a video introduction nor follow-up support material. We simply began each segment by fading up on a brief title and then the action, and each segment was ended by fading out.
Concept
In the case of this PNA, I was asked to include a program concept or brief treatment of how the show might play out, along with a rationale for that choice. This is something that may or may not be included in (or perhaps
“attached” to) the typical PNA. Whether it’s presented at this stage or not, however, it should be based in large part on the information brought to light in the PNA. This is another reason I write one on virtually all projects, and keep it on file. At various points during the development process, I read it over and ask myself if the decisions I’ve been making support what the client(s) and I initially outlined. When the program is shown in the client approval meeting(s), I bring the PNA to the meeting, hand out copies, and use it to discuss and refresh the client’s memories about what we set out to do and whether or not we’ve met those objectives.