GREAT Britain: Film Brief Prepared by Rachel Newton, British Council, 26th April 2012. Overview and aims As part of the UK government s GREAT campaign, Education UK has received funding to promote the UK as a study destination to international students. Our proposal is to produce a 3 4 minute film (with a shorter 2 minute version for the website) which will showcase the best of what the UK has to offer to international students. The primary message of the film will be the experience of studying in the UK. We want to get the message across that students will have the adventure of a lifetime here in the UK where they will be able to discover themselves, explore the UK s beautiful scenery, experience our eccentric, grand and fun culture, make new friends with people from all over the world, follow their passion for learning, discover new talents and learn the language. We plan to produce a second film at a later stage which will focus in more detail on the academic strengths, educational innovations in the UK and fantastic career opportunities. The promotional film will be an imaginative tool designed to inspire international students to come to the UK over our competitors: USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia and Ireland. We are looking for a company who can create this film for us. This brief gives details about what is required. Contents Pages 1.0 Timescales 2 2.0 Promoting the UK to international students 3-4 3.0 Branding and GREAT themes 4 4.0 Who is the intended audience for this film? 5 5.0 Deliverables 5 6.0 How will we use the film? 6 8.0 What does success look like? 6 1
1.0 Timescales 1st May 2012 14th May 2012 21st May 2012 25th May 2012 08th June 2012 20th August 2012 31st August 2012 British Council issue brief and invitation to tender for project Proposals to be sent to British Council by 5pm British Council appoint supplier and agree terms of reference British Council invites winning company for initial meeting and start to draw up Terms of Reference and formal contract Formal contract to be signed by British Council and appointed company. Terms of Reference issued by the British Council Draft film to be completed for viewing by the British Council Any suggested amendments to be addressed Film completed and delivered to British Council by 5pm 2.0 Promoting the UK to international students the GREAT and Education UK programmes Why are international students important to the UK? Currently, there are over 480,000 international students (EU and non-eu) studying at UK boarding schools, colleges and universities. There are also tens of thousands studying at UK English language schools. International students are vitally important to the UK: They make a major contribution to our economy (estimated 8-12 billion p.a.) International students bring with them ideas, specialist skills and knowledge. This strengthens our research and development capabilities, particularly in the fields of science and engineering International students are tomorrow s world leaders. This opens the door to lifelong business, academic and political friendships for the UK with other countries, aiding our economy and security They enrich our campuses and communities, helping us to build relationships with people from different cultures The UK Education The UK s education system is arguably the best in the world, and gives students the chance to learn new skills, follow their passions and prepare for the future they desire. The UK is the second most popular destination for international students studying abroad after the USA, based on student enrolment figures and is renowned as being the best for scientific research. The UK also attracts and encourages the best creative minds in the world. 2
How is the UK performing in terms of recruiting international students? Our main competitors include USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France and Germany. Many of these countries have ramped up their marketing efforts in the last couple of years and started working much more closely with agents. In the past, we were arguably leading the way in marketing, but we need to work hard now to retain our position. The UK s visa system has tightened up considerably, at the same time as USA and Australia have relaxed their systems. Our research suggests this is hitting our recruitment efforts hard We are now facing new competitors, e.g. Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Malaysia. These countries are investing in their education systems and have shot up the international league tables for teaching/research excellence as a result. We can expect students to increasingly look at these countries. The film therefore needs to capture student s imaginations and inspire them to study in the UK so that they can experience the adventure of a lifetime and to open the door to the best possible career opportunities in the future. What are the aims of the GREAT Britain campaign? The GREAT Britain campaign is designed to promote the UK abroad, and aims to deliver long-term economic benefits from the unprecedented level of interest generated by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The campaign has been developed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on behalf of the Prime Minister, working with colleagues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK Trade & Investment, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, VisitBritain, and the British Council. The campaign offers a chance for the whole world to discover everything that the UK has to offer, as one of the best places in the world to live, work, visit, invest and do business. GREAT Britain centres on areas of British excellence covering reasons to visit and invest in the UK. These areas are: innovation, entrepreneurs, creativity, knowledge, green, heritage, sport, music, countryside and shopping. The campaign focuses on ten target countries, India, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Canada, USA, France and Germany. Our film will be aimed at students in these ten markets, however it will also be suitable for use across the globe, extending its value. What is the British Council? The British Council is a registered charity (not-for-profit organisation) and operates as an executive non-departmental public body. Our purpose is to build mutually beneficial relationships between people in the UK and other countries and to increase appreciation of the UK s creative ideas and 3
achievements. We do this through the arts, science, education, English language teaching, exams, governance projects, knowledge & information. What is the Education UK programme? The Education UK programme is managed by the British Council and aims to inspire students from around the world to study in the UK. In particular, the aims of the programme are to: Promote UK boarding schools, colleges, universities and English language providers Advise international students at every stage of their journey from applying to the UK, to settling in, to returning home to help ensure they have a good UK experience and maintain good perceptions of the UK Help international students to find suitable UK courses and scholarships The programme is delivered by the British Council through our network of offices in over 100 countries worldwide, and includes: www.educationuk.org visited by 1.9 million students each year Club UK magazines and Education UK Guides distributed to 80 countries Education UK exhibitions events for students in over 30 countries each year where they can meet UK institutions Roadshows and pre-departure briefings touring international schools Press briefings Agent training and seminars 3.0 Branding and GREAT Themes Education UK is a strong and well recognised brand amongst international students, so we are keen to carry this through in the film. However, we are also keen to meet the objectives of the GREAT campaign and incorporate this branding to complement the Education UK brand by portraying some of the following themes:. GREAT themes As a general guide, the film could incorporate some of the following themes from the GREAT campaign: Innovation and Creativity: The UK is home to some of the most creative thinkers in the world ranging from artists, craft designers, professionals in fashion, digital innovations, architecture, drama, theatre etc. Music Countryside Sport Knowledge: Heritage 4
4.0 Who is the intended audience for this film? The target audience is international students who are currently deciding where to go to continue their further or higher education. In particular we want to target students in: India, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Canada, USA, France, Germany and other countries around the world. Age-wise, these students will be around 17-22 years old They could be interested in studying any subject, e.g. science, maths, fashion, art, literature, medicine, agriculture, law, media, business etc Their motivations for studying in the UK are likely to be: To have an exciting experience and get to know new cultures To have an internationally recognised, well-regarded qualification which will open the door to great career opportunities To work with some of the world s leading academics and mix with other talented students To work with top facilities and equipment To improve their language skills Language-wise, they will probably have varying levels of English language ability depending on their country or origin and current education. Therefore it is vital that the film is accessible to all levels of English language ability. 6.0 Deliverables To produce a 3 4 minute inspirational film which will be shown at events and used on websites To produce a shorter 2 minute version of the same film in addition to the main feature The film should be in English. There is no need for translations as part of this project, however consortium partners may wish to add this later so please consider leaving space for subtitles The film will mainly be used on the web therefore it is important that the film is made available for use on a variety of platforms. It will feature on the Education UK website www.educationuk.org, Education UK Facebook page, the British Council website and on Youtube. We will also use the film at exhibitions and events. The film should therefore be suitable for these mediums, in terms of style, content and delivery We would like to receive all tapes created 5
7.0 How will we use the film? The film will be used in conjunction with a second film (to be produced at a later date) which will focus in more detail on the academic strengths of the UK and the fantastic educational opportunities in state of the arts facilities. We plan to use the inspirational film as follows: - up-load onto the Education UK and British Council websites - up-load onto You-tube - show at education fairs - show to students at road-shows The film should be adaptable to all formats and made available to view on multiple platforms (on multiple browsers) with no technical restrictions. 9.0 What does success look like? The film will be loaded onto the Education UK website and onto Youtube after 31 st August. There will be a marketing campaign to draw students attention to the film. The film should be extremely imaginative and successful in capturing the attention of international students ; inspiring them to study in the UK. It will be a tool designed to help them make the decision to come to the UK over our competitors. 6