VIDEO CONCEPTS - Your pitch should be based on ONE of these three concepts, each recently sourced from the Tongal community:
- A Comedy of Errors - Imagine a Dad reading the paper when his wife yells from upstairs: "Did you get the car for Sarah's sweet sixteen?" Dad frantically pulls up EBlock: cut to daughter beaming and mom glaring at the new car. Mom to Dad: "I said, 'Did you get the card? The Card!'" For this concept, think about how misunderstandings like this could lead to a comedy of errors and use that to show just how fast and effective EBlock can be. That said, let's make sure that car dealers are the ones buying and selling cars in your videos, not just "Dad."
- Romeo & Juliette - In this concept, we find out what would have happened if the timing was a little better in the classic story of Romeo and Juliet. If you don't remember, in the original story Juliet takes a poison to fake her own death and run away with Romeo, but he finds her before she awakens and, thinking her dead, he takes his own life... just moments before she reawakens. It's the very definition of bad timing - but in our approach, the timing worked out and we find them years later, living in a modern world, creating a couple's vlog and - while maybe they're past their honeymoon phase - they love to talk up EBlock and how things can work out for the best when the timing is right.
- Timing Is... Kinda Important - Focus on awkward situations and mishaps that are only awkward because of bad timing, and use them to convey just how important timing can be. Imagine: someone claps too early at a play, or someone laughs at the first sentence of a story and misses the punchline, or a football player jumps for the ball before it's close enough, or a drummer plays way off the beat, etc.
EBLOCK CORE VALUES:
- Only EBlock’s real-time virtual auction can create the sense of urgency & energy found in a live auction.
- Cars bought and sold in 60 seconds: Cars are "up on the block" for a limited amount of time, bidding goes quickly and cars are often sold within a minute.
- Set auction times for easy planning & prep: Our online auctions always start at a set time, 1:30PM PT and 1:30PM ET every Tuesday and Thursday. So you always know exactly when and where to show up. We are unlike other digital auctions, like eBay, that take the approach where auctions are running all day long, which makes it very difficult for buyers because they need to watch the auction all the time.
- Features to make buying fast & efficient: We send a run list before the auction starts which showcases all of the vehicles that will be up for sale in that day's auction which helps buyers to get prepared. Additionally, at the live auction there are multiple lanes running at the same time.
- Powerful filter & search tools to connect the best buyers with the right inventory: Live reps making decisions in real time. At live action auctions the "rep" (seller) of the vehicle stands up next to the auctioneer and watches the bids and can make a call at any time to say they are happy with the price and that the next bid wins - we have a similar functionality on the app that allows the seller of the vehicle to indicate that they are ready to sell at the current price.
EXAMPLE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION, TONE, AND STYLE
EBLOCK DEMO - This demo video provides a through breakdown of what the EBlock sites looks like and how the live auction functions.
E INC is an automotive company that specializes in both wholesale and retail distribution of automotive vehicles through their digital platforms. They are committed to the development, delivery, and relentless refinement of the online buying experience, in order to help maximize efficiency and offer cost savings when it comes to buying both everyday consumer cars and high-end luxury cars. Their digital dealer-to-dealer auction platform EBlock combines a buying experience that dealers know and love with the extensive online audience that wholesalers demand - all in real time. Now, sure, none of that's particularly funny, right? But comedy is about timing, and one of the big benefits with EBlock is about timing, so we're gonna use that to your comedic advantage.
E INC is looking for a witty and entertaining filmmaker to create a suite of three 1-2 minute live action videos based on some comedic concepts that have fun with the concept of timing. There are three different concepts in the Background, and you'll need to pick one of them to create three hero videos focused around that concept. The timing thematic is pretty obvious in each one, but you'll want to really think about timing as a whole, and how timing relates to how EBlock functions, because that's what's going to make this succeed. EBlock auctions are thrilling because they run at the same quick pace as a live car auction - where timing is everything - but they also have specific features that work for any car dealer looking to buy or sell cars fast.
We are looking for some high-energy and comedic videos that revolve around the fact that their online auctions and core values are all about timing. It's important that you introduce the brand and hook the audience in the first few seconds, while keeping them engaged throughout the stories. Each video should have a lot of comedy setup (slapstick, falling off your seat, or even ironic and awkward situations) along with a narrative that help highlight the core values of EBlock. While each video can stand on its own, we want them each to uniquely play on the concept so all three videos feel connected and coherent.
For your pitch, we’re asking that you illustrate your creative approach for one of the three concepts, so make sure the base of the concept remains, but feel free to put your own clever spin on it. You should make sure to give us a good sense of exactly what your videos will involve, how you intend to make viewers laugh, and how you could develop this concept to work as an ongoing series for EBlock. We are ideally looking for live action videos, but if you have a thoughtful or creative way to incorporate animation, stop motion, or motion graphics alongside or on top of that live action footage, we would be open to seeing those approaches.
For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are 15 Total Assets.
- Three :60-:120 Hero Videos (16x9)
- Three :30 Cutdowns (16x9,1x1)
- Three :15 Cutdowns (16x9,1x1)
TIMELINE: Full project timeline
EXPOSURE:
TARGET AUDIENCE:
- Canada and U.S.
- Business to Business
- Car Dealers and Auto Auction Goers
TONE: Funny. Funnier. Hilarious even. Action packed, informative surprising, original, clever.
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
- Your videos MUST contain the EBlock logo and keep their Brand Guidelines in mind.
- If client is not able to physically be on set, you MUST provide a live feed of the shoot for client feedback.
- Your videos SHOULD highlight the core values that EBlock functions on which you can see in the Background section.
- Your videosSHOULD keep in mind that EBlock is not intended for the everyday consumer. They are a business-to-business site that specifically markets to car dealers or car dealerships.
- Your videos SHOULD keep in mind that this is an online automotive auction company with a big emphasis on technology.
- Your videos can show branding on vehicles as long as the vehicles are being shown on the UI from the site or the app.
- Each video SHOULD be able to stand on its own, but we want them each to uniquely play on the concept so they all feel connected.
OPEN BID:
- This is an open bid project, so you will get to set your own budget proposal up to $90,000. The Sponsor is interested in seeing tiered pricing options, so please feel free to submit various versions of your pitch at budget, target, and reach price points within that price range.
- By participating in this open bid project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a bid. Though most open bid projects on our platform do move forward with a greenlit bid, we will notify you in the event the Sponsor decides not to fund any bids via the project forum. Regardless of the result, all open bid submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the Sponsor and the project team.
Shooting live action or stop motion? Our priority is ensuring everyone's safety, and we're now requiring a COVID safety protocol plan for all relevant productions. Please review our COVID-19 Production Safety Guide and check federal, state, and local rules before and during your shoot to make sure your on-set protocols are up to date. We're working hard to keep people working during this extraordinary time, and you should ensure your submission is executable within the anticipated timeline and budget, while also ensuring everyone's safety.