Last year, Block Advisors by H&R Block launched the Fund Her Future program to help women small business owners succeed. Through this grant program, Block Advisors provides a total of $100,000 in grant funding to a few deserving US-based women small business owners. In addition to their grant, each recipient also receives a year of small business services. H&R Block wants to help celebrate 2025's recipients with video content that shows the impact of Block Advisors' year-round small business services on their success, elevates the visibility of the Fund Her Future program, and supports and promotes recipients' businesses.

This year, Block Advisors is giving $10,000 grants to each of five recipients from around the United States, and we're looking for up to five filmmakers to capture docu-style social videos with each recipient. Tongal will be working closely with the brand and one of their partner agencies here, and we'll be bringing on a Campaign Director to manage the campaign, oversee pre-production, and handle post-production. With this particular project, we are looking for filmmaking teams who can just handle local physical production at various locations across the U.S. (in the specific markets outlined in the Background section). Raw footage from this shoot will then be provided to the Campaign Director, who will handle ALL post-production and delivery. 

You'll be shooting both interview and b-roll content against four social-first concepts, which will be provided to the greenlit filmmakers. In terms of the creative and brand messaging, this should feel uniquely emotional and authentic. While this is a social-first campaign, you'll need to frame for 9x16 but shoot 16x9. If greenlit, you should expect to join a kickoff call with Tongal and our campaign director, as well as a pre-interview call with your assigned Fund Her Future recipient, to build a pre-shoot rapport. The campaign director will provide pre-production templates for you to use.

You should plan for a single-day shoot, and anticipate filming at your recipient's small business as well as her home, and potentially another location in the community. You should also expect to conduct a tech scout ahead of the shoot. All footage will need to be delivered in 16x9 (but shot for 9x16 editing). For your shoot we do recommend a late-model iPhone or similar (e.g. Ronin 4D, Sony FX3, etc) on a gimbal. You will also need to shoot one vertical portrait-style photo of the recipient, captured on iPhone or similar.

Importantly, you are NOT being asked to pitch a creative take here, as the goal is to align seamlessly with format established by the brand's agency partner and the Campaign Director; we are instead looking for a filmmaker team who can digest this established creative approach and execute against it without deviation. Once selected, you'll work primarily with the Campaign Director and their team throughout pre-production and production. The Campaign Director and their team will provide creative & technical pre-production guides for you to follow when shooting.

After the shoot, you will be asked to send proxy files to the Campaign Director digitally, as well as ship a hard drive with all raw footage. You will not be responsible for any video post-production services. 

Please note you do NOT need to be based In one of these markets to pitch on this project, but there is no additional travel budget available, and any crew travel or lodging should be covered under your production budget. Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.

IF YOU ARE SELECTED:

• You will be coordinating with a Campaign Director, who will provide creative guidelines and pre-production guides (including preferred lenses, lighting/framing/set dec references, wardrobe guidance, etc.), and work with you on story outlines. 
• Your footage must follow the creative style and interview questions provided.
• You must conduct a technical scout at the recipient's office or place of business and share photos from that scout with the Campaign Director. 
• Your video shoot must take place on the determined dates; currently, those are targeted for sometime between November 10th to November 19th. Any date shifts will be discussed directly with the various teams in real time.
• You must provide all talent releases to Tongal by EOD PT on November 19th.
• You must send ALL footage and raw assets to the Campaign Director via hard drive by EOD PT on November 20th.
• You will NOT be required to provide any post-production services.

 

FOR YOUR PITCH: Your pitch should primarily highlight:

• Past work that shows your ability to shoot vertical & docu-style content.
• A breakdown of the key members of your team.
• Details about how you'll approach your production, and address whether you're local or whether you're traveling. 

DELIVERABLES: Each filmmaker will deliver a hard drive containing the following content:

• All raw footage (16x9, 9x16) 

EXPECTED TIMELINE: HERE (2nd tab only)

EXPOSURE: We expect content will be used on the platforms below, but if casting talent, be sure they review our required Talent Release before they're cast, as it is NOT limited to these platforms. You should also review our Music providers in the Project Requirements, as well as the platform best practices.

• H&R Block sites, including Block Advisors and Fund Her Future; owned social, including YouTube, Instagram, Linkedin, etc.

TARGET AUDIENCE: Small business owners, especially females 20-50.

TONE/FEEL:  Warm, inspiring, relatable

EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES: 

• Please do NOT contact any of the Fund Her Future recipients during the Pitch Phase. Any filmmakers infringing on this will be removed from consideration.
• Your footage will need to align the style laid out by the campaign director and adhere to any creative guidelines developed during pre-production.
• Do not show logos on clothing or other props (e.g. cover Apple logo on laptops).

By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a submission. Though most projects do move forward, we'll notify you in the event the Sponsor decides not to fund any submissions via the Project Forum. Regardless of the result, all submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the Sponsor and project team.

In order to be considered, include the below materials in your submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery. All Pitches remain private, even after a Pitch is selected, and Tongal strives to have Pitch selections made by the end of the Evaluation period, but additional time may be required by the Sponsor, depending on any number of factors. Unless specifically requested, there's no need to include a budget with your submission.

• TEXT (REQUIRED): Up to 500 characters synopsizing how you plan to approach and produce the content listed in the Deliverables.
  
  
• TREATMENT (REQUIRED): A more detailed and specific description of how you propose to execute all of the content listed out in the Deliverables. Explain what we can expect to see, and how you'll make it. If it's helpful, we've provided a treatment template HERE.
  
  
• LINKS (REQUIRED): To your previous video work. Please specify your role (producer, director, editor, artist, etc.) but do not include links to your showreel. Please link to individual videos.
  
  
• LOCATION (REQUIRED): Using the dropdown, please specify which location you are pitching on. If you are able to work as a local across multiple locations, you are encouraged to submit individual pitches for each location.
  
  
• PITCH VIDEO (Optional): This is your opportunity to be face-to-face with the Sponsor and show what you're capable of. Consider a video in which you tell the Sponsor what they can expect, or consider test videos, proof-of-concept edits, animatics, etc. For examples of effective Pitch videos, check out this gallery.

1. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, greenlit Video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, Music (or other) Releases for all assets appearing in their Videos, as well as a photograph/headshot OR copy of a photo ID for all On-camera Talent releases. You must also provide all project files, editing sequences and a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec to claim your earnings. Tongal also reserves the right to request all raw files associated with the project.
   
   
2. Unless provided otherwise, all work must be your own original creation and free of any copyrighted material. You shall provide detailed information of your work regarding the source, the creator and background information as requested by Tongal.
   
   
3. In the event you utilize any third-party materials, such as music provided by a third-party music provider not provided by Tongal, you must obtain full written license and consent from the owner of such third-party materials and provide such license and consent forms to Tongal.
   
   
4. The Sponsor will be entitled to reasonable revisions on the finished Videos without providing additional compensation. Remember it's easier to re-edit than re-shoot so try to get as much coverage as possible.
   
   
5. Preferred format for upload to the Tongal website is HD 720p and formatted for the aspect ratios listed in the Deliverables (e.g. 16x9). Acceptable file formats are .mov, .avi, .mp4, .wmv. Acceptable codecs are H.264 (MP4), MPEG-4, H.263, MPGV, WMV, DivX. Should your submission be greenlit, you will also be required to provide a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec.
   
   
6. BY SUBMITTING A VIDEO ENTRY, YOUR SUBMISSION IMMEDIATELY BECOMES THE SOLE PROPERTY OF TONGAL OR ITS ASSIGNEES - SEE OFFICIAL RULES FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT OWNERSHIP OF ENTRIES. YOU MAY NOT PUBLICLY SHARE OR PUBLISH YOUR SUBMISSION IN ANY MANNER AND YOU MAY NOT POST OR UPLOAD YOUR SUBMISSION TO ANY WEBSITE OR VIDEO HOSTING SITE (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE OR VIMEO), WITHOUT THE PRIOR EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF TONGAL. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS REQUIREMENT MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF YOUR ENTRY IN THE PROJECT.
   
   
7. You may not contact any employees or members of the Sponsor's organization, their affiliates, or any of their partners. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of your entry in the project.
   
   
8. In addition to the judging criteria stated in the OFFICIAL RULES, Pitches will also be evaluated on that member's ability to execute the final Video based on their prior work and experience as a creator.
   
   
9. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.
   
   
10. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor, nor can Submissions contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.
    
    
11. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.
    
    
12. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.
    
    
13. See OFFICIAL RULES for additional contest information, terms and conditions. If there is any conflict or inconsistency between these requirements and the Official Rules, the terms and conditions of these requirements shall prevail.