BUDGETING ASSUMPTIONS:

• Tech scout - In the week before your scheduled shoot window, you will be asked to complete a tech scout at your respective locations.
• 1 day of shooting - We anticipate only a single day with each student or alumni, and you should, within that timeframe, account for any b-roll, establishing shots, or other pick-ups needed to flesh out the story.
• Hair and makeup for the student or alumni, as well as any key family members who might be present.
• Set design for any featured decor and props (if necessary). It's unlikely you'll need large decor or furniture. 
• Brand presence on set - with 1-2 GCU or Tongal representatives potentially attending in person.
• Dedicated social shooter - Although we may be able to use some footage from your main camera for social, you should expect to utilize a dedicated social shooter and plan to film some shoots specifically for social media.
• Shoot horizontal 4K @ 23.98 fps - Camera package specs: A Camera - Alexa mini or Alexa 35, Super Speed Lenses or similar; B Camera for interview only - Alexa mini or Alexa 35, Super Speed Lenses or similar or Red Komodo or better, Dragon sensor or newer
• Remote viewing/camera to cloud during production - Your production should be set up for remote viewing on all shoot days so the campaign director can monitor the shoot. Frame.io Teradek, Atomos, etc. are viable options.
• Costs for the hard drive and shipping to the campaign director must be factored into your budget considerations.  

Grand Canyon University (GCU) is a private Christian university located in Phoenix, Arizona that is dedicated to helping students change their lives for the better through education. They offer a wide range of degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels that students can earn on campus or online. With a focus on integrating faith and learning, GCU provides a supportive community for students seeking a values-based education with a Christian worldview.

 

Grand Canyon University wants to spotlight the experiences of five of its top students and alumni, showcasing GCU’s pivotal role in their higher education journey while helping them discover and pursue their sacred vocations. As these students and alumni are spread across the U.S., and may be filmed within the same production window, we'll need several different production teams to accomplish this, while still ensuring that all of the content feels coherent and consistent with the larger campaign objectives.  

 

GCU has already brought on a campaign director to oversee the creative development for the new campaign; for this project, we're looking for up to three teams who can handle local physical production. Raw footage from these shoots will be provided to the campaign director, who will then handle ALL post-production and delivery. Details about the students and alumni and their specific locations will be provided to the pitch winners, but general information is shown below: 

• Individual 1 (Female) - Mankato, Minnesota Region | August 21 - 30
• Individual 2 (Female) - Ithaca, NY Region | August 21 - 30
• Individual 3 (Male) - Lawton, OK Region | August 21 - 30

Please note that the shoot dates are still being confirmed and are subject to change based on the individual's availability – these are real people, managing busy lives. It is likely that you will need to conduct a one-day video shoot and conduct a tech scout prior to the shoot itself. 

 

You are NOT being asked to pitch a creative direction as the goal is to align seamlessly with the format established by GCU and the campaign director. We have outlined this approach in the Background section below, including the need for a stand-alone social shoot to capture some tailor-made 9x16 footage. With that in mind, we will be prioritizing filmmaking teams that have a proven ability to manage and direct real people in a docu-style or testimonial setting. 

 

Once selected, you will work closely with the campaign director throughout pre-production and production. The campaign director will provide creative and technical pre-production guides as well as storyboards and shot lists to follow when shooting. You will be responsible for locations, wardrobe styling, set design, any featured props (as needed), and all talent HMU. Our assumption is that each shoot will involve two locations: a residence and a place of work. That will ultimately depend on the person, his/her story, and what type of b-roll is needed.

 

The campaign director (and, potentially, GCU brand or creative teams) will be joining your shoot remotely to provide real-time feedback during production, ensuring everything is aligned with their vision. There may also be local GCU or Tongal representatives on set, in-person. GCU may have its own photographer on set; you will need to keep this in mind for the shot list, as well as the shoot schedules. After the shoot, you will be asked to send proxy files to the campaign director digitally, as well as ship a hard drive to them with all raw footage and photos. You will not be responsible for any video or photo post-production services. 

 

Please note that you do NOT need to be based in any of the students' or alumni's locations to pitch on this project. However, there is no additional travel budget available, and any crew travel or lodging should be covered under the specified production budget. In the pitch materials, you MUST introduce the individuals who will be working on this project. We have broken down more details about the process, as well as some budgeting assumptions, below. For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.

IF YOU ARE SELECTED:

• You will coordinate with the campaign director, who will provide pre-production guides (including preferred lenses, lighting/framing/set dec references, props and wardrobe guidance, etc.), as well as storyboards and shot lists. 
• This series must follow the creative style laid out by the campaign director.
• You will be responsible for sourcing featured set decoration options following the storyboards provided to you by the campaign director. 
• You must conduct a technical scout at the location(s) and share photos from that scout with the campaign director. 
• Your video shoot must take place on the determined dates. Any date shifts will be discussed directly with the various teams in real-time.
• You must send ALL proxy footage to the campaign director within 48 hours of your shoot. 
• You must send ALL footage and raw assets to the campaign director via hard drive within 2 weeks of your shoot. 
• 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 direct real people in docu-style or testimonial settings, and get relaxed, genuine performances.
• Past work that shows your ability to shoot docu-style content with visually interesting b-roll.
• A breakdown of the key members of your team, including your director (motion), director of photography, hair/makeup artist, and production designer. You must use our production team member template for this breakdown.
• Details about how you'll approach your production, and address whether you're local or whether you're traveling. 

 

DELIVERABLES: Digital or physical delivery of all proxy files, hard drive delivery of all raw footage. 

 

EXPECTED TIMELINE: HERE

 

EXPOSURE & RIGHTS: We expect content will be used on the platforms below but, if casting talent, be sure they review our required Talent Release before they are cast. Content may NOT be limited to these platforms. You should also review our music providers in the Project Requirements, as well as the platform best practices.

• GCU-owned channels
• OTT, including YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram
• TikTok

 

TARGET AUDIENCE: 

• Aged 18-22 Online Students | The Working Student: Similar to learning parents, working students are drawn to institutions that fit their lifestyle and offer flexible learning options so that they can balance full-time professional obligations with their academics. These students are often looking for opportunities to expand their skills and knowledge to advance their careers. These students find online learning less stressful and, therefore, more accessible and rewarding over time.
• Aged 25-44 Online Adult Learners | Multi-Taskers: They are always on the go and are very busy. They juggle family, hobbies, and volunteering in the community. They try to do it all with a smile on their faces and a positive attitude but are constantly trying to keep stress at bay, worrying about keeping up with home commitments and adding the layer of school to this.
• Career Switchers: They had a diverse career before deciding they wanted to pursue a master’s program online at GCU. They may have a four-year bachelor’s degree but want to pursue a master’s in an alternate field of study that they had an interest in but may not have pursued. Life circumstances have made the present the right time for a change. They are enrolling in the program with invaluable life and work experience.
• Career Advancers: They want to stay in their chosen professional field; however, they also want to continue learning and stay up-to-date with new trends and technologies. They can achieve this by pursuing a graduate-level degree at GCU.
• Veterans Seeking Higher Education 

 

TONE: Positive and energetic; modern; confident and welcoming

 

By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a submission. Though most projects on our platform do move forward, we will 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 the project team.

 

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 original creation and free of any copyrighted material. You shall provide detailed information about 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 a 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. The 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 the Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with the Sponsor, nor can submissions contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity, or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of the 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.