FEATURED ACTIVITY THOUGHT STARTERS
HELPFUL REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION/TONE:
Harold has grown up and drawn himself off the pages of a book, landing in the real world with a crayon made of the most mysterious, powerful, extraordinary materials on earth: imagination—and purple wax. Sony Pictures Entertainment wants you to tap into this boundless source of creativity to create a series of interactive and craft-oriented "how-to" videos that include some activities that families can do together before going to see Harold and the Purple Crayon in theaters on August 2.
The goal of this project is to promote the Harold and the Purple Crayon movie by creating a suite of content anchored by a single :60 video that demonstrates a craft-oriented activity that parents can do with their children. The activity should feel inspired by the imaginative themes of the movie, but we're primarily looking for general creative activities families can do together, as opposed to something specifically related to the movie. The hero video should feel social-first, and should capture the organic reactions between a parent and a child as they demonstrate a craft, share a tutorial, or otherwise bring a family-centric activity to life together. While the content can have an instructional "how to" element, the videos should really be more playful and engaging, and we don't want them to be sterile - you should be encouraging viewers to use their imagination!
In terms of the activities, imagination is key, so think outside the box! This is where we really want to see your creativity shine. What's most important is that the activity captures the attention of the audience, compels them to join in, and clearly communicates how to carry out the activity based on the video. We list out some thought-starters for potential activities in the Background, but do not feel limited by these — in fact, we'd prefer you to build off of these to create something a step above. While a lot of these are arts & crafts based, don't feel limited by this, and if it makes sense we're open to seeing non-art activities.
Executionally, we say "suite," but outside of the main video, we're actually just talking about a number of cutdowns, a few aspect ratios, and some localized assets for the UK and Brazil, so you don't need multiple different creative approaches here. You should plan to cast at least one adult as a parent (late 20s, early 30s) and one main child talent (middle school or junior high age range). You can cast a real family or professional talent, and you're welcome to include a second child to expand the age range of the audience if you'd like. The lead talent should feel energetic and bright, with fun personalities and the ability to clearly demonstrate whatever activity you're showcasing. We see these videos as being primarily live action, but are open to incorporations of animation throughout to subtly nod to the film's themes of imagination being brought to life as Harold's drawings come to life.
Tonally, Harold & the Purple Crayon is a funny movie, for kids and adults of all ages. Find ways to incorporate PG humor throughout that will appeal to both key audiences. We want the adults watching this to be just as engaged as their kids. Your videos will be more than a movie promo, they should be interactive videos for parents to connect with their kids any time.
Looking at the timeline, you'll see that there is a rather robust development period. Throughout pre-production, you'll be working with the Sony team to ensure that your concept fits within the parameters of the existing Harold & the Purple Crayon marketing efforts. Therefore, be prepared for potential narrative and/or stylistic pivots to your concept as we work to align your vision with the vision of the Harold and the Purple Crayon marketing team. Additionally, there will be more extensive legal review in both pre-production and post, so do note these as you review the timeline linked below. Lastly, note that you will be responsible for creating the Brazilian Portuguese subtitles, including any translation costs. We have noted where we think this makes the most in the timeline. We will also need to localize the endcard for both UK and Brasil, so make sure to plan accordingly!
For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: Each creator will produce 12 total video assets
EXPECTED TIMELINE: HERE
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.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Parents AND their children
TONE/FEEL: Magical, fun engaging.
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
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.