Attention LEGO fans, if you've ever wondered what actually goes on in LEGO City... where do all the LEGO City mini-movies get made? Who makes sure all the "Heys" are just right? How do they fit all those Minifigures in the computer? We're giving YOU an exclusive glimpse inside LEGO City Studio, a fully functioning studio and network for LEGO City.

 

Just like NBC, ABC and CBS, LEGO City Studio has news shows, sports, sitcoms, and dramas. And this is where you come in. Working with Tongal, the LEGO Group is looking for YOU to create FOUR (4) 60-second animated (CGI only) Pilot Videos for the FOUR (4) LEGO City shows below:

 

Expedition Wild: Adventure junkie Kane Wilder takes viewers to some of the most wild and rugged places in LEGO City, the arctic, the swamp, the deep sea, even space, and shows them how to survive and escape.

 

Character Profile:

• Kane Wilder - An adventure junkie who loves to explore the never seen parts of LEGO City, Kane Wilder likes to get himself into precarious situations where he has to use his survival background to escape. A fun, outgoing personality, Kane likes to show flashes of personality and humor when stuck in a tough position to bring a bit of levity.

 

City Heists: We follow first-year detective Tyler Gumshoe as he goes undercover to unearth clues and solve mysteries of crimes happening throughout the city.

 

Character Profiles:

• Tyler Gumshoe & Chester - Tyler Gumshoe is a new graduate of the LEGO City Police Academy, entering the force as an eager and discerning detective. He’s young and ambitious, and is able to cut through often-complex cases by pulling together useful clues to solve mind-boggling mysteries. He’s accompanied by his partner, Chester, a K9 puppy who is just as precocious as he is. Together, they work to uncover evidence throughout the city, meeting with unique individuals to try and crack the case.

 

City Jobs: Personality Mick Houser profiles an array of characters who have unique jobs throughout LEGO City and are a vital component to helping everything run. He gets down n’ dirty with the people he’s interviewing, uncovering the most fascinating jobs and the people who hold them.

 

Character Profile:

• Mick Houser - A daring investigative reporter who gets down n’ dirty with the people he’s interviewing, uncovers the most fascinating jobs and the people who hold them. He’s an affable personality with a mix of extreme, rugged explorer—the perfect ingredients for a likable show host.

 

Escape from Prison Island: The newly constructed Prison Island has just opened for its first guests… the hardened criminals of LEGO City. In this show we’ll follow along with the team of wardens, guards and police officers all in charge of making sure the inmates stay in line and most importantly… don’t escape and make their way back to LEGO City.

 

Character Profiles:

• The Warden - “Ward” - A frighteningly intimidating man, he’s the one who keeps the guards and officers in line on Prison Island.
• The Guards - “Booker & Duke” - In the classic style of “good cop, bad cop” we have Booker & Duke. Booker is the bad cop using his fierce style to keep the inmates in line while Duke is the good cop, but in the traditional sense. He’s a nice guy but also a little inept at his job and it’s up to Booker to often save the day or make things right.
• The Police Officer - “Tyler Gumshoe” - As the lead detective in LEGO City, we see Tyler Gumshoe cross over into Escape from Prison Island as he is the one responsible for putting the worst of the worst in LEGO City behind bars.
• The Inmates - The inmates are the most wild cast of characters you can imagine. A mix of frightening ones, wild ones, ones that are certifiably crazy. They’re the worst criminals of LEGO City and the ones that you don’t want escaping.

 

We already have the storylines down but need YOU to bring them to life. So if you think you have the chops to execute a Pilot, please read below for more information:

• Keep in mind the shows created by LEGO City Studio are based on “real-life” stories of LEGO City (as one of LEGO City’s key attributes is realism).
• Please ensure that there are a fair amount of female minifigures included in the stories. E.g. one or two of the police officers in the Prison Island pilot. Please make sure that the tasks performed by these female minifigis are not stereotypical e.g. receptionist at police station.
• Keep in mind that minifigures' characters' body elements can be mixed and matched to achieve new and interesting characters.
• This project is CGI, 3D animation only.
• For your Pilot, you will need to make a 5 to 7-second intro just as a regular TV show would.
• The Sponsor will be providing an end bumper that has the logo for LEGO City Studio as well as a transparent logo that will be overlaid across your Pilot (similar to how NBC always has a transparent peacock at the bottom right hand corner).
• Feel free to add some additional flavor to the treatments to make your stories flow better. Some of the treatments, as they stand, may not reach the full 60-seconds. It’ll be up to you to ensure they expand across the full 60-seconds.
• You will be required to submit a 15-second cut-down with your 60-second Pilot. 
• The 15-second cut-down should have a “tune-in information” voiceover like real promos as well as the LEGO City Studio end card and transparent logo.
• As your Videos may be used in digital paid media, they must be cut to frame including the bumper.
• Pitch winners will need to include fully licensed audio effects, ambient/environment noise, visual effects, transitions, etc into their Videos.
• Please select in the dropdown menu the show you are Pitching for: Expedition Wild, City Heists, City Jobs, Escape from Prison Island.
• Since LEGO City characters are limited in speech, your script should be the narration for the Video and should not involve dialogue.
• We will provide Maya files for this project.
• Please check out the sample treatments of each show in ASSETS.
• We strongly encourage your treatments to include these elements: logline, synopsis, tone.
• Your animation style must mimic the following: https://youtu.be/gud9PKLpkcc
• Also check out The LEGO Movie and the Emmett Awards Video for inspiration - foreground elements should be brick built while backgrounds should be as brick built as possible.
• Please note you will be asked to deliver audio stems for this project as well.

 

 

 

The goal of this project is to create a fun and sharable 60-second LEGO City Pilot with a 15-second cut-down for LEGO City Studio around one of the LEGO City Studio shows: Expedition Wild, City Heists, Odd Jobs, Escape from Prison Island.

 

Think about "aging up" the content in a way that will attract an older audience and will make LEGO City more relevant among older boys 7+ (i.e. using a different tonality or style etc.) without pushing the LEGO City boundaries too far (i.e. violence, weapons, etc.). Think outside of the "one-size-fits-all paradigm" in terms of making the Video appropriate for kids of all ages. Your Video should make viewers feel as though they are part of the LEGO City world.

 

--Target Audience: The target audience is kids between 7 and 12 years old (primary target boys). 

 

--Executional Mandatories:

• LEGO City characters can only say “Hey!!!” or make noises; no talking (please reference the mini movies) http://city.lego.com/en-us/Movies/Default.aspx.
• Please ensure that there are a fair amount of female minifigures included in the stories. E.g. one or two of the police officers in the Prison Island pilot. Please make sure that the tasks performed by these female minifigis are not stereotypical e.g. receptionist at police station.
• Only use yellow characters (no ‘fleshies’). 
• Characters may not have guns.
• Avoid showing any form of violence in your Videos.
• Do not use buildings or models that are not part of LEGO. Videos should predominately feature buildings and models from LEGO City assortments. 
• If you use a backdrop, please make sure that they use the LEGO City skyline.
• You can mix LEGO City themes together e.g. Police and Fire.
• You cannot mix LEGO CITY themes with other LEGO themes e.g. Ninjago, Star Wars, etc.
• LEGO City characters/heroes should not be portrayed as sloppy, or stupid. The hero characters should be shown as aspirational.

 

--Tone: The tone should be humorous (but not silly or childish), exciting, fun, and sharable. Think about "aging up" the content in a way that will attract an older audience and will make LEGO City more relevant among older boys 7+ (i.e. using a different tonality or style etc.) without pushing the LEGO City boundaries too far (i.e. violence, weapons, etc.). Think outside of the "one-size-fits-all paradigm" in terms of making the Video appropriate for kids of all ages.

 

--Exposure: The LEGO Group social and digital channels.

 

 

This project will be worth a total of $120,000 and consists of TWO Phases: a Pitch Phase and a Video Phase. Be sure to read the following information carefully as well as the Official Rules.

 

PHASE 1: PITCH - Submit your Pitch (What is a Pitch Phase?) convincing the Sponsor why you should be selected to execute a Video based on one of the LEGO City Studio Shows.

 

• Text (REQUIRED): 500 characters or less synopsizing how you plan to approach and execute this Video.

 

• Links (REQUIRED): To your previous video work. Please specify your role (producer, director, cinematography, etc.) and DO NOT INCLUDE LINKS TO YOUR SHOWREEL. Please link to individual videos.

 

• Script (REQUIRED): This should include the narration from the video you intend to create. 

 

• Treatment (REQUIRED): A detailed narrative description of what's going to happen in the video. 

 

• Storyboards (REQUIRED): Additional concept art, storyboards, shot list, anything that helps get your point across.

 

• Headshots/Casting Boards (Optional): Casting notes or concepts, headshots of actors, etc.

 

• Pitch Video (Optional): This is your opportunity to show us what you're capable of. Consider submitting a Pitch video in which you tell the Sponsor what they can expect should they choose your Pitch. Also, test videos, animatics, etc. are welcome.   

 

The FOUR (4) most compelling Pitches will be selected and, upon submitting the Winner’s Affidavit and the IP Assignment, will each receive $10,000 to help create the Video. Additionally, upon submitting a Video that satisfies the criteria laid out in your winning Pitch, the Pitch winners will also be GUARANTEED a winning place in the subsequent Video Phase. So, if your Pitch is selected and you execute your Pitch effectively in your Video submission, you will win an additional $20,000, at a minimum. All Pitches will remain private until after the winner of the Video Phase is announced and the Project is complete.    

 

PHASE 2: VIDEO – The FOUR (4) winners from the Pitch Phase will each create a 60-second Video and 15-second cut-down based upon their winning Pitch.

 

The Judges will score the FOUR (4) winning Videos submitted by Pitch winners to determine the standings for the Video Phase.  Remember, the FOUR (4) Pitch winners will receive prizes.

 

--Video Phase Payout: Winners of the Video Phase will earn the following prizes: 1^st place $20,000, 2^nd place $20,000, 3^rd place $20,000, 4^th place $20,000.

 

--Music: Tongal has partnered with two premiere music providers: Audioblocks and Epidemic Sound. Any of which can be used to source music for your Video submission to this Project. Music from these providers is available to registered Tongal members at no charge solely for their incorporation into Submissions to this Project and will not require a separate Music Release Form. To learn more about using each of these music providers, click on any of the provider’s names above.

 

Tongal members interested in a custom music solution for your project are invited to connect with SCORE A SCORE.  They specialize in the creation of custom music, on-demand.  

 

Their business model is based on a "name your price" system, so you can tell them what your budget is, and they will work with you to create a deal configuration that will work within the discussed parameters. Check out the FAQ for more information and how to contact SCORE A SCORE. 

 

If you are selected as a winner and choose to use custom/original music, you must fill out and submit our Music Release Form. If you obtain music from other catalog providers, you must purchase the appropriate license at your own expense and submit it with our Music Release Form when you turn in your Video paperwork.  

 

PLEASE NOTE THE LEGO GROUP MAY ALSO PROVIDE MUSIC FOR YOU TO USE.

 

--Referral: Any Tongal member who refers one of the winning Video creators in this Project using the Tongal “Invite Friends” functionality will receive a referral fee equal to 5% of the amount won up to $500 per place. Check out more about our Referral Program in FAQ.

 

1. The Video MUST not exceed 60-seconds in length. Preferred format for upload to the Tongal website is HD 720p 16x9. Acceptable file formats are .mov, .avi, .mp4, .wmv. Acceptable codecs are H.264 (MP4), MPEG-4, H.263, MPGV, WMV, DivX. Should you win, you will also be required to provide a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec

 

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. 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.

 

5. Submissions cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.

 

6. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor.

 

7. By submitting to this project, you acknowledge that your work may become subject to public voting on the Tongal site. Public voting may be used to help the project sponsor determine the final rank order.

 

8. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.

 

9. Limit 5 submissions per member, per Phase.

 

10. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.

11. In the event that fewer than 50 Pitches are received, the Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest for up to fourteen (14) days at their discretion.

12. 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 filmmaker.

13. 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.

14. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, winning Video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, Music (or other) Releases for all assets appearing in their winning 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 prize.

15. 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.