Imagine: General Zod and his Kryptonian minions have kidnapped Lois Lane and are threatening to destroy Metropolis if their demands are not met. Only Superman can save Lois and put these invaders back in their place, but will the Man of Steel get there in time? Meanwhile over in Gotham City, The Joker and Poison Ivy have teamed up with the menacing Bane to orchestrate a villainous scheme to bring down Batman and Robin once and for all. As this dream team of evil is formed, Batman and Robin are going to need some help from Aquaman and Wonder Woman to defeat this trio of trouble. An epic battle over land, sea and air ensues. How will it all end? It’s up to you.
That’s right LEGO DC Universe Super Heroes are BACK and it’s time for the Tongal community to take it to the next level! Hopefully, you’ve already seen the runaway box office smash “Man of Steel” that’s currently in theaters, but if not, FYI, Superman has officially entered the 21st century; he’s faster, stronger, and more explosive than ever. The same is true for the LEGO DC Universe Super Heroes line of toys. Their pocket sized power packs an even bigger wallop. But beware, it’s not only the good guys who have raised their game, General Zod and fellow Kryptonians Tor-An and Faora with their super powerful Black Zero Dropship appear to have the edge and that could spell BIG trouble for all of us.
LEGO DC Universe Super Heroes and endless possibility are the canvas and your imagination is the brush. We need colossal action infused stories where the DC Super Heroes stare certain defeat in the face but somehow, some way find a way to save us all. You’re up!
The goal of this project is to create 1-2 minute animated videos centered around LEGO DC Universe Super Heroes. Through their compelling characters, epic storylines, razor sharp wit and fast moving action viewers will watch, share and repeat. Feel free to check out the entire LEGO DC Universe Super Heroes line here to inform your story.
-- Key Marketing Message: LEGO DC Universe Super Heroes: Pocket Sized Power.
-- Target Audience: Boys 5-8 and adults who are Super Hero fans.
-- Tone: Action, adventure, suspense, and humor (but not silly).
-- Executional Mandatories:
• No mixing of the DC Comics Super Hero characters with any Marvel characters
• DC Super Heroes should always appear heroic and their actions should reflect their identity
• DC Super Heroes can be placed in humorous situations but they should not appear dumb, stupid or silly.
• Content should be family friendly – no foul language, sexual situations, blood or extreme violence
• DC Super Hero characters should not be portrayed using alcohol, tobacco or drugs
• Do not use any crude body humor with the DC Super Heroes
• Do not use the DC Super Heroes in any religious or political situations
• The Videos should not be narrated or have dialogue.
• Please do not use exclusive/limited edition/custom minifigures.
-- Exposure: LEGO.com, LEGO YouTube Channel, LEGO Club, LEGO Brand Retail, and possible inclusion in DVD releases.
This project will be worth a total of $20,000 and consist of three phases, an Idea Phase, a Pitch Phase and a Video Phase. Be sure to read the following information carefully as well as the Official Rules.
PHASE 1: IDEA – Tell us your Idea for an animated mini-movie using LEGO DC Super Hero minifigures. Remember, an Idea (What is an Idea Phase?) is not a detailed script; it is a spark of inspiration, or a distillation of what will happen in the Video. As always, Ideas should be clever and engaging. Three winning Idea creators will each receive $250 and a 5% one-time residual payment for every winning Video their Idea is used to generate. That means if your winning Idea is the basis for the 1st place Video, you will receive $400, 2nd place Video $250, the 3rd place $150, and 4th place $50 (see Video Phase Payout details below).
PHASE 2: PITCH – Using text (500 characters or less), images (storyboards), video, and external links (to other supporting assets, i.e., your reel, etc.), give us your Pitch (What Is a Pitch Phase?) for how YOU would go about producing a 1-2 minuts Video based on one of the winning Ideas. The THREE most compelling Pitches will be selected and will receive $750 each to help create their Video. Those winners (upon submitting their Winner's Affidavit and IP Assignment) will also be GUARANTEED a winning place in the subsequent Video Phase. So, if your Pitch is selected and you submit a video during the Video Phase, you will win an additional $1,000, at a minimum, and have a chance to compete for the $8,000 first place Video prize (subject to deduction for one-time 5% residual payment). Remember, your Pitch can include any, and all, of the assets mentioned above and you MUST include a link to some of your previous video work on Tongal or elsewhere to be considered for this phase. For an example of an effective pitch, check out Erik Beck’s winning “3 Artists & 5,000 LEGOs” Pitch. All Pitches will remain private until after the winners of the Video Phase are announced and the Project is complete. Keep in mind, if you don’t win the Pitch Phase or choose not to create a Pitch, you will still have the opportunity to create and submit a “Wild Card” Video.
PHASE 3: VIDEO – The THREE winners from the Pitch Phase will create a 1-2 minute video based upon their winning Pitches, and all other creators are invited to enter a “Wild Card” (What Is a Wildcard?) submission that can be based on one of the winning Ideas or their own idea. The Judges will score all Wild Card Videos and the ONE highest scoring Wild Card Video and the THREE (3) winning Videos submitted by Pitch winners will be scored to determine the standings for the Video Phase. Remember, the THREE Pitch winners, along with the non-Pitch Video creator, will receive prizes.
-- Video Phase Payout: Winners of the Video Phase will earn the following prizes: 1st place $8,000, 2nd place $5,000, 3rd place $3,000, 4th place $1,000 (less any 5% one-time residual payments paid to Idea winners, as applicable).
-- Music: Killer Tracks is a leading provider of production music for use in film, television, advertising and interactive media. Killer Tracks’ music will be available to registered Tongal members at no charge solely for their incorporation into official Submissions to this Project. No other use is permitted. You may only use up to THREE Killer Tracks maximum as part of your video Submission.
To use the Killer Tracks site, click HERE (killertracks.com) or on the "Killer Tracks" button on the right hand side of this page. On their homepage, click the red login tab in the upper right-hand corner and enter the following credentials:
Username: TongalMusicKT@tongal.com
Password: duchess
Click login. We encourage you to use the “Themed Playlist” tab for exploring the catalog as it provides pre-curated song choices based on several popular themes. Alternately, use the "Search" tab to enter your own criteria. To watch a quick tutorial video on how to use the website, click HERE: (http://killertracks.com/tutorial/).
Once you’ve identified the song(s) you want to use, click the down arrow under the Actions column to the right of the song title/description. This will open a Download Manager window, allowing you to save the file to the location of your choice. Keep track of the CD#, Track #, Track Title and Composer(s) of the songs you end up using in the video, as you will need to provide that info once you turn in the final edit. Getting the right track can really help sell your video, so make it killer!
This project is sponsored by LEGO Systems, Inc., 555 Taylor Road, Enfield, CT 06082.
DC Universe Super Heroes and related characters TM & © DC Comics.
LEGO, the LEGO logo, and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group of Companies. © 2013 The LEGO Group.
1. Videos MUST NOT exceed 120 seconds in length. Preferred format 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.
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. Submissions MUST NOT use/reference Marvel, or any other licensed properties. All submission content must remain within the DC universe.
4. In the event you utilize any third party materials, such as music provided by a third-party music provider, 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.
5. Submissions cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of LEGO.
6. You will be judged on how well you satisfy the factors contained in the Project Objectives pages, in the judges' sole discretion.
7. Submissions must not portray LEGO in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with LEGO.
8. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.
9. Limit 5 submission(s) per member.
10. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, winning video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, and Music Releases for all assets appearing in the video as well as the project files, editing sequence and an uncompressed QuickTime .mov file in either Animation or ProRes 422 codecs at 1920x1080.
11. In order to claim the travel portion of the prize, the First Prize Winner must also provide a travel liability release for both the winner and the winner's guest.
12. BY SUBMITTING A VIDEO ENTRY, YOUR SUBMISSION IMMEDIATELY BECOMES SOLELY THE PROPERTY OF TONGAL – 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 WEB SITE 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.
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.
14. 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.