Casting Guidance

H&R Block is looking to cast at a minimum four adults and one child to fulfill multiple scenarios. Casting must be diverse across race, age, sexual orientation, body type, and ability; the goal is to represent H&R Block's diverse customers as accurately as possible. You are able to mix-and-match talent across different setups (i.e. one actor can play a single person as well as part of a couple as well as a single parent), but therefore talent must be able to deliver multiple believable reactions and emotions.

Location Guidance

You will be filming in Kansas City, MO to take advantage of locations that H&R Block can provide, including an H&R Block office for exterior and interior filming and a space for the retail point-of-sale shoot. 

For the home location, this can have an urban or suburban look, but should feel geographically nondescript (for the exterior) and attainably/relatably middle class for the interior.

For the retail point of sale, to keep this manageable we've envisioned it as an almost tabletop-style angle on a retail counter with a credit card point-of-sale machine and space for objects like a basket of groceries, back to school supplies, etc. Our thinking here is that we want to create specific setups/scenarios where we see the talent's hands (customer and cashier), some seasonal or tentpole-specific retail items, and the credit card machine with the Spruce debit card tapping to pay, while avoiding the need to fully dress backgrounds to fit a specific type of store. 

Content Look & Feel Guidance

• Keep it simple. Focus on a main action in the shot and keep surrounding objects simple. As much as possible, we encourage you to create modular setups where both your video and still cameras can swap in without major lighting changes, and where talent can be swapped in/out without major setup changes. Use vibrant, natural lighting and consistent coloring.
• Keep it true to life. Footage should be personable, relatable and relevant. Shots that show people’s character help H&R Block further convey a genuine style that’s supported by bright and natural lighting.
• Capture people in action. Footage should feel like it's capturing real moments in time that are relatable and feel natural, not forced or hammy. Content should range from the relatable and everyday to the aspirational. Highlight diversity—whether it’s ethnicity, gender, age, physical capability or otherwise—wherever it’s appropriate.
• Capture technology in action. Sophisticated styling lets us showcase and celebrate H&R Block's products in the best light. These shots are meant to demonstrate how Spruce's mobile banking capabilities and, H&R Block's virtual and online resources allow clients to manage their finances, businesses, and taxes whenever they need to, so realistic set-ups here would be ideal. Focus on technology in a way that highlights the action of the device or product in use. Wherever possible, use phone/tablet devices without cases.

The goal of this project is to capture a robust and specific stock footage and still photography library for H&R Block to use across marketing and communication for the foreseeable future. You'll work from a pre-built setup/scenario list to capture a diverse range of talent in different locations (at home, at an H&R Block office, and at a retail point of sale counter) and through different relevant scenarios. Your footage will be shot without sound, and H&R Block will use it to help support its digital marketing initiatives across their Spruce, H&R Block, and Block Advisors by H&R Block brands.

We anticipate this will require at least three days of filming, with a scout and potentially one to two pre-light days. We also anticipate that production will happen between 7/22-8/1 in Kansas City, MO at and around H&R Block's corporate headquarters (utilizing their spaces for both our interior office setups and our retail counter).

This project will require a highly detail-oriented filmmaking and photography team to ensure that we capture all of the angles and talent pairings that will be required for each scenario/setup. With tight turnarounds to achieve, including daily stringouts to share with the H&R Block team, we'd strongly recommend having both a script supervisor and a media manager/DIT on set. It's also important for your team to have experience filming phone/tablet and laptop screens as interfaces will be comped in by H&R Block after delivery.

If you're selected, we will share reference documents and templates with you to help break everything down, and we'll expect you to create a thorough tracking grid to help track and 'check off' each shot as it's captured.

As mentioned, you'll provide H&R Block with stringouts after each day's shoot; H&R Block will use those stringouts to make shot selections/identify preferred takes from each setup/angle. You will then deliver standalone .mov files of those hero shots as well as an organized hard drive of all raw files and a content log that clearly identifies each setup, take, and that file's location within the hard drive. We will provide a content log template for you. You will not need to do any post work (no editing, color grading, or VFX work) on any of the footage, including the standalone hero .movs.

Finally, we anticipate that this project will comprise of roughly 173 shots across 4-12 setups per day. The total number of individual shots, setups, and variations, as well as what's captured as video footage vs video and standalone stills, can be discussed with H&R Block during pre-production, to ensure that each shoot day is realistically feasible; but know that this is a complex project with substantial deliverables. 

In general, each shot setup will need to cover:

• Multiple angles (wide, close)
• Multiple talent combinations (individuals, couples, and H&R Block tax pros and Block Advisors)
  • Customer talent can be recombined – i.e. one actor can play a single customer and part of a couple
  • H&R Block will cast and cover any budget for their tax pros and Block Advisors; you will not need to do casting or set aside budget for these roles
• Where talent is using technology or certain H&R Block products, a reverse/over-the-shoulder shot may be necessary

Check out this document for a full breakdown of each setup that H&R Block would like to capture. You'll notice that while it's high-level, it's also pretty prescriptive, and while there is some flexibility in what we ultimately capture, we'll want to hew as close to as we possible to this list. H&R Block will provide locations for the office and retail store shoots. Creative guidance for casting and more details are in the Background.

 

For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.

 

DELIVERABLES: ~173 Assets, total TBD. 

• For initial review:
  • One full video stringout (16x9) for EACH shoot day, including every shot captured. 
  • All photos for EACH shoot day
• For final delivery:
  • One ProRes .mov for EACH approved shot (16x9)
  • One complete post-shoot tracking log, based on a provided template
  • Hard drive(s) with ALL RAW footage and project documentation
  • All photos for EACH shoot day
  • Up to 20 retouched stills (aspect ratio TBD)

 

TIMELINE: HERE. Please note that the greenlit filmmaker and photographer will need to be available for a kickoff call with the H&R Block team and Tongal in the afternoon of Monday, July 10 so we can hit the ground running.

 

EXPOSURE: We anticipate content will be used on the platforms listed below, but if casting talent, please be sure your talent reviews the required Talent Release, 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 page.

• H&R Block websites, email marketing, social media, blog content, internal and external decks, etc.

 

TARGET AUDIENCE: Taxpayers, small business owners, prospective H&R Block clients across their full range of brands; Spruce mobile banking app users. 

 

TONE: Personable, relatable, relevant

 

EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES: 

• You are required to including thoughts on casting/sample casting boards and set dec thoughts/boards in your pitch. Plan to cast for four adults and one child at a minimum.
• You will be required to participate in weekly status calls with Tongal and H&R Block to ensure everyone on the team is up-to-date about the shoot's progress. During this meeting, we'll be reviewing a status document (prepared by Tongal) that covers the full schedule, what's complete, what's left to do, and pertinent outstanding items and due dates.
• You will be responsible for providing hair and make-up for all actors. H&R Block would prefer to have a hair and make-up artist who has deep experience working with talent of all races and hair types.
• You will NOT be required to record sound during the shoot.
• For photography, H&R Block will require a full buyout on all photos captured, so your photographer must be aware of and agree to this in advance. 
• Client on set: It should go without saying that the H&R Block team and Tongal will be on set for this project. You should expect 5-7 client/Tongal members on set at any given time, and details around this can be discussed with the greenlit filmmaker.

 

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.

In order to be considered for this project, you must include the below materials in your pitch submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery.

 

• TEXT (REQUIRED): Up to 500 characters synopsizing how you plan to approach and produce the content listed out 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, both in terms of what we can expect to see, and how you’ll make it. If it's helpful to you, we've provided a treatment template, which you can find here.
  
  
• LINKS (REQUIRED): To your previous video work. Specifically, H&R Block is interested in hearing about your experience tackling large, complex shoots with lots of moving parts. When sharing links to past work, it would be helpful if you could include a short explanation with each link providing some context about the complexities of each shoot; if you need to expand upon your links in your treatment, you can indicate that in the Links field and give more context in your pitch deck.Please specify your role (producer, director, cinematography, etc.) and DO NOT INCLUDE LINKS TO YOUR SHOWREEL. Please link to individual videos.
  
  
• HEADSHOTS/CASTING BOARDS (REQUIRED): Casting notes or concepts, headshots of actors, etc. For your pitch, these can be thoughts on casting/sample looks vs actual headshots, but H&R Block needs to get a strong understanding of your approach to casting, specifically their diversity requirements.
  
  
• STORYBOARDS (Optional): Additional concept art, storyboards, shot list, anything that helps get your point across. You can download the Tongal storyboard template here.
  
  
• PITCH VIDEO (Optional): This is your opportunity to be face-to-face with the Sponsor and show them 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. For some examples of effective Pitch videos, check out this gallery. All Pitches will remain private until after the Sponsor gives creator(s) the green light to move forward.
  
  
• APPRENTICESHIP ADVISOR (Optional): The Tongal On-Set Apprenticeship Program is an opportunity to support new & emerging talent in production positions with hands-on on-set experience. Please indicate on the pitch submission form if you would be interested in overseeing an apprentice on your production; your answer will neither increase nor decrease the likelihood of your pitch being greenlit. Tongal will cover the apprentice's day rate outside of your project budget, and if you are matched with an apprentice, your Tongal producer will reach out with more information. To learn more about the On-Set Apprenticeship Program and the responsibilities of an advisor, please click HERE.

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.
   
   
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 filmmaker.
   
   
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.