Tirdy Works is a half-hour unscripted series set in a small rural town with four paved roads and a booming new business: arts and crafts created out of moose tirds. Tirdy Works is a hilarious, off-kilter look at entrepreneurship, parenthood and life, told through the eyes of Mary Winchenbach, her family, and the local folk who call Somerville, ME home. 

What started with a single tird and a simple concept, Mary’s moose-crap creations have taken America by storm after a Facebook post went viral. But now, in order to make all their dreams come true, Mary has to figure out how to increase production, plan for expansion, experience growing pains, and pull the locals of Somerville together. And the clock is ticking...with another brutal Maine winter just around the corner. 

Some of Mary's most iconic and best-selling items include the Poo Poo Platter, Moose Tird Earrings (in Plain Ole Turd and Peace of Crap styles), and Poo-Poo Clock.

 

REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION OR TONE: 

• Check out the Tirdy Works trailer here.
• Get a better sense of who Mary is in this video.

TruTV is looking for creative, clever, and super shareable videos to support the series launch of Tirdy Works, a follow-doc sitcom about Mary, a folk artist in small-town Maine who crafts punny gifts and trinkets out of moose poop, and her equally quirky community. Yes, you read that right. And yes, this is your chance to get crappy – err, crafty – yourself, with videos that are as fun, surprising, and, believe it or not, heartwarming, as Mary's moose tird works of art.

Your videos should share the Wes Anderson/New England vibe of the show, and should not make fun of Mary, her art, or her community. But where you take it from there is entirely up to you. Live action and all forms of animation are on the table, as are all types of creative approaches. We're open to any kind of video you want to bring to the table, so long as it celebrates the show, rather than denigrating it. Your videos can be a suite built on a similar framework/theme, or you can pitch different standalone executions. If pitching individual standalone executions, please submit one Pitch per video concept. You may submit up to five pitches on this project.

Our priority is to make sure everyone is safe. Along with that, we’re working really hard to keep people working during this strange time. Our advice here is to submit only if you feel you can do something within the anticipated timeline that ensures everyone's safety given today's reality.

 

DELIVERABLES:

• Up to five :60 videos (16x9 and 1x1) per filmmaker
• One endcard per suite of videos

 

TIMELINE: This project has an expedited timeline. For the full project timeline please see the Assets section.

 

EXPOSURE:

• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Please check out the platform best practices page.

 

TARGET AUDIENCE:

• Fans of TruTV shows like Impractical Jokers and Tacoma FD
• Fans of quirky lifestyle shows like Alaskan Bush People and Pawn Stars

 

TONE: Surprising, celebratory, funny, and quirky.

 

EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES: 

• Your videos can be a suite built on a similar framework/theme, or you can pitch different standalone executions. If pitching individual standalone executions, please submit one Pitch per video concept.
• Videos must not make fun of Mary, her crafts, or her community.
• Videos should feel like part of the Tirdy Works universe: the setting, inhabitants, Mary's Moose Tird crafts, etc should inspire your creative approach.

 

OPEN BID:

• This is an open bid project, so you will get to set your own budget proposal in the $1,500–$3,000 per video range. Please specify how many videos you're pitching to produce (up to 5 videos total), the per-video cost, and the total bid. 
• By participating in this open bid project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a bid. Though most open bid projects on our platform do move forward with a greenlit bid, we will notify you in the event the Sponsor decides not to fund any bids via the project forum. Regardless of the result, all open bid 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): 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.
  
  
• TREATMENT (REQUIRED): A detailed narrative description of what's going to happen in the video. If it's helpful to you, we've provided a treatment template, which you can find here.

• BUDGET (REQUIRED): This is an open bid project, so you’ll get to set your overall budget proposal. You can download the budget template here. The Sponsor would like each producer to create up to five videos with a cost range of $1,500–$3,000 per video.
  
  
• SCRIPT (Optional): This should include dialogue from the video you intend to create.
  
  
• STORYBOARDS (Optional): Additional concept art, storyboards, shot list, anything that helps get your point across. You can download the Tongal storyboard template here.
  
  
• HEADSHOTS/CASTING BOARDS (Optional): Casting notes or concepts, headshots of actors, YouTube or Instagram channel links, etc. Your casting boards should reflect talent who would be willing and available to participate in these videos.
  
  
• 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.

1. 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 your submission be greenlit, 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. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.
    
    
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, 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.
    
    
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.