Is there any group of people we’re more indebted to than Veterans and people who currently serve in the military?  They’ve risked their lives, disrupted their families, and made countless other sacrifices when their country has needed them. Whether it’s from more recent conflicts or ones many decades ago, the effects of war both visible and invisible very commonly destroy lives. There are 22 Veteran suicides in the US a day.  Many of our nations heroes need help and they need it now.

 

Since 2007 Vets Helping Heroes has been raising funds to sponsor the training of assistance dogs for disabled American veterans and active-duty military personnel.  Founded by Irwin Stovroff, a highly decorated WWII veteran and ex­ POW who spent 13 months in a Nazi camp, Vets Helping Heroes has been building a national network to ensure that Veterans and active-duty military with different types of disabilities can acquire the right kind of assistance dog from reputable training facilities with minimum travel.  Assistance dogs prevent suicides, restore families and allow their recipients to become functioning members of society living once again with independence and dignity.  The problem is the training and acquisition of these dogs doesn’t come cheap.  Costs can range from $10,000 to $60,000.

 

Vets Helping Heroes is turning to the Tongal community to create a 3-4 minute video with a 60 second cut down that tells their story and inspires viewers to donate to this awesome organization. One selected filmmaker will have access to select veterans who have participated in the program and their assistance dogs, the training facilities they work with, photos, and other assets to help tell their story. Please read the Objectives section for all of the important details.

===SPLIT=== 

 

• Create a 3-4 minute video with a 60 second cut down that tells the Vet Helping Heroes story and inspires viewers to donate so they can continue their mission of providing assistance dogs for Veterans and active duty military.

 

• The winning filmmaker will have access to select veterans who have participated in the program and their assistance dogs, the training facilities they work with, photos, and other assets to help tell their story. 

 

The goal of this project is to create a 3-4 minute video with a 60 second cut down that tells the Vet Helping Heroes story and inspires viewers to donate so they can continue their mission of providing assistance dogs for Veterans and active duty military.

 

The winning filmmaker will have access to select veterans who have participated in the program and their assistance dogs, the training facilities they work with, photos, and other assets to help tell their story. The $10,000 award must cover any travel costs associated with shooting this project.  There will be no additional funds for travel so please budget accordingly.

 

--Key Marketing Messages:

 

• Assistance dogs prevent suicides, restore families and allow their recipients to become functioning members of society living once again with independence and dignity.
• Vets Helping Heroes plays a very unique role in the process.  To our knowledge, there is no other organization in the country that does exactly what Vets Helping Heroes does.  What follows is some detail to clarify this statement.

 

There are countless assistance dog training groups, companies and organizations located all over the country. Some of them are more qualified than others. Some are non-profit and some are for-profit.

 

Most:

• Cater exclusively to certain segments of the population or only train dogs to mitigate certain disabilities.  For example; children with autism or people with vision impairment.
• Provide dogs to a wide variety of people so a donor hoping to help a veteran may actually be paying for an organization’s administrative costs or toward a dog being trained for a person who never served in the military.
• Only serve those that live within easy traveling distance or require the recipient to travel at their own expense to train with their new dog.

 

Vets Helping Heroes is building a network of resources nationally to serve our nation’s military heroes.  They carefully scrutinize each program before deciding to sponsor through them.  They look for business stability, fiscal responsibility, quality of work, and more. They are constantly working to expand not only throughout the country but also in the types of dogs being trained. They want to make sure that heroes from all over the country, with all kinds of disabilities can acquire the right kind of assistance dog from reputable training facilities with minimum travel.  No matter what size of the donation or grant given to Vets Helping Heroes, the money will always go towards this mission.

 

--Executional Mandatories:

 

• Video should inform of the need that currently exists for what Vets Helping Heroes does.
• Enlightens as to the urgency Vets Helping Heroes faces and the need for funding.
• Clarifies what Vets Helping Heroes does and how they differ from a typical assistance dog training organization as well as other veteran assistance programs.
• Helps Vets Helping Heroes raise more money to continue what they’re doing.

 

--Exposure: Digital with the hope of making something so compelling that people must share it.

 

REQUIRED END TAG: The long form video must include a clickable “Call to Action” end tag to the Vets Helping Heroes Site where viewers can donate. The cut down must include both an option to watch the full-length video and go to the website to donate.  In sum, you are creating the graphics people will click on.  You don’t have to worry about embedding the actual links. 

 

 

This Project will be worth a total of $10,000 and consists of 2 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 convincing the Sponsor why you should be selected to execute a Video for Vets Helping Heroes using:

 

• 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 description of how you plan to tell this story and create a video that will compel people to donate. 

 

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

 

• 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 most compelling Pitch will be selected and, upon submitting the Winner’s Affidavit and the IP Assignment, will each receive $5,000 to help create the Video. For an example of an effective Pitch, check out Erik Beck’s winning “3 Artists & 5,000 LEGOs” Pitch video. All Pitches will remain private until after the winner of the Video Phase is announced and the Project is complete.    

 

PHASE 2: VIDEO – The winner from the Pitch Phase will create a 3-4 minute video with a 60 second cut down based upon their winning Pitch.

 

NOTE: The 3-4 minute long form version and 60 cut-down are both due at the close of the Video Phase.  Please upload them as separate videos when submitting your Videos.

 

--Music:  Tongal has partnered with two premiere music providers: Audioblocks and Epidemic Sound for this project. Any of which can be used to source music for your Video submission to this Project. You may use up to THREE total tracks per Video submission, and they can come from any of the three providers listed above. 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.

 

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.  

 

--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. That’s a potential $500 in bonus cash just for telling all of your talented friends about this Project! Check out more about our Referral Program in FAQ.

 

 

1. The Video MUST not exceed 4 minutes 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 25 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.