Pop Quiz: Do you know who lives in a pineapple under the sea?  Now try this one, who shot Mr. Burns?  How about what were Tom & Jerry’s original names?  Well, ’toon savants, have we got a hot one for you...

Project Greenlight Digital Studios and Tongal, two great filmmaking communities on a similar mission — to bring fresh, creative stories into the world by empowering undiscovered talent — are joining forces to find the #NextGreatAnimatedSeries.  Together, we’re seeking original ideas for an Animated Series that we’ll co-develop, produce, and market for distribution with YOU.  We’re looking for unforgettable characters, fun conflict, compelling storylines, engaging worlds, and clever points of view. 

Do you have the next Family Guy, Dora the Explorer, Robot Chicken, or Tumble Leaf in you?  Show us your creativity.  Share your original voice.  Submit your Pitch now!  (P.S. — Tom & Jerry’s original names were Jasper & Jinx!)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: 

• Your Pitch must be original and of your own creation.
• We are open to any style of animation (2D, Stop Motion, 3D / CGI, Claymation, Papercraft, Mixed Media, etc).
• You will need to select one of these Target Audiences from the dropdown menu: For Kids, For Adults, For Both Kids & Adults.
• For the Pitch Phase, you must submit a Concept, a Treatment, and a one (1) to three (3) minute Pitch Video in which you introduce yourself and explain your vision.  You can also upload supporting materials such as Concept Art, Character Animations, Scripts, Series Bibles, and Storyboards (but these are not required and you will not be penalized for not having them).
• If your Pitch is not selected as a winner, you will retain all rights to your entry.

If you find you have more questions after reading through the Objectives please read through our FAQ section and check out our Facebook Livestream http://bit.ly/2h4eqjm 

The goal of this project is for one Winning Creator to get the greenlight to produce an 11-minute Pilot for the #NextGreatAnimatedSeries.

This is a special project and differs from the traditional Tongal model.  It will be split into six (6) Phases.  They are outlined thoroughly in the Details section, but here’s a quick breakdown:

Phase 1: Pitch (OPEN TO EVERYONE) Nov 16^th – Dec 14^th

Phase 2: Fan Voting on Pitches (OPEN TO EVERYONE) Jan 9^th – Jan 23^rd 

Phase 3: Proof of Concept (OPEN TO FIVE PITCH WINNERS) Jan 25^th – April 10^th 

Phase 4: Fan Voting on Proofs of Concept (OPEN TO EVERYONE) April 17^th – April 26^rd

Phase 5: Pre-Production (ONLY OPEN TO ONE PROOF OF CONCEPT WINNER) May 5^th – May 17^th

Phase 6: Pilot Production (ONLY OPEN TO ONE PROOF OF CONCEPT WINNER) May 17^th – August 23^rd  

--Target Audience:  Kids, Adults, or Both Kids & Adults

--Tone:  Anything goes.

 

--Exposure:  Intended to air on TV, OTT Channels, and/or Digital Platforms.

This project will unfold over six (6) Phases — Pitch Phase, Pitch Voting Phase, Proof of Concept Phase, Proof of Concept Voting Phase, Pre-Production Phase, and Pilot Production Phase and be worth a total dollar amount of $95,000.  Be sure to read the following information carefully as well as the Official Rules.

PHASE 1: PITCH 

Pitch us your unique idea for an Animated Series!  In order to submit, you will need to provide the following:

• CONCEPT (REQUIRED): Five hundred (500) characters or less summarizing your Animated Pilot and Series. 
• TREATMENT (REQUIRED): A detailed narrative description of what’s going to happen in your Animated Pilot and Series.  Focus on character, story, world, and your overall vision.
• PITCH VIDEO(REQUIRED): A one (1) to (3) minute Pitch Video that must include answers to the following questions:
  • Who are you?  Tell us about yourself, why you’re qualified to produce this Animated Series, and why you want to make it.
  • What is the title of your Animated Series?  
  • What is the Series about?
  • Who is the Target Audience?  If it is for Kids, is there a learning-based/curriculum element to your Series (i.e. STEM, resilience, problem solving, etc.)?
  • What is your overall vision for the Series?
  • What is your storytelling vision for the Pilot?
  • Tell us about your main character(s).  What makes your protagonist vulnerable?  What is the emotional age of your character?  What are his/her relatable characteristics?
• LINKS TO PREVIOUS WORK (REQUIRED): Please provide links to your previous Video work.  Please specify your role (producer, director, cinematographer, etc.) and DO NOT INCLUDE LINKS TO YOUR SHOWREEL.  Please link to individual videos.
• SCRIPT (Optional)
• STORYBOARDS (Optional)
• CONCEPT ART / CHARACTER DESIGNS (Optional)
• ANIMATION TEST (Optional)
• SERIES BIBLE (Optional)

 

PHASE 2: FAN VOTING ON PITCHES

Fans will be invited to help select the top five (5) Pitches to move forward into the next (Proof of Concept) Phase.  One (1) Fan Favorite will be guaranteed to move forward!  The top five (5) Pitch Winners will receive $2,500 each.

PHASE 3: PROOF OF CONCEPT

Tongal will announce the five (5) Pitch Winners, who will then create a Proof of Concept in the form of an Animation Test or Sizzle Reel.  These five (5) Pitch Winners will also be required to create a Pilot Script and a Series Bible.  The five (5) Proof of Concept winners will each receive a total of $2,500 upon delivery of the following:

• ANIMATION TEST or SIZZLE REEL (REQUIRED): Up to three (3) minutes in length, based on your Winning Pitch.
• PILOT SCRIPT (REQUIRED) for an 11-minute Animated Pilot.
• SERIES BIBLE (REQUIRED): Outlining the story arc, characters, locations, etc.

PHASE 4: FAN VOTING ON PROOFS OF CONCEPT

Fans will be invited to watch and vote on the top five (5) Proofs of Concept to help decide one (1) Winner whose Animated Pilot will get the greenlight into Production.

PHASE 5: PRE-PRODUCTION

The one (1) Proof of Concept Winner will be given $70,000 to create an 11-minute Animated Pilot (Please see Video Phase directly below for more details on the asset delivery and payment schedule).  The purpose of this Pre-Production Phase is for all parties to get on the same page before Production.  The Sponsors will require the following approvals BEFORE moving forward into Pilot Production:

• SCRIPT (REQUIRED)
• CHARACTER ART (REQUIRED)
• STORYBOARDS (REQUIRED)
• VOICE CAST (REQUIRED)
• AUDIO PLAY / VO RECORDING (REQUIRED)
• ANIMATIC (REQUIRED)

PHASE 6: VIDEO (PILOT PRODUCTION)

The one (1) Proof of Concept Winner will be given $70,000 to create an 11-minute Animated Pilot.  The goal is for Tongal and Project Greenlight Digital Studios to co-develop, produce, and market this Pilot for distribution with you, the Creator, in the hope that it will get the greenlight to Series.

--Video Phase Payout: The one (1) Winner of the Video Phase will earn the following prize: $70,000 according to the following delivery schedule:

• Upon execution of Contract: $3,500 
• Upon approval of Script: $7,000
• Upon approval of Character Art / Creation: $7,000 
• Upon approval of Storyboards: $7,000 
• Upon approval of Voice Cast: $7,000
• Upon approval of Audio Play / VO Recording: $14,000
• Upon approval of Animatic / Rough Cut: $14,000
• Upon approval of Final Cut: $7,000
• Upon acceptance of Full Delivery: $3,500

--Music: Tongal has partnered with two premiere music providers: Jingle Punks 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.

OWNERSHIP/PARTICIPATION

 

NON-WINNING PITCHES

• All rights of non-winning Pitches revert back to Creators upon conclusion of Proof of Concept Phase

 

WINNING PITCHES

• The Five Winning Pitches that move forward to Proof of Concept Phase will be owned by the Sponsors for one year (starting from the date the Pilot Winner is announced) and the one winning proof of concept that goes into production will be owned by the Sponsors in perpetuity.
• In the event the Winning Series is sold to a third party, the Sponsors cannot guarantee Creator participation as those rights would be negotiated by the third party.  However, it is the intention of the Sponsors to have the Creator remain a participant in the project.
• In the event of a sale of the Series, the Winning Creator will be partner in profits along with Tongal and Adaptive. 

1. The Proof of Concept Video MUST not exceed three (3) minutes in length. The Pilot Video MUST not exceed eleven (11) 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. SUBJECT TO THE TERMS OF THIS PROJECT DETAILS PAGE, BY SUBMITTING A VIDEO ENTRY, YOUR SUBMISSION IMMEDIATELY BECOMES THE SOLE PROPERTY OF TONGAL OR ITS ASSIGNEES. YOUR SUBMISSION MAY HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED OR DISTRIBUTED PREVIOUSLY.  WHILE PUBLIC VOTING IS ONGOING, 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. If your Pitch is not selected as a winner, you will retain all rights to your entry.

6.  Project Greenlight Digital Studios and Tongal will have a one (1) year option to seek distribution for the five (5) Proofs of Concept.

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

8. 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 Sponsors determine the final ranking order.

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

10. Limit five (5) submissions per member, per Phase.

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

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

13. 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/animator.

14. The Sponsors will be entitled to reasonable revisions on the finished Video(s) without providing additional compensation. Remember it’s easier to re-edit than re-shoot so try to get as much coverage as possible.

15. 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.

16. 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.