LEGOs aren’t just bricks. You’ve probably noticed that resonance of deep satisfaction when two LEGO bricks come together. A feeling, exponentially better than popping sheets of bubble wrap—it just goes. They combine. Your imagination and creativity spark.
You may have grown up with LEGO. You may have just discovered their ability to deliver happiness—maybe on your own—maybe rediscovered through the eyes of your kids. Maybe you were reminded of LEGO’s inspiration as a result of some breathtaking assembly you saw on the web—an image, a piece of art, a video of a mini-figure being launched into space.
As a race of humans, it’s possible that we relate to them as building blocks on a deep level of sub-atomic compassion. We are fascinated by their emergence into more complex structures. We are as elated when seeing their multiplicity assembled to make up things as we are when we’re the ones doing the assembling. We’re not even sure if the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts—those individually perfect bricks, stacking, creating magic, playing well.
What is it about LEGO that can, on one hand, inspire kids at play, and on the other, inspire the art world into unchartered territory? LEGO is becoming a tightly indispensible medium for the expression of next generation and digital artists.
Astonishingly, our connections to LEGO can be deeply individual and deeply communal, at the same time. We want to plunge down and explore the emotional core of why that is. Philosophically. Pragmatically. Personally.
Tell us what LEGO means to you or your family. Tell us what LEGO means to the world.
You’ve seen the LEGO Story, now it’s time to tell your own.
The goal of this project is to produce a 2-3 minute video that is emotionally resonant and explores what LEGO means to you or your family, or what LEGO means to the world. And, in true LEGO fashion, this project will give you the ability to work alone or together.
Your video should remind people how much and why they love LEGO products and the LEGO experience. Your video should inspire others, make it imperative that they share your video, and drive them to the new LEGO website BuildTogether.com that is re-launching soon.
Go for it and utilize traditional film, animation, CGI or stop motion. There are no limits to the media you choose, as long as it gets your point across in the best way possible. You have the opportunity here to make your video so visually interesting that people feel compelled to revisit their relationship with the LEGO brand.
--Key Marketing Message: Drive viewers to the new BuildTogether.com website (re-launching soon) and continue their own LEGO stories.
Here are some thematic guidelines below. Delve into any one of these questions, marinate on all three, or take it in a totally different direction, but remember to make it personal.
• What does LEGO mean to you and your family?
• What does LEGO mean to you?
• What does LEGO mean to the world?
Additionally, here are some inspirational ‘thought-starters’:
• “What it is is beautiful.”
• “With a LEGO set there’s never ever ”nothin’ to do.””
• “He’s as proud of that truck as you are of him.”
• “LEGO Toys build anything. Especially pride.”
• “Oh the fun of creating something you’re this proud of.”
--Target Audience: Fans, Families, Friends and Lovers of LEGO.
--Executional Mandatories:
• Strict adherence to LEGO guidelines, as listed in the Project Requirements.
• Drive viewers to the new Build Together.com website and create their own LEGO story to tell.
--Tone: Heartwarming, truthful, honest, fun. The whole is bigger than the sum of its parts.
--Exposure: LEGO websites, LEGO Facebook page, YouTube.
This project will be worth a total of $60,000 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 a “What Does LEGO Mean to You?” Video in 140 characters or less. 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. Winning Idea creators will each receive $500 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 $1,000, the 2nd place Video $500, the 3rd place Video $250, the 4th place Video $200, the 5th place video $150, the 6th place video $100, the 7th place video $75, the 8th place video $75, the 9th place video $75, and the 10th place video $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 2-3 minute video based on one of the winning Ideas. The SIX most compelling Pitches will be selected and will receive $1,000 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 $20,000 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 What Does LEGO Mean To You 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 SIX winners from the Pitch Phase will create a 2-3 minute video based upon their winning Pitches, and all other creators are invited to enter a “Wild Card” (What Is a Wildcard?) submission that is not based on any winning material from the previous phases. The Judges will score all Wild Card Videos and the four (4) highest scoring Wild Card Videos and the 6 winning Videos submitted by Pitch winners will be scored to determine the standings for the Video Phase. Remember, the SIX Pitch winners, along with FOUR non-Pitch Video creators, will receive prizes.
--Video Phase Payout: Winners of the Video Phase will earn the following prizes: 1st place $20,000, 2nd place $10,000, 3rd place $5,000, 4th place $4,000, 5th place $3,000, 6th place $2,000, 7th place $1,500, 8th place $1,500, 9th place $1,500, and 10th place $1,000 (less any 5% one-time residual payments paid to Idea winners, as applicable).
--Music: Noise/Racket, is a Music Supervision and Artist Management company working with a select group of clients and artists to bring the best new music, out into the rest of the World. A selection of Noise/Racket music will be available to Tongal members at no charge solely for their incorporation into Tongal members' submissions to this Project. Tongal members are encouraged to browse the Noise/Racket catalogue, available by clicking on this link: http://www.noiseracketmusic.com/. If you are interested in using a track from the Noise/Racket roster, as described above, simply download the track by clicking the "download" button, which will initiate the music file download. You may only use THREE Noise/Racket tracks maximum as part of your video submission.
1. Videos MUST not exceed 180 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. 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.
4. Submissions cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of LEGO.
5. Submissions must not portray LEGO in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with LEGO.
6. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.
7. Limit 5 submission(s) per member, per phase.
8. Minimum 50 Pitches, or the contest will repost for 14 days.
9. Sponsor will be entitled to one reasonable round of 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.
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 either 1920x1080 or 1280x720 to claim their prize.
11. 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.
12. 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.