If you’re a talented Ideator ready to take the next step - or leap - in your Tongal career by producing a TV spot, a web series, or even a short film, then read on! There are a number of ways to earn the multi-hyphenated status of Ideator-Filmmaker, whether you’ve already built up an impressive portfolio, or you’ve been cutting your teeth shooting your friends’ wedding videos - making the leap can take many forms. There's no single, perfect trajectory; there's only the question of: Where do I begin?
We spoke with Tongal Hall-of-Famer Federico Fracchia about how he and his long-time creative partner, Lola Ferre, made the leap - the obstacles they faced along the way and the lessons and strategies they learned and developed. There's a lot to glean from their experience, and we believe learning how others have made the leap before you is a good place for anyone to start.
Maddie: Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got started on Tongal?
Federico: Well, I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which is also where I’m from. So, on Tongal I think I first started around Dec 2012/Jan 2013. I heard about “video contest” websites, started signing up for a bunch and entering contests; and at first, we actually attempted both Ideas and Pitches on Tongal. Ideas worked right off the bat. Lola and I actually won the first contest we entered, while Pitches… not so much. And it made sense, we had literally no portfolio, no experience, and no clue on how to pitch. We tried a few more times but then just put it on hold for about 2 years.
Maddie: What motivated you to finally make the leap from Ideator to Filmmaker?
Federico: Well, I always liked both things, I mean, I almost majored in Literature (English) before switching to film school halfway through, so this was kind of the same jump. Truth is, I actually never stopped producing video content, I just stuck with whatever worked until I could make that bigger jump. For those first few years, I kept submitting videos to other websites where it was usually a zero-budget, all-risk format, and won a lot of contests there. Lost a lot as well, obviously, but the high-risk, high-reward dynamic really pushed us to get better and learn a lot about analyzing a brief and coming up with a no-budget concept that would win more often than not. Luckily, as we started winning more, we started getting small “production grants” from these websites, which allowed us to produce better video, which in turn allowed us to build a portfolio we could now show someone… and that’s when, about 2 years after our first try, we gave it another shot at pitching on Tongal. Also, I got the Ideator of the Year Tongie early that year, which kinda sealed the deal as well, as it sort of felt like “okay, so what’s next?”.
Maddie: When you had won some Idea awards but were still trying to win your first Pitch, were you ever discouraged? What kept you motivated to keep trying?
Federico: Yeah, it’s definitely tough until you get your first one, but at the same time, I knew it was a process I had to go through. When I went back to submitting Pitches in 2015, I already knew it could take some time, but I was close enough that I’d get there eventually, I just had to learn how to do it. And indeed, it did take us about 7 months of pitching about once a month to actually win the first one. A few of those were definitely a total bummer, because they really seemed like perfect opportunities, sometimes shooting right here in Argentina or nearby, even based off stories we had submitted ourselves. But again, I think what kept us going was our previous experience with no-budget contests. Going in, I already knew this would also have a learning curve, and it was just a matter of getting better.
Maddie: What were the biggest challenges you faced as an Ideator making the leap, and what were some strategies you learned along the way for making a winning Pitch?
Federico: The biggest challenge for me was learning to “sell” my proposal and myself as the filmmaker. As an Ideator, the idea’s either good or bad for the project, and the most you can do to “sell it” is improve your writing and delivery of it, but there’s no credentials or trust involved. When it comes to pitching, that part becomes huge: whether the treatment looks professional or not, whether you have a solid portfolio or not, whether you can explain the concept and plan clearly or not, basically: whether you can inspire confidence in the client or not… that’s the whole game, and you can’t really win anything until you’ve got that part covered. There's definitely a lot of strategies that helped us get there:
- Wait for the right projects, preferably ones with a large number of winning spots or a very specific advantage you can offer (or both!).
- Consciously build a portfolio that’ll get your foot in the right door, even if it’s on your dime.
- Maybe this one’s just me, but be super mindful of what info you need to communicate and make sure you’re not going on and on about the wrong stuff, while forgetting to cover what the brand cares about.
- Also, don’t just copy and paste the same old spiel for every project: Have a base content if you want, but tailor it every time. For instance, if it’s relevant somehow, we might highlight how we’re based out of Buenos Aires, while other times we don’t even mention it. Adapting your pitch to each project let’s you play to your strengths.
Maddie: What was your first winning Pitch, and how did it feel when you landed it? What do you think brought that Pitch to the very top?
Federico: My first winning Pitch was a Lenovo “Day in the Life” Project. Honestly, I got super lucky on one specific detail of that project that allowed me to pitch from a place where I could really bring a lot to the table. Docu-style content was already one of the niches I had a strongest portfolio in and one I really enjoyed working in. Also, I’ve shot a lot of tourism stuff abroad. Not many people have, so that can be an advantage in the right project. Finally, I’ve been to Dubai, know how hard it is to shoot (or do most things) there, and am friends with a bunch of videographers who live and work there. So when I saw this new “Day in the Life” project featured a guy from Abu Dhabi, I was all over that one. Again, a lot of that was obviously luck, but it’s also one of those “everything you did brought you here” kinda things, where connecting the dots and being aware of everything you can bring to the table, even if it’s past experiences. And also, having pitched for like 7 months (and twice for Lenovo, including another “Day in the Life” Project) I’d already had time to learn and improve and hone my pitch a lot more than when I started.
Maddie: Do you think having a solid background in Ideation helped you during the Pitching process?
Federico: In some cases it definitely has. Ideation forces you to problem-solve in the abstract and think outside the box, and those skills can really make a difference in certain projects. Our second win, about a month after our first, was in a FIAT project. Again, docu-style videos, but in this case I think what gave us the win was the concept. We chose an Authentic Story about a guy who loves to research his Italian heritage and feel connected to it. And that was basically it. He lived in Boston, didn’t have an Italian grandma or extended family. You really needed to think outside the box to come up with anything more than an entire video of him browsing through old photos in his attic. So our pitch was: We’ll take him to Italy. We’ll go to his ancestor’s village, and see if we can get him to reconnect with extended family he’s never met. And it worked! Obviously, we had the “travel expertise” advantage as well as an Italian-speaking producer, but that still feels very much like an Idea win to me.
Maddie: You’ve produced a lot of amazing docu-style projects. How did you discover your ‘niche’ and do you think it’s important to have a distinct style you can associate yourself with?
Federico: I really enjoy getting a real person’s story on video. I love finding those tiny details that really capture what someone’s like or what they’re going through. Also, I kind of dread having to “light a scene” and decide shot lists months in advance and all that, so I do tend to veer towards more simple docu-style pieces. And because I have quite a bit of experience in shooting abroad and traveling to odd places in general (which I also love doing), that’s also been a big part of my “niche”, so to speak. I think finding a “niche” or excelling at a specific “style” is definitely important. Brands pretty much always want to know what they’re gonna get, so having a good portfolio means nothing if it’s not really relevant to what they’re looking for. However, I do think if you like more than one thing, you can just try and have more than one niche, you just need to remember that you need equal focus and expertise for each specific one. In my case, apart from emotional docu-style projects, I’m also super interested in comedy, so I try and work on both. My first big commissioned gig, a few months before winning that first pitch on Tongal, was actually a big 15-second comedy spot for Lay’s, which I got thanks to a no-budget 15-second comedy spot I had done for Tic-Tac. So niches work. A 15-second comedy spot led me to another one with a bigger budget. And now… to a Nat Geo short!
Maddie: You’re still submitting (and winning!) a lot of Ideation opportunities. How are you
splitting your time now between Ideation and Pitching for Projects?
Federico: Well, when I first dove into the “Let’s win a pitch” mode, I submitted very few Ideas for the longest time, as it really did take a lot of my time and focus away from what my current goal was. Nowadays, having a bit more time (and a couple more bills to pay), I’m back to submitting whenever I can. Also, I don’t think they’ll induct me to the Hall of Fame twice, so I gotta start winning if I’m to experience Tongies: Episode V in person!
Maddie: Any final tips or words of wisdom for Ideators who are hoping to make the leap this year?
Federico: I’d say go for it, but don’t expect to win right away. Expect a learning curve and really take the time to analyze the whole process: what you struggle with while doing it, who ends up winning and how (you can’t read pitch treatments on current projects, but you can check out older pitches sometimes), and improve and adjust your pitch each time until you’re there. And if you’re missing the right portfolio for what you want to do, just go out and shoot it yourself. It’s a lot easier to just get it done somehow than to try and win without it.
Keep in mind, Tongalers, that Federico's story is just one of many. There are tons of Tongalers who have successfully made the leap to Filmmaker, and if you're willing to invest the time, audit your strengths, and put your best foot forward, as well as learn from the experiences of those that leapt before you, then we're confident you can do the same!
We'd love to hear more stories in the comments section below from community members who've already made the leap, or who are currently in the process.
