Create a single :30 animated video for The Roku Channel based on an original back-to-school related concept.
***We've received some additional creative mandatories for this brief. Therefore, we're reopening this pitch for a few more days to allow those of you who already pitched to adjust your pitches accordingly. And if you weren't able to pitch in the initial window, we'd love to see your ideas! Find updates in red below (updated 4/14). ***
The Roku Channel is one of the largest ad-supported video on demand streaming platforms, hosting thousands of shows and movies that you can watch for free. They occasionally run animated "tagged vignettes" - :30s editorial videos sponsored by a brand partner to create a more enjoyable transition from shows into the ad break. With this project, they want to create an entertaining :30 video centered around a back-to-school related concept of your choosing.
The back-to-school topic is up to you: it could be a life hack, a school year tip, an interesting factoid, etc., and those are just a few thought starters. We want to hear different, unique, and interesting ideas and creative approaches. Your concept should be simple enough that the audience doesn’t need any background about what’s being presented and why. Try to avoid overly narrativizing your concept. Overall, your concept should appeal parents and teachers. It should not look or feel like they’re being served to kids.
The overall goal of this video is to present something for The Roku Channel audience to enjoy while they stream and walk away with some interesting new information. Successful examples will leave the viewer thinking to themself, “that’s a great idea, I should try that!” or “wow, I had no idea. So cool!” Tonally, we want it to be upbeat, positive, and generally position back-to-school as an exciting, celebratory time of year.
As these will eventually be sold to sponsors, in stop motion content we do need to avoid showing any school supplies that could eventually prove to be a conflict of interest. Do not include anything that could be branded - ie bags, notebooks, pencils, etc. Something like fruit, however, would be acceptable.
The last :03-:05 of your video needs to be reserved to include a “presented by” voice over for the sponsor (which is still TBD). With that in mind, plan for a "presented by" end card that continues the style of your overall video, leaving space for a future sponsor logo in addition to the voice over. Once the sponsor is finalized, you'll add their logo and have your voice over talent record the updated “presented by” read. This video asset should include Voice Over throughout since this will be running on television and you will need to have that talent record a placeholder “presented by ‘your brand’” tag, and as the sponsor will not be decided at the time of production. Please ensure you plan for an additional read from the VO artist to accommodate the updated tag once we do have a sponsor on board.
While we're open to most any approach, we expect 2D animation, stop motion, motion graphics, or mixed media to be the most realistic options. We can provide access to stock footage for you to incorporate into your video, but we are NOT looking for live action concepts here. While 3D animation is acceptable, hyperrealistic VFX work would be difficult given the timeline and budget, so you must show that you can execute within these parameters.
For your pitch, please note the submission requirements for your treatment document. Your treatment must contain the listed information to meet Roku Brand Studio requirements. Then check out some examples of past vignettes from in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There is 1 total video asset:
TIMELINE: HERE.
EXPOSURE: We anticipate content will be used on the platforms listed below, but if casting talent, please be sure your talent reviews the required Talent Release, as it is not limited to these platforms. You should also review our Music providers in the Project Requirements, as well as the platform best practices page.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Parents of children aged 5+
TONE: Upbeat, positive, celebratory
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a submission. Though most projects on our platform do move forward, we will notify you in the event the Sponsor decides not to fund any submissions via the project forum. Regardless of the result, all submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the Sponsor and the project team.
Generally, these vignettes should provide a seamless & entertaining transition from streaming into the ad break. We want the viewer to by entertained with interesting, exciting or unexpected tips, tricks and information in a creative way.
REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION OR TONE:
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.
The most compelling pitch will be greenlit, and the responsible creator will then receive an email from Tongal producers detailing next steps. All submitters will also receive an automated email notification that a selection has been announced. To ensure you’re receiving project updates, review your email settings to check that you haven’t unsubscribed.
Creators who’ve been selected will receive funding upon completing the Winner Affidavit and the IP Assignment. Payment of the pitch funds is subject to a payment schedule determined by Tongal.
PRE-PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS: Prior to shooting, filmmakers must receive the below approvals from the Sponsor.
For your convenience, we’ve provided some helpful templates to use at your discretion. They include templates for creating a treatment, production budget, storyboards, shot list, call sheet, and a music cue sheet. Additionally, there are templates that will help you clearly present cast, location, and wardrobe options to the Sponsor. They can all be accessed here.
BUILDING YOUR TEAM: Tongal supports inclusivity in all of our productions and strongly encourages you to hire diverse talent for your team. To find staff & crew in your area, check out these resources and partners.
REVISION REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES: Once the Video Phase has closed, the greenlit submitters will enter the Revisions Phase. Filmmakers will perform reasonable edits on their videos according to the Sponsor’s feedback. Check out our Filmmaker Resource Portal to access helpful post-production resources like Text-Safe Guides for different platforms, Project File Organization Tutorial, Export Presets, and Captioning services.
MUSIC: If you use any music from a library for your content, you MUST use one of Tongal's three music providers - Jingle Punks, Universal Production Music and Epidemic Sound. 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 Music Release Form. To learn more about using each of these music providers, click on any of the providers’ names above.
If you choose to use custom or original music, you must fill out and submit our Music Release Form. Please ensure your composer reviews and signs this form BEFORE beginning their work.
STOCK FOOTAGE: Tongal has partnered with the stock footage library STORYBLOCKS, which can be used to source video clips, photography, and After Effects templates for your video submission to this project. Video or photo content from Storyblocks is available at no charge, solely for incorporation into submissions on this project, and content will not require a separate Release Form. If identifiable people or intellectual property appears in a video clip or photo, you may only utilize assets that are clearly marked “Model released: Yes” or “Property release: Yes” on the clip description pages. You may not use any audio.
If you intend to use Storyblocks, inform your Tongal producer beforehand, and an account will be created for you to access the library and its features. Once your video submissions are approved by the Sponsor, you must provide a complete list of all Storyblocks content that you used via our template HERE.
ASSET DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES: You must also provide all project files, editing sequences and a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec in order to submit final payment. You are responsible for the costs associated the hard drive and shipping.
To ensure a smoother delivery, please review the Export Presets, Specifications, and Project File Organization Tutorial in our Filmmaker Resource Portal.