Create an advertisement that features the Best Fiends characters we know and love in everyday situations with the exciting reveal that it’s actually real live fans playing the Best Fiends mobile game, caught up in the rush and oblivious to their actual surroundings.

If you’ve ever played the mobile game Best Fiends, you, along with millions of other fans around the world, are probably already hooked. Between the fun and mischievous characters, the endless world of challenges and puzzles, and the game’s mythical universe, it would make sense if you have trouble putting your phone down. 

We recently ran a Concept project looking for unique new Concepts for a Best Fiends Video that ties into the game and stokes the passion of Best Fiends fans everywhere.  From there, the Best Fiends team identified an awesome Concept for an advertisement that we now want filmmakers to help develop further!

FILMMAKERS: it’s your opportunity to pitch us how you would execute this Concept and bring it to life!  Read on to the Objectives section for a more detailed breakdown of the Concept and project.

The primary goal of the project is to create fun, surprising, visually engaging, and attention grabbing :15 and :30 second Videos for all Best Fiends social channels with the intention of advertising for the Best Fiends mobile game. 

There is potential for this to turn into additional Videos in a larger Video suite.

Pitches can be live action or any style of animation EXCEPT CGI/3D, and should be based on the following Creative Concept:

We see the Best Fiends characters in mundane, everyday situations - such as waiting in line at the DMV or stuck in traffic on a long commute to work.  The fiends can be visualized with animation, puppetry, costumes, etc.  Then imagine a fun reveal that we’re not actually seeing the characters themselves but rather real live fans playing the Best Fiends mobile game, caught up in the rush of it and totally oblivious to their surroundings.  This should be quick, dry, deadpan humor.

What is required to Submit your Pitch:

• Text: 500 characters or less synopsizing how you plan to approach and execute this Video.
• Links to Past Work: Please specify your role (producer, director, cinematography, etc.) and DO NOT INCLUDE LINKS TO YOUR SHOWREEL. Please link to individual videos.
• Treatment: A detailed narrative description of what’s going to happen in your Video.
• Pitch Video: This is your opportunity to have a face-to-face virtual meeting with Seriously. Tell us about your past experience and your capabilities.
• Budget: Tell us your budget to produce all of the deliverables as outlined below.
  • Feel free to download and use the Tongal budget template here.
  • Budget should stay within the range of $4-7k.

Estimated Timeline:

Pitch Phase: 1/25-2/2

Tongal present pitches to Seriously: 2/7

Seriously Selects Pitch Winner: 2/12

Pre-Production: 2/12-2/28

Production: 2/28-3/12

Rough Cut due to Tongal: 3/12

Tongal feedback due: 3/14

Rough Cut due to Seriously: 3/16

Seriously Consolidated Feedback due: 3/21

Revisions: 3/21-3/26

Revised Cut due to Tongal: 3/26

Revised Cut due to Seriously: 3/28

Second round of consolidated feedback from Seriously due: 4/2

Second Round of Revisions: 4/2-4/5

Final Files due to Tongal: 4/5

Final Files due to Seriously: 4/9

--Deliverables: 

6 total videos (All videos should be based on the same creative concept - all other asset requests are strictly about conforming these original assets to the platform specs - for example, for Facebook the :30 and :15 need to be outputted at a 1:1 aspect ratio for YouTube 16:9 etc.  The Sponsor is not asking for separate creative executions for each platform.  Also, if applicable videos will need to be delivered with subtitles - if there are NON-fiend characters who have VO or dialogue).

:30 & :15 Video for Facebook in 1:1 aspect ratio

:30 & :15 Video for YouTube in 16:9 aspect ratio 

:30 & :15 Video for Instagram Stories in vertical format

5 still images for marketing purposes

Project Files

--Target Audience:

• Primary Audience: Current players and new players (for engagement & re-engagement)
• Best Fiends players are 60% female, mostly 25-45, and their social audience is also predominantly female. They have a strong following in families, the LGBT community, lifestyle artists, make-up, beauty, and fashion. Players are culturally diverse and global.
• Secondary: Future players (acquisition & affinity)

--Executional Mandatories: 

• No CGI/3D animation.  Other styles of animation such as 2D, stop motion, puppetry is OK.  Live action is also OK.  
• You may ONLY feature any of the 6 core fiend characters: Kwincy, Brittle, JoJo, Temper, Gordon, Howie, & Vega.
• No dialogue / VO from the fiend characters.  You’ll need to be creative about how to convey humor & emotion in an effective way without relying on dialogue between fiends.  There can be dialogue or VO from non-fiend characters.
• You may NOT show fiend personalities.  You can show emotional reactions such as shock, anger, etc, but nothing that speaks to the backstory or lives of the fiend characters.

--Tone: Think “Minions” or “The Simpsons” – funny, subversive, and playful

--Exposure: Best Fiends social channels and other digital/mobile platforms

Please refer to the Assets tab for Facebook and IG Stories Best Practices!

Facebook Best Practices:

• Design tight stories that answer the questions: “What is it?” “Why would the audience care?” and “Why would the audience share?”  Usually these are the three answers…

1. “Oh that’s so me” – the video is relatable.
2. This video made the viewer feel something, and they want to share the emotional gift.
3. Resonates with a belief of the viewer.  This video explains it better than they could.

• The first few seconds are the most important so consider leading with a hook, or telling your story in a non-linear manner. The introduction to the video is critical, and slow builds do not work in the Facebook platform. You might also consider using a "Trailer" approach with 2-3 lines of copy up front to frame/present the video.
• Don’t Bury the Lead. Introduce the brand in the first 3 seconds, however the brand should be introduced cleverly and NOT via a standard product beauty shot.
• Storytelling needs to be driven by visuals so you should be able to convey the important parts of the story without relying on sound at all. Tell visually engaging stories, and try to give your video a constant rhythm. Use text graphics, new frames, characters and settings to move the story forward. It is recommended that something visual happens every 3-5 seconds.
• Shoot your Video with a 1:1 square aspect ratio in mind. Don’t put yourself in a position where you’re cropping out important visuals in post-production because you shot in 16:9 or widescreen. Embrace the format.
• Use a Call-to-Action to invite people to a website or follow a hashtag.
• Review your edits on a mobile device.  You really need to do this because 90% or more of the audience will be viewing your video on their phone.

This is an open bid project, so you’ll get to set your overall budget proposal.  You can download the Budget template here.  Please make sure to stay within the budget range of $4-7k.

This Project will consist of 4 Phases: a Pitch Phase, a Pre-Production Phase, a Video Phase, and a Revisions Phase.  Be sure to read the following information carefully as well as the Official Rules.

PHASE 1: PITCH

Submit your Pitch (What is a Pitch Phase?)  convincing the Sponsor why you should be selected to execute a Video using:

• Text (REQUIRED): 500 characters or less synopsizing how you plan to approach and execute this Video.
• Links to Past Work (REQUIRED): 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 narrative description of what’s going to happen in your Pilot.
• Pitch Video (REQUIRED): This is your opportunity to have a face-to-face virtual meeting with Seriously. Tell us about your past experience and your capabilities.
• Budget (REQUIRED): Tell us your budget to produce all of the deliverables as outlined below.
  • Feel free to download and use the Tongal budget template here.
  • Stay within the budget range of $4-7k.
• Script (Optional): This should include dialogue from the video you intend to create.
• Storyboards (Optional): Additional concept art, storyboards, shot list, anything that helps get your point across. You can download the Tongal storyboard template here.
• Headshots/Casting Boards (Optional): Casting notes or concepts, headshots of actors, etc.

The most compelling Pitch may be selected and, upon submitting the Winner’s Affidavit and the IP Assignment, may receive a portion of their agreed upon budget to help create the Video. Please note the payment of the Pitch award is subject to a payment schedule determined by Tongal. Additionally, upon submitting a Video that satisfies the criteria laid out in your winning Pitch, completing Sponsor notes, providing the necessary release forms, and providing all assets required by the sponsor the Pitch winner will receive a final payment. For an example of an effective Pitch, check out The Indie Machines 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: PRE-PRODUCTION – If the Sponsor selects a Pitch Winner from the Pitch Phase, then the one Pitch Winner will enter the Pre-Production Phase (What is a Pre-Production Phase?). During this phase, filmmakers will need to receive the following Approvals from the brand:

• SCRIPT – This project requires Script Approval before filmmakers move onto the Video Phase. The brand may provide feedback on your Script and ask you to submit a new version. There will be two rounds of feedback until a Script is approved by the brand. 
• STORYBOARD - This project requires Storyboard Approval before filmmakers move onto the Video Phase. The brand may provide feedback on your storyboard and ask you to submit a new version of the storyboard. There will be two rounds of feedback until Storyboards are approved by the brand
• LOCATION - This project requires Location Approval before filmmakers move onto the Video Phase. This means you will need to submit multiple images of your primary filming. The brand may provide feedback on your location and ask you to submit additional photos or to find a new location and submit images for that.
• HEADSHOT – This project requires Headshot Approval before filmmakers move onto the Video Phase. You must submit at least two actor options per role. If the brand does not approve either of your options for a role, you may be asked to submit two new actor options.
• WARDROBE - This project requires Wardrobe Approval before filmmakers move onto the Video Phase. You will need to submit descriptions and/or pictures of your cast’s wardrobe. You must submit at least two wardrobe options per role. If the brand does not approve either of your options for a role, you may be asked to submit two new wardrobe options.

No filmmakers may begin shooting their Video until all Approvals are completed and the Video Phase has officially begun. If you begin shooting your Video during the Pre-Production Phase before you have received final approval, there is a chance you will need to reshoot (at your own expense).

PHASE 3: VIDEO – Once the Pre-Production Phase is complete, the Pitch Winner will each create a Video and cut-downs based upon their winning Pitch.

NOTE: All Videos and cut-downs will be due at the close of the Video Phase.  Please upload them as separate videos when submitting.

--Video Phase Payout: Upon submitting a Video that satisfies the criteria laid out in your winning Pitch, completing Sponsor notes, providing the necessary release forms, and providing all assets required by the sponsor the Pitch winner will receive a final payment according to the agreed upon budget.

--Music: Tongal has partnered with three premiere music providers: Jingle Punks, Killer Tracks 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 more customized music solution for your project are invited to connect with our partner Score A Score. Email a brief description of your project (timing, creative, budget, etc.), along with any specific music direction and/or references to their creative team at music@scoreascore.com and include “Tongal Project - Your Name” in the subject line. Their creative team will be in touch within a few minutes to discuss the simple process and options with you. Please note that you will be responsible for the fees associated with using 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 third-party catalog providers, you must purchase the appropriate license at your own expense and submit it with your license purchase receipt when you turn in your Video paperwork.

PHASE 4: REVISIONS – Once the Video Phase has closed, the winning submitter will enter the Revisions Phase (What is a Revisions Phase?). During this phase, filmmakers will perform reasonable edits on their Pilot Video according to the Sponsor’s feedback. 

Note: This project has two rounds of revisions. 

PHASE 5: ASSETS DELIVERY –  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 will be responsible for the costs associated the hard drive (if necessary) and shipping.  For Tongal’s file delivery specs and any other questions you may have about post production please click here.

1. The Video MUST not exceed 1 minute 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. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.

12. In this project the Sponsor will determine how many submissions it will select, if any.

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.

14. The Sponsor will be entitled to reasonable revisions on the finished Video 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.