Calling all wrestling fans, animators, and creative people! Celebrate an incredible year of iconic matches, storylines, and Superstars by creating animated videos with some of the best WWE moments from 2023 for use on Peacock's social media channels.
From iconic matches and celebrated storylines to record-breaking premium live events, 2023 marked a historic year for WWE. To help celebrate the year and get fans excited for what's to come in 2024, Peacock - the streaming home of WWE - is looking to create at least eight short animated videos to play on their social channels later this year, with each video depicting a different iconic moment that happened in 2023.
The primary goal of this project is to create short form animated content, up to :30 in length, but the Peacock team may also use this project to greenlight some longer form videos, if they respond well to your particular animation style or unique creative approach. In that event, there'd be a separate conversation about content length and additional budget at the greenlight stage.
In terms of animation, the Peacock team is open to any and all styles - from 2D or 3D to papercraft, motion graphics, stop motion, claymation, flipbook drawings, domino art, or any other creative medium you can think of. While the Peacock team has included a list of potential moments you can feature (more on that below) how you interpret those moments is up to you and you don't need to recreate the moments exactly if it doesn't work for your vision (i.e. if you wanted to make a song out of the sounds from a particular moment, that's totally fair game). The only thing we are NOT looking for is live action reenactments, so do NOT include that in your pitch. You also cannot use any existing toys or action figures in your content, even if those toys or figures are WWE-branded. It's important to note that while you're only creating one video, you'll need to deliver versions in both 16x9 and 9x16, so you may need to animate additional shots or angles to ensure that your 9x16 version is as cool as your 16x9 version.
The Peacock team has included a list of iconic WWE moments from 2023 that could be recreated in the Background below, but they're open to other moments too, and if you don't see your favorite listed, please feel free to include that in your pitch. That said, please try to avoid moments that heavily feature wrestlers or personalities that are not currently with WWE, or are now working with WWE competitors. In addition, please do not pitch any moments that are heavily focused on NXT or Smackdown. While Smackdown storylines can be mentioned, we'd like to keep the focus more on moments that have happened on Monday Night RAW or during the various 2023 Premium Live Events.
Obviously, many of these iconic moments can run long, so feel free to editorialize and recut longer moments for your :30 to make sure that they fit well within a shorter runtime. Since audio is obviously a key component for many of these moments, you can assume that you'll have access to the original audio and footage, should that be helpful to your execution. Lastly, note that you will also be provided with both an opening title and endcard for your videos, and you should account for about :05 to accommodate those elements.
For your pitch, please specify the iconic 2023 WWE moment you'd like to recreate, and the medium you'd use to do so. For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are two total video assets, per filmmaker.
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: Core and passive WWE fans with a focus on the Family, Gen Z, and Millennial segments.
TONE: Generate excitement for 2024 by recreating the best moments of 2023. Celebrate the best storylines, athleticism, and Superstars WWE has to offer.
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.
INTRODUCING BACKLOT: Tongal's rolling out a big, brand new feature called Backlot, which will enable you to post crew and production staffing opportunities connected to Tongal projects. Backlot will include search tools that can help you find collaborators and crew by role, skill set, location, and more. To help get things rolling, we're offering $100 to each of the first five creators who post an opportunity on Backlot related to this project, even if you post while the pitch phase is open, and even if you don't find someone to fill the role. Need a storyboard artist? Editor? Colorist? Start the search on Backlot - and if you have any questions, ask away in the #Forum and we'll tell you more.
Below are some iconic moments from WWE in 2023 that could be recreated. However, this is hardly an exhaustive list, and if you don't see your favorite moment here, please feel free to run with something awesome beyond this list. Just remember: any iconic moments you are pitching to create should be primarily be from Monday Night RAW or WWE Premium Live Events.
Bad Bunny
Becky Lynch
Bianca Belair
The Bloodline
Cody Rhodes
Dominik and Rey Mysterio Feud
Gunther
Iyo Sky
Judgment Day
LA Knight
Logan Paul
The Miz
Rhea Ripley
Seth Rollins
Zelina Vega
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. Please see the full payment schedule.
PRE-PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS: Prior to the commencement of actual production, creators MUST receive final approval from the Sponsor on the elements below. There may be multiple rounds of feedback until an element is approved. If you begin production before you have received final approval, you may need to reshoot or reanimate at your own expense.
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: You will be required to use the Peacock-approved music provider Source Audio to source music for your Video submission to this Project. Music from this provider is available only to the filmmakers that Peacock selects at no charge solely for their incorporation into Submissions to this Project and will not require a separate music release form. Filmmakers will be provided with a log-in and access by a Tongal producer once they are selected.
If you are selected as a filmmaker and choose to use custom/original music, you must fill out and submit our music release form.
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.