Based on an existing script, create an energetic and buzzworthy sizzle reel that gets fans around the world excited to vote for their favorite characters from 100 years of iconic Columbia Pictures movies and TV shows.
Sony Pictures Entertainment is celebrating as Columbia Pictures marks its 100th year in 2024, and they've turned to the Tongal community to bring fans into the celebration all year long. In an earlier project, we sourced concepts for big, bold, global activations and executions that could involve and excite fans and celebrate the anniversary of the studio's most beloved titles and characters. One of our favorite concepts was to create a giant, multi-story mural poster that celebrates as many as 100 recognizable characters from the Columbia Pictures catalogue. As imagined, artists from all around the world would lend their skills to creating this mural, which would eventually be revealed in a celebration as giant as the poster itself. But we think we can go even bigger – literally – and break the world record by creating the largest movie/TV poster ever made. First, though, we need to rally fans to vote for their favorite characters to include in the poster mural – and that's where you come in.
The goal of this project is to create a buzzworthy and high-energy :30-:60 sizzle video that gets fans excited to weigh in and vote for their favorite characters for the record-setting mural. Sony Pictures will provide film & TV clips and images that you can pair with light information about each character and their movie or TV show, which you'll then need to package together with motion graphics and a fun, celebratory music track, all leading up to a CTA that drives fan engagement and excitement. These motion graphics should be implemented in a dynamic but organic way that fits the broader Sony Pictures and Columbia Pictures brands as well as individual show and movie titles. Obviously, it'll be hard to profile every character in this short run time, but if you can find a creative way to express just how many incredible characters are involved, that'd be fantastic. The social edits will be used as supporting assets across social channels to further help spread the word. You can have some fun with these as they should ultimately drive excitement and lead viewers to the full sizzle.
For the purposes of the Pitch phase, we are including a folder of assets that you can use to cut together a :15 proof-of-concept edit to demonstrate your creative approach. It's important to note that this proof of concept is not the social cutdown, rather a snippet of what will ultimately become the sizzle video. Your proof-of-concept should be 16x9 and use at least two of the provided sample assets. It should also demonstrate how you plan to incorporate motion graphics, kinetic type, and/or on-screen text. The greenlit editor will also be provided with an A/V script to make the call to action clear to fans, as well as relevant info about the characters/titles, a drive of clips and images, and branding elements to build out your sizzle.
Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: 10 total video assets:
EXPECTED TIMELINE: HERE
RELEVANT ASSETS: HERE
EXPOSURE: We expect content will be used on the platforms below, but if casting talent, be sure they review our required Talent Release before they're cast, 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.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Movie enthusiasts, older generations (nostalgia), younger generations (discovery), cinephiles, pop culture fans.
TONE/FEEL: Big, bold, attention-getting, splashy, exciting, celebratory, awe-inspiring, FUN.
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a submission. Though most projects do move forward, we'll 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 project team.
Columbia Pictures was founded in Los Angeles on January 10, 1924. In addition to the titles below, the studio is known for a number of classic franchises across film and TV, including Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, Men in Black, 21 Jump Street, Zombieland, Bad Boys, The Three Stooges and Spider-Man.
See more at: Sony Pictures Official Website and Sony Pictures TV Official Website
Some of the 100 Fan-Favorite Titles in Columbia's 100-year history include:
Some of the most iconic TV titles from Sony Pictures include:
In order to be considered, include the below materials in your submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery. All Pitches remain private, even after a Pitch is selected, and Tongal strives to have Pitch selections made by the end of the Evaluation period, but additional time may be required by the Sponsor, depending on any number of factors.
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.
BUILDING YOUR TEAM: Looking for help? Post crew and production opportunities connected to Tongal projects on Backlot. Backlot includes search tools to help you find collaborators and crew by role, skill set, location, and more, for productions of any size and type. Tongal also supports inclusivity in all productions, and strongly encourages you to hire diverse talent for your team. To find additional options for staff & crew in your area, check out these resources and partners.
REVISION REQUIREMENTS: Once Content has been submitted and the initial Production Phase completed, greenlit creators will enter into Revisions. Creators 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: Tongal has partnered with three premiere music providers: Jingle Punks, Universal Production Music 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 providers’ names above.
If you 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.
ASSET DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS: 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 any costs associated with the hard drive and shipping. Tongal also reserves the right to request all raw files associated with the project.
To ensure a smoother delivery, please review the Export Presets, Specifications, and Project File Organization Tutorial in our Filmmaker Resource Portal.