To celebrate the return of USA & SYFY's Chucky TV series this fall, we're looking for six different filmmakers to each create one short recap video that gets fans excited for the show's upcoming third season, which premieres on October 4th.
Since USA & SYFYs’ Chucky series premiered in 2021, everyone’s favorite killer doll has inflicted some serious carnage on the town of Hackensack, with no shortage of hilarious, duplicitous, and downright wicked moments that encompass the truly unique flavor of this show.
To help fans prepare for season 3 and catch up on all the mayhem from the past two seasons, USA & SYFY are looking for six different talented editors and filmmakers to each create one short recap video that's designed for social media. Specifically, we are looking for a full season one recap, a full season two recap, and recaps of each episode that will be airing in season 3 this October. After USA & SYFY pick which creators they'd like to greenlight, they will assign creators to create either a season recap video, or an episode recap video -- and yes, that means if you're greenlit and USA & SYFY select you to recap one of the upcoming season 3 episodes, you will get early access to the episode!
To be clear, this is not just an editing project. USA & SYFY are looking for something more unique than a string of key moments and some text - they want something that's much better suited for fan-driven social media. That probably means some form of live-action component is required, but USA & SYFY are also open to motion graphics and animation approaches as well. They want short, fun, fresh, inventive, and humorous takes that bring personality or a strong point-of-view, a la what you'd expect from reaction videos or something in that vein. There are MANY creative directions that you could take this, so think about all the different episode recap formats you might organically find on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram. Consider stuff like tiny mic recaps, on-camera scene reactions, green screen effects - hell, even sock puppet scene recreations could work, if you really wanted to take a big creative swing. Just be sure it still feels appropriate for Chucky.
Since these recaps are designed for social media, they should also be short, punchy, and hook the viewer in the first few seconds of the video. That said, we understand season recaps have more ground to cover than episode recaps, so season recaps can be up to 60 seconds. Single episode recaps should probably be closer to 30 seconds. With this timing in mind, these videos aren’t as much about telling fans what happened, but what YOU found to be crazy/exciting/gut-wrenching/hilarious. That could be one moment or multiple moments, so it will be important to be concise and have a strong point of view.
In your Pitch treatment, to tell us about your proposed recap style, and how it might differ if you're assigned a season recap or an episode recap. If helpful, we also encourage you to submit an optional proof-of-concept video that visually demonstrates your creative style. USA & SYFY are looking for distinct creative takes for each recap, so feel free to submit multiple ideas for how you might tackle a season recap vs. an episode recap.
Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: Each creator will be responsible for creating ONE recap video:
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:
TONE: Fun, humorous, creative, witty, unexpected
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.
Need to catch up on what happened in each season of Chucky for some brainstorming? Here are more thorough recaps for each season:
SOCIAL MEDIA 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 six most compelling pitches will be greenlit, and the responsible creators 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.
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 SYFY-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 SYFY 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 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.
FONTS: If you use any actual fonts (as opposed to drawing your own letters) you will be required to use the SYFY-approved font service Monotype to source fonts for your Video submissions to this project. Fonts from this provider are available only to the Pitch Winners at no charge solely for their incorporation into Submissions to this Project and will not require a separate Release. Pitch Winners will be provided with a log-in and access by a Tongal producer once they are selected.
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.