Team up with DC's most iconic characters and a beloved blue hedgehog to produce a suite of animated videos for the DC x Sonic the Hedgehog comic book crossover event.
It’s a crossover event unlike any other: the monstrous Darkseid has crossed dimensions to invade the world of Sonic the Hedgehog, in search of the ultimate power, and while Sonic and his friends have faced everything from mad scientists to ancient spirits, the forces of Apokolips may be too much for them... until the full heroic might of the Justice League arrives to back them up! Earlier this year, DC released five action-packed issues in this series, and it's been a huge hit with fans. With each new issue, comic book readers have had the chance to experience a thrilling new adventure featuring a star-studded cast: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, The Flash, and Cyborg team up as the Justice League, and battle alongside Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Silver, and Shadow. As we head into the end of the year here, Warner Bros. Discovery wants to promote this fan favorite crossover to an even wider audience by producing a series of lightly animated videos that dynamically showcase the key moments from each issue for the DC Kids YouTube channel.
The goal of this project is to produce a 3-6 minute lightly animated video and a short teaser for each issue of the series, and while we'd frame it as a "motion comic," we're not actually tied to a particular format, and we're not looking for a direct 1:1 adaptation of each issue. Creatively, this is about finding a clever and visually dynamic way to breath life into a static medium, and to get viewers excited about the crossover by highlighting some of the best scenes from the books. We're focusing on key story points and big action sequences because a full adaptation - one with every panel and line of dialogue - would require a much, much longer video, and that's not a direction we want to explore. The ultimate destination for these videos is DC Kids YouTube Channel, but you'll see that the comics feel much more aspirational, so both teens and adult fans have responded to the series, and tonally, that means we're looking for something that plays well for a broader audience than just kids: we want something fun, exciting, humorous, smart, celebratory, and a little self-aware too. It's also important to keep in mind that these aren't advertisements, so we're not looking to include any marketing messaging or call-to-actions.
The format and complexity of the animation style that's involved is up to you, but we want something that feels lively and energetic, complete with stylized transitions, visual effects, and a smart use of text/speech bubbles. Think about what moves, how it moves, why it moves, when it moves. If all you've got in your approach is a hint of parallax motion when Sonic zips into a panel, you're probably not doing enough (although parallax effects are pretty useful, so we're not knocking them!). In terms of assets, you'll have access to the clean, individual, fully colored, high resolution comic book pages, as well as separate layers for the speech bubbles and text, but we do not have layered design files for each comic book frame, so you'll need to manually extract any elements to incorporate motion or other effects.
In terms of the storytelling, we'd encourage you to avoid voiceover or dialogue, and find a compelling way to drive the narrative without any voiceover at all, especially since they may want to localize this video for other markets, and we want audiences to be able to follow your videos without audio. That said, the brand team recognizes that it may be necessary, so in the event that we do need voiceover, we'd want to look for a single, expressive, and versatile narrative voice, rather than trying to cast someone for all of the different individual roles. Beyond that, we'll also expect rich sound design and sound effects, with a compelling music track (or tracks) driving each video. You should expect to provide your own solutions on those fronts, as it's unlikely that we'll be able to tap into existing music or audio libraries from either DC or Sonic the Hedgehog, since the comic exists separately from other mediums where those characters appear. That said, you're still welcome to make requests.
In terms of video duration, it's more important that we have the best content than that we hit a particular runtime, so we want to the runtime to be a reflection of the creative approach, and the complexity of the narrative in each issue. Each issue contains about 20 pages of story, packed with action and dialogue. Narratively, it's on you to script out what scenes we capture in each episode, and how we capture them. You obviously can't rewrite the characters' dialogue, but it's possible that you may want to include some additional text (or narration), beyond the narration in the comics, so that the story in each of your videos is coherent. Outside of the main hero videos, we'll also be creating short :15 teasers for social platforms, in multiple aspect ratios, as well as one full series compilation, which is just a singular edit that weaves together all 5 of your other hero videos.
FOR YOUR PITCH: We've provided assets from the first 13 pages of Issue #1, and it'd serve you best to provide a short :15-:20 proof-of-concept video that can illustrate how you might bring this series to life.
Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are 21 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:
TONE/FEEL: Funny, smart, authentic, good-natured, celebratory, and a little self-aware
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
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. Unless specifically requested, there's no need to include a budget with your submission.
The most compelling pitch will be greenlit by the Sponsor, 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, typically included with the project timeline.
PRE-PRODUCTION BIBLE & APPROVALS: Prior to the commencement of actual production, creators MUST prepare a singular pre-production "bible" document with the elements contained below, and that document MUST receive final approval from the Sponsor. We recommend that you use the bible template we provide HERE, or something very similar. The bible can be presented in stages as different elements are ready for review (i.e. it's not expected that storyboards, if required, are ready with your first draft). Apart from the below, you're also welcome to include other key items that you think would be helpful to communicate your plan (e.g. moodboards, lighting, music, shot list, etc.).
Note that there may be multiple rounds of feedback until elements are approved, and if you begin production before you have received final approval, you may need to reshoot or reanimate at your own expense.
For convenience, we've provided some helpful templates that you can consider using for pre-production materials, and they can all be accessed here.
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 & RESOURCES: 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: If you use music from a library for your content, you MUST use one of Tongal's music providers: Universal Production Music, PrimalHouse, or Slipstream Music. 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, click on any of the providers' names above.
If you use 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 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, and an account will be created for you to access the library. Once assets are approved for delivery, 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 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.