Produce an inspiring video that will motivate multicultural families who love spending time together in their local forests and parks to give back through volunteer opportunities.

***Please Note that only U.S. Residents are eligible to submit for this project.***

Established in 2009, the "Discover the Forest" public service ad campaign has worked for over a decade to foster strong relationships that connect Americans to public lands across the nation. The Ad Council would like to encourage eco-volunteerism by inspiring multicultural families to strengthen the bonds with their loved ones and the environment by helping the U.S. Forest Service maintain public lands. 

We now need your help to cultivate the next generation of environmental stewards with a video that recognizes that this next generation is more multi-cultural than ever before. African American and Hispanic families don’t often see themselves represented in environmental communications, so it is less likely that they’ll consider these volunteering opportunities for their own families. Having this volunteer experience at a young age benefits everybody. It’s an enjoyable and rewarding experience that families can bond over together. What better way to reconnect with your family and your community than spending time outdoors and working together to leave it better than when you found it?

DELIVERABLES: 4 Total Video Assets

• A 1-2 minute inspiring video in both English & Spanish
• A 15-30 second 4x5 social cut in both English & Spanish

TIMELINE: For the full project timeline please see the Assets section.

EXPOSURE:

• Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. 
• Please check out our platform best practices page.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

• African American and Hispanic parents of tweens (8-12 years old)
• Those who know the value of spending time in the forest for their families and community, but may not yet be engaging with deeper volunteer opportunities.

TONE:

• Positive, inspiring, authentic and relatable
  
  

EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES: 

• Video must drive to DiscoverTheForest.org/Volunteer (and DescubreelBosque.org/Voluntariar for Spanish)
• Emphasize the availability and ease of volunteer activities, examples in the Background section
• Focus on the experience with the natural environment
• Focus on the bond between parent and children 8-12
• Prioritize forest visuals, particularly those that are close in proximity to urban environments
• Forest visuals must look like they could exist anywhere in the United States. (This means no distinct topographic or botanical landmarks, ie. no palm trees.)
• Please start looking into location availability and releases as soon as possible. It would be helpful to include your location plans in your treatment.
• Need to visualize actions in the forest in an accurate way and model safe behavior
• Don't make any references to religion/religious figures (including "God" or “oh my god”) 
• No references to politics, or individual policymakers or elected officials
• Please do NOT depict talent:
  • Touching animals
  • Wearing open-toed shoes
  • Picking live leaves or flowers* (*unless this is invasive plant removal)
  • Wandering off a designated trail area
  • Running through a wooded area
  • In dimly-lit or remote-looking locations. 
  • Climbing trees/rocks
• Animals and plants MUST be a native species to the particular forest
• Animals and plants CANNOT be an invasive species in that area

OPEN BID: 

• This is an open bid project, so you will get to set your own budget proposal within the $8,000-$15,000 range. The Sponsor is interested in seeing tiered pricing options, so please feel free to submit various versions of your pitch at budget, target, and reach price points within that price range.
• By participating in this open bid project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a bid. Though most open bid projects on our platform do move forward with a greenlit bid, we will notify you in the event the Sponsor decides not to fund any bids via the project forum. Regardless of the result, all open bid submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the Sponsor and the project team.

Since 1942, the Ad Council has offered trusted advice and inspiring calls-to-action. In fact, they created the category of public service advertising, and their icons and slogans are woven into the very fabric of American culture. The Ad Council is where Smokey Bear lives. The Ad Council saw that “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” and reminded Americans that, “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” 

Today, they are working with the U.S. Forest Service on the Discover the Forest campaign.

While the established PSA campaign has focused on reconnecting families with nature by encouraging first-hand experiences, this effort aims to make a deeper connection. Today’s U.S. forest lands face a range of urgent challenges, among them wildfires, more public demands, invasive species, degraded watersheds, and epidemics of forest insects and disease. To address these challenges and improve forest conditions, the U.S. Forest Service depend upon a diverse collection of local communities and individuals to act as caretakers for protection and maintenance.

Example volunteer-focused scenes that could be included (but not all) are:

• Trash removal from ponds, along trails
• Removing invasive species (weeding)
• Trail maintenance
• Leaving places better than we found it
• Tree planting

Acceptable nature actions that can be represented in the video, if applicable:

• Having immersive and sensory experiences with the forest; feel the texture of trees, grass, rocks, etc.
• Observing animals from a safe distance
• Taking in beautiful scenery
• Listening to forest sounds/animals
• Collecting and playing with fallen leaves, rocks, and sticks
• Running and playing in an open area
• Crossing logs/paths through a stream

REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION OR TONE: 

• Check out the most recent Discover the Forest campaign work.
• You can also check out this awesome video the Tongal community made for Discover the Forest in 2016 as an inspirational starting point.
• Other more contemporary examples for tone include this REI Opt Outside campaign

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.

• TEXT (REQUIRED): 500 characters or less synopsizing how you plan to approach and execute this video.
  
  
• LINKS (REQUIRED): To your previous video work. 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 the video. If it's helpful to you, we've provided a treatment template, which you can find here.
  
  
• BUDGET (REQUIRED): This is an open bid project, so you’ll get to set your overall budget proposal. You can download the budget template here. The Sponsor would like the producer to create 4 videos with a total cost between $8,000-$15,000.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• PITCH VIDEO (Optional): This is your opportunity to be face-to-face with the Sponsor and show them what you're capable of. Consider submitting a pitch video in which you tell the Sponsor what they can expect should they choose your pitch. Also, test videos, animatics, etc. are welcome. For some examples of effective Pitch videos, check out this gallery. All Pitches will remain private until after the Sponsor gives creator(s) the green light to move forward.

The most compelling pitch will be greenlit, and upon completing the Winner Affidavit and the IP Assignment, the responsible creator will receive funding. Please note: the payment of the pitch funds is subject to a payment schedule determined by Tongal. Please see the full payment schedule in the Assets section.

PRE-PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS: Prior to shooting, filmmakers must receive the below approvals from the Sponsor.

• SCRIPT: This project requires script approval before filmmakers move onto the Video Phase. The Sponsor may provide feedback on your script and ask you to submit a new version. There may be multiple rounds of feedback until a script is approved by the Sponsor.
• 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 Sponsor does not approve either of your options for a role, you may be asked to submit two new actor options.
• STORYBOARD: This project requires storyboard approval before filmmakers move onto the Video Phase. The Sponsor may provide feedback on your storyboard and ask you to submit a new version.
• 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 location. The Sponsor may provide feedback on your location and ask you to submit additional photos or to find a new location and submit images for that.
• 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 Sponsor does not approve either of your options for a role, you may be asked to submit two new wardrobe options.

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.

REVISION REQUIREMENTS: 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.

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 the costs associated the hard drive and shipping.

For Tongal’s file delivery specs and any other questions you may have about post production, please click here.

1. 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 your submission be greenlit, 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 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.
    
    
13. The Sponsor will be entitled to reasonable revisions on the finished Videos without providing additional compensation. Remember it's easier to re-edit than re-shoot so try to get as much coverage as possible.
    
    
14. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, greenlit Video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, Music (or other) Releases for all assets appearing in their 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 earnings.
    
    
15. 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.