Drive attention and excitement for the upcoming theatrical release of Dumb Money this fall with an eye-catching, thumb-stopping, larger-than-life middle finger image and a behind-the-scenes video that documents your making-of for social media, to get audiences hyped to see this comedy in theaters.
Dumb Money, exclusively in theaters this fall, is based on the insane-but-true story of a bunch of Davids who went up against the Goliath that is Wall Street. They rewrote the rules, gave a giant middle finger to the top 1%, and sparked the incredible GameStop phenomenon...NBD.
This R-rated comedy has a bold, cheeky message for Wall Street, built around a stylized and attention-getting 🖕 made out of stacks of cash, and it's present throughout their poster art and the rest of their marketing materials. Now Sony wants you to get in on the fun, and they're looking for five different images, each with a unique and bold depiction of a larger-than-life, money-minded middle finger, along with a short :15-:45 behind-the-scenes video (in 9x16) that'll show how your soon-to-be-iconic image came together, both to help set the tone on social media, and to encourage audiences to see Dumb Money in theaters.
We're looking for designers, crafters, builders, bakers, sculptors, and really any kind of artistic scalawag that can come up with a clever take on giving a middle finger to the Goliaths of the financial world. Perhaps you cut a giant middle finger into your lawn hedges; maybe you're a papercraft whiz, or maybe you've got a knack for costuming and can fashion yourself into a walking, talking middle finger. You could bring out the 'ol flash mob and show us what a mass of humans in money green outfits looks like as a middle finger, or, hell, make it out of fake gold or diamonds for a real stick-it-to-the-man statement. But don't let these prompts stop you – credit cards, checks, coins, there's a million ways to interpret a F*** You to Wall Street, and we want to see you go big and go bold.
Whatever approach you take, your final image should be truly unexpected and memorable, maybe even hilarious and weird, while still tied to money/commerce/capitalism and relating back to the themes and tone of the movie – and bonus points if it's related to money. It should feel native to social media, and the BTS video that you create should show your creative process from start to finish and the story behind your middle finger, if you have one.
If you have more than one awesome image idea, we encourage you to submit multiple different pitches. The goal here is to generate excitement about Dumb Money, its excellent cast, savvy screenplay, and 'stick it to the man' attitude, and we want to see your best and most fun creative takes that feel natural for social, and everything should be interpreted through that viral lens.
For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum. Otherwise, go out there and flip 'em the bird.
DELIVERABLES: There are two total deliverables per creator:
TIMELINE: HERE. Please note this project will move quickly!
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: Bold, attention-getting, irreverent, provocative; above all, humorous and hilarious.
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
Dumb Money is based on the book "The Antisocial Network" by Ben Mezrich. Written by Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo (Orange is the New Black) and directed by Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl, I, Tonya, Cruella).
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.
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: If you use any music from a library for your content, you MUST use the music cues provided by Sony. No other music or SFX, including from Tongal's three music providers, is allowed for this project.
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.