IT'S...ALIVE:  GE & Tongal Present: The Inventor’s Day Challenge!

It's a funny thing about inventions.  In the US alone, there are more than 2 million patents in-force through the USPTO and several multiples of that number have been issued in our country's history.  In fact, patents are on the rise in recent years, with 27% more being granted in a single year than ever before, during 2010.

The goal of this project is to create a video that describes an actual inventor’s idea and shows how GE scientists helped this inventor articulate their vision in 60 seconds or less.

The THREE inventions listed below were sourced through fan submissions via GE’s social channels and the renderings created by scientists in their global research department.

--The Inventions:

 • Downloadable Clothes

 • Augmented Reality School

 • Digital Window

Now, it’s time for you, the mighty Tongal community, to bring your creativity and ingenuity to bear.  Using the invention sketches, testimonials from the scientists, and any other footage (you create or source) that helps tell the story, we want you to make the invention come alive.  The end-result will be inspiring mini-movies, highlighting the spirit, grain, and grit of everyday invention.  Ken Burns won't know what hit him.

--Target Audience: General audience.  Everyone who loves a great story.  These videos should appeal to science nerds and non-science nerds alike.

--Tone: Captivating, insightful, and don’t be afraid to be a little playful if it suits the story.  

--Executional Mandatories: No robot city takeovers. This is not about the perils of artificial intelligence or HAL gone berserk.

--Exposure: GE Facebook page and website.

To the lab!

This project will be worth a total of $30,000 and consist of two phases, a Pitch Phase and a Video Phase.  Be sure to read the following information carefully as well as the Official Rules.

PHASE 1: PITCH – Using text (500 characters or less), images (storyboards), video, and external links (to other supporting assets, i.e., your reel, etc.), give us your Pitch (What Is a Pitch Phase?)  for how YOU would go about producing a 60 second video based on the information contained herein. The THREE most compelling Pitches will be selected and will each receive $2,000 to help create their Video.  Those winners (upon submitting their Winner's Affidavit and IP Assignment) will also be GUARANTEED a winning place in the subsequent Video Phase.  So, if your Pitch is selected and you submit a video during the Video Phase, you will win an additional $3,000, at a minimum, and have a chance to compete for the $15,000 first place Video prize.  Remember your Pitch can include any, and all, of the assets mentioned above and you MUST include a link to some of your previous video work on Tongal or elsewhere to be considered for this phase.  For an example of an effective pitch, check out Erik Beck's Winning What Does LEGO Mean To You Pitch.  All Pitches will remain private until after the winners of the Video Phase are announced and the Project is complete.

PHASE 2: VIDEO – The THREE winners from the Pitch Phase will create a 60 second video based upon their winning Pitches. The 3 winning Videos submitted by Pitch winners will be scored to determine the standings for the Video Phase.  Remember, the THREE Pitch winners are guaranteed to receive prizes.

--Video Phase Payout: Winners of the Video Phase will earn the following prizes: 1st place $15,000, 2nd place $6,000, 3rd place $4,000.

--Music: Noise/Racket, is a Music Supervision and Artist Management company working with a select group of clients and artists to bring the best new music, out into the rest of the World.  A selection of Noise/Racket music will be available to Tongal members at no charge solely for their incorporation into Tongal members' submissions to this Project.  Tongal members are encouraged to browse the Noise/Racket catalogue, available by clicking on this link: http://www.noiseracketmusic.com/. If you are interested in using a track from the Noise/Racket roster, as described above, simply download the track by clicking the "download" button, which will initiate the music file download. You may only use THREE Noise/Racket tracks maximum as part of your video submission.

1. Videos MUST not exceed 60 seconds in length. Preferred format 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.

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. Videos must feature one of the designated inventors and their invention.

4. In the event you utilize any third party materials, such as music provided by a third-party music provider, 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.

5. Submissions cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of General Electric.

6. Submissions must not portray General Electric in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with General Electric.

7. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.

8. Limit 5 submission(s) per member, per phase.

9. Minimum 25 Pitches, or the contest will repost for 2 days.

10. Sponsor will be entitled to one reasonable round of 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.

11. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, winning video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, and Music Releases for all assets appearing in the video as well as the project files, editing sequence and an uncompressed quicktime .mov file in either Animation or ProRes 422 codecs at either 1920x1080 or 1280x720 to claim their prize.

12. BY SUBMITTING A VIDEO ENTRY, YOUR SUBMISSION IMMEDIATELY BECOMES SOLELY THE PROPERTY OF TONGAL – 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 WEB SITE 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.

13. 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.